Cancer News Information

Great Tips That Can Help You With Cancer

Millions around the globe are afflicted with this dire, and potentially fatal, illness. One of the most important tools in the cancer treatment toolbox is education. By being well-informed regarding treatment options, patients and their families can make wise choices. In this article, there are tips that will help anyone get through cancer.

Watch the veggies and fruits you buy, as they could be contaminated. Pesticides are used to prevent insects and other issues from causing destruction to the crops. Before you eat fruits and vegetables you bought at the store, get rid of these pesticides using a mild soap and plenty of water. Alternatively, focus your fruit purchases on products that tend to have less pesticide exposure.

Be aware of certain changes that may take place as you undergo cancer therapy. Discuss the side effects of any drugs or other treatments with your doctor. Common things you might need to do include buying a wig to address hair loss or wear makeup, due to changes in complexion.

Treat family members who have cancer with the same love and kindness that you always have. Anyone who has been touched by cancer will tell you that a positive mindset and encouragement is far more comforting than pity. Sometimes, the best thing you can say to someone who has cancer is nothing more complicated than, "I love you". Those three words mean more than anything you can do. This will help to show them that things will be okay.

Try the guacamole to help reduce your chances of getting cancer! Combine several chopped avocados with chopped tomatoes, jalapenos and green peppers. Next, add lime juice and salt. You only need a little bit of each; just sprinkle the vegetable mixture with these ingredients. Then mash all of the ingredients together. Avocado is known to reduce or stop the growth of cancer within your body, so put lots of it in your dip! It is nutritious, and it tastes good!

When you have cancer, it affects everyone in your life, especially those closest to you. As there are different ways to treat and perhaps even cure certain kinds of cancers, have regular talks with a doctor.

When it's needed, be sure to speak up about your situation. Some people may come from ignorance when dealing with your cancer. They may pressure you to quit your job as soon as you receive your diagnosis or avoid you so that they don't get cancer too. Understand that not everyone is knowledgeable about cancer and answer any questions as honestly as you can. Doing so can assist in the ways that those around you treat you during your treatment regimen.

As long as you are able, it is wise to continue doing the things you usually do. Live calmly, and try to be as flexible as possible. Uncertainty about the future often makes it difficult to ensure that appropriate measures are in place. Thus the cancer patient needs to respond, and make changes as his or her situation develops.

Cancer has been a ravaging disease world-wide. It is a diagnosis feared most. In order to battle cancer, one must obtain education about the disease and have knowledge of the treatment options that exist. These tips can help those cancer sufferers and their loved ones in the battle against this disease.

When you journey through cancer you only have three possible emotional responses. The first is to live in anger... why me? The second is to live in denial... pretending that if you do not admit you are in the fight of your life somehow it will all go away. The third response is to live in acceptance and anticipation. You have had cancer and your life will never be the same - but, living life in acceptance and anticipation can make life better than ever before. That is hope. Hope is living in expectation and anticipation of a future you cannot see. Think of HOPE this way.

Healthy
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Here are five choices cancer gives us to live with HOPE:

1. Exercise: Cancer does not like an oxygenated environment. Exercise is such an important part of "survivorship" because it helps keep your body oxygenated.

However, you MUST remember to start where you are when exercising. By that I mean, if you already have a great exercise regimen and are faithful doing that regimen you can continue that regimen and begin challenging yourself with more aggressive exercise as you feel up to it. If, on the other hand, it has been years since you have done any kind of exercise on a regular basis you need to begin with something simple and build up. If that means walking out to the mailbox and back... great! The next day continue to the neighbor's mailbox and pick up your mail on the way back. Keep building up and soon you will be walking around several blocks. The same concept applies to any kind of exercise.

Exercise is an interesting phenomenon. It takes energy to exercise but your energy increases with exercise. In other words, being active will increase your energy - I know that sounds contradictory... but, it isn't. The best way to increase your energy level is physical activity.

2. Colorful, and many helpings of fresh, fruits and vegetables each day: The more colorful, the better and, I encourage you to eat organic produce whenever feasible.

Also, eat foods that are prepared as close to their natural form as possible. Think about it. Fried, breaded and smothered foods often barely resemble their raw form. Boiling, roasting and baking are better choices. The same principle can be applied to sweeteners and grains. Honey, agave nectar, turbinado sugar, whole unrefined grains and brown rice all add to the pleasure of eating without compromising your immune system.

Take baby steps when making healthy changes. You will be much more likely to follow such a diet than doing it "cold turkey".

For all you chocolate lovers, let me remind you that organic dark chocolate is not only allowed, but encouraged. What could be more rewarding at the end of the day that a few grams of dark chocolate. And, it's good for heart, too!

3. Choose water: Drinking ample amounts of water - NOT coffee, Gatorade, tea or fruit juice - is one of the most important habits you can form. If you are still in treatment and the taste of water is "hard to swallow" consider adding 1 oz of cranberry juice to every glass of water. A squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice can help also. Here is an unusual, but wonderful option that I am personally very fond of - sliced cucumbers! Just slice about 1/4 cucumber and put the slices in a water pitcher. Add water and let sit for at least an hour. The result is a very refreshing tasting water!

Remember this simple formula for the right amount of water for YOU:

Your weight (in pounds) divided by two = the minimum number of ounces of water you need each day.

For an easy example: if you weigh 128 pounds, then 128 divided by two is 64 and that is the minimum number of ounces they should drink per day, which equals 8 cups of water.

4. Reduce stress - wherever possible: We all know that we live in a world full of stress and stressors... and no one is exempt. Make changes in your life where you can and learn to relax and accept things and circumstances that you cannot change.

Exercise and a healthy diet (choices 1 and 2 above) increase your ability to deal with stress.

Another much less known way to reduce stress is to use only organic hair and skin care products and makeup. If you have never thought about this as a way to reduce your stress, now is a great time to to become informed. I was first introduced to this powerful stress-reducing tool several years ago and have done extensive research on this subject since then. There is a great deal of information available by experts in their field. The cosmetic database is an excellent source for specific product information. Once you understand this aspect of stress, you can begin making changes to your daily regimens..

5. Set regular doctor's appointments and keep them: This may seem like a "no-brainer" if you have just begun your survival journey. But it is surprising how many survivors become complacent as the years go by.

I celebrated my 18th survivor anniversary last October - and my oncologist still asks to see me every six months. I am not saying that is what you need to do - my situation had several unusual twists and turns, but, I am saying - listen to your doctors and follow their advice for how often you should be seen and screened.

Live today and everyday with... HOPE! Cancer has come, and it has given you choices to live with a Healthy Outlook Portrayed Everyday.

With all of the "crazy" that surrounds the holidays, beginning with Thanksgiving, the real meaning of these celebrations often is lost. Considering that many of you are also dealing with cancer, surgery, treatment, side-effects and general malaise - the thought of being thankful might leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

I thought it fitting this month as the United States focuses on Thanksgiving that I take the opportunity to give my thoughts on being thankful. You may not even be aware of it, but take a moment to ask yourself - have you gotten swallowed up in an entitlement mentality? Are you and I entitled to more than we have? We read in the Bible: " For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it". That means that everything we have ever had, have currently, or will ever have is a gift. Yes, we may work hard for it; we may suffer for it - but, it is still more than we had when we were born. It may sound too simplistic yet that is exactly where we can get tripped up in an entitlement mentality. When we consider that we were born with nothing and will leave with nothing, then we realize that we are not entitled to anything. We came empty-handed yet have been given much to fill our hands... much to be thankful for.

Most all of us have roofs over our heads, enough to eat, can pay most of our bills, and live in a nation where we have good healthcare facilities and treatment options available to us. It's easy to lose track of all of that in the day-to-day grind of surviving cancer and feel we deserve more than that. We don't. As humans we experience pain, illness, health, loss, gain, struggles and victories - the key is to ponder what we have despite our past, or current, experiences and realize that we have MUCH to be thankful for.

I attended a seminar some time ago about emotions and the definition they used for emotions was "energy in motion". I really like that definition because it means that we can change the motion of our energy. Did you know that our emotions follow the path of least resistance when responding to situations? This means that based on past experiences and responses to the same, or similar situations, we will respond to current situations. However, research shows that 21 days of practicing a different, healthier emotional response to these situations and the "path" along which the emotions used to travel from past experiences will begin to shrink. It is like a path around your local lake - if you, and everyone else, do not walk down that path during the summer time the weeds will soon begin to grow into the path and eventually completely cover it.

When we begin to respond with thankfulness and joy for what we have - our lives change. We find more things to be thankful for; we feel more fulfilled; we realize how blessed we are, and we have a new energy we thought we had lost forever.

If this is a time of plenty - be thankful and giving...

If this is a time of lean - be thankful and graciously let others bless you!

There are many diseases out there where early prevention may significantly help reduce their ability to overtake your life. Knowing what diseases you maybe prone to may cause some anxiety initially, however over time you will find that it provides you with some very powerful tools including; control, awareness, and time. Taking a look at the health history of your parents or grandparents are good insights of what to look out for as you get older. It also makes it much easier to stay healthy.

Cancer develops due to alteration in genes, when the genes work correctly they promote normal and controlled cell growth; however when a mutation occurs in the gene tissues the effected area becomes cancerous. Therefore all cancers are genetic, as they are formed through mutation in genes, but only a few are inheritable. It is estimated that 5% to 10% of cancers are inheritable.

Breast, Ovarian, Colorectal and prostate cancer are on the list of the 5% to 10% of cancers that are the most inheritable. It must be understood that it is not the cancer that is passed down from a parent to a child; it is the gene mutation that is passed down. Even then, your probability of having cancer may increase but it does not guaranteed you will have cancer.

The human body contains 2 sets of 23 chromosomes, each set possess DNA from each parent, and each chromosome is made up of thousands of genes that are in pairs. In the case of breast-ovarian cancer it is the BRCA1 and BRCA2 that may be impacted. The BRCA gene contains DNA from both mother and father. If the mother or father's BRCA gene is mutated it maybe passed down from parent to child.

So if you're mother had ovarian cancer, her sister had breast cancer and you are concerned that you may carry a mutated gene. Here are a couple of things you can do.

1) Take a real deep look at your family history; go as far as back as you can, speak to other relatives to understand how various members passed away.Take a look at the death certificate of family members if possible. This will provide you insight on where you stand, and vital information to take to the Drs. Office.

2) After having reviewed your family history, setup a preventative appointment with your primary care physician. If the affordable care acts remain as is, it will be a free of charge as a preventative service.

3) Based on the conversations with your Primary Care Physician he or she may recommend you take some test, some of which may include a genetic test. Genetic testing is the use of lab test to determine more accurately if you posses the genes for certain illness, to date testing have been developed to identify more than 2500 diseases. These tests are not required or mandatory but for many it provides them insights early in life as to what the future may hold, this includes the possibility of passing down a mutated gene to their own children. In the case of Ovarian-Breast cancer there is a simple blood test that can detect a mutated BRCA gene.

4) Once you have completed your testing you should discuss your options and results with your physician. Your physician will best promote and describe your options.

In many cases knowledge is power, and having such a knowledge allows you to work with your physician early on if you are predisposed to a certain form of cancer.

One hundred years ago cancer was almost unheard of and today in undeveloped or third world countries it is still a rare diseases. If our mainstream medical system was interested in find the reasons why there is so much cancer now why don't they travel to a country where it doesn't occur and find out why it is not occurring. The simple fact is that cancer has become a profitable business for both our medical care system and pharmaceutical companies.

To overcome cancer you have to know the reason why it first appeared because before you can be free of it you must deal with the factors that first caused it. All cancers are a self-caused disease and they are caused by an immune system that's been weakened and didn't control cancer cells as they appeared within the body and that is because of the way we now live. Supermarkets and the food we are putting in our mouths are one of the main contributing factors.

The food we eat on a daily basis has changed over these last few decades and is the reason why there is so much cancer now so common sense should tell you that it's time to make some changes. Start by removing that dead over processed food that the supermarket shelves are full of. Other lifestyle changes are exercise everyday as your immune system needs it to function efficiently. Also it's best to get exercise outdoors which means you will also be getting some valuable vitamin D from the sun and that is well known to be beneficial to a cancer victim.

Other facts doctors won't tell you are to be wary of the many chemicals that are in circulation today which are finding their way into our bodies. We are overwhelmed with toxic chemicals that we breathe in as in exhaust fumes or fly sprays, they are absorbed through the skin because of our use of personal care products and of course we ingest them because of additives in our processed food. Most of these chemicals have been extracted from crude oil and are contributing to many of our health problems.

It's important to realise that with a cancer diagnosis the growth itself is only a symptom and a symptom is only a sign that something is wrong with the entire body. The symptom itself is not the problem and it is pointless just removing these growths which do little towards long term healing. Patients may experience remission following the treatments in use today but if you don't remove the reasons why it first grew then that is not a cure and the cancer will only grow again.

Cancer is caused by uncontrolled cell growths within the body because the body's defence system didn't control these foreign cells when they appeared. It's because our immune system had been weakened by the factors mentioned above. To solve the problem it makes sense to strengthen the immune system with healthy living instead of weakening it with toxic treatments. The body need's to be healed and natural living does that.

Cancer!! The Big C!! It can be the scariest word in any language.

But if you've heard, and been told, that most everyone in your father's family got Cancer and even Died from Cancer, when the doctor says there's a little lump in your breast, NOW what happens? First off, you're scared out of your wits. You're only 32 and certainly not ready to die!

I understand that By Law, a doctor may not treat cancer except with radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Not good, huh?

But think what would happen if a cure for cancer was found today? What would happen to Oncology in general? Here in our town there is one section where almost every other building is for some kind of cancer related treatment. There are thousands of doctors, nurses, clinics, chemotherapy staff, and more of related careers. So in order to keep their jobs, there can't be a cancer cure!!

I believe that there are holistic ways to cure cancer but you have to take your health into your own hands, you have to take care of your body. You have to read, inquire, look at other options before letting your doctor dictate what and where and when something will be done to your body.

I'm not giving medical advice here. I'm just saying you shouldn't listen to your doctor blindly (as though he were God) and not look at other options.

Personally, I hate it when I go to the doctor and he says, "Let's try this or let's try that and see if it works." What are you talking about.? You're the doctor!! Don't you KNOW?

Yes, I understand it can be very scary, but look to yourself to be informed. Knowledge is power and with power comes peace of mind. There are thousands of books on what causes cancer and many more that teach you how to cure cancer. Add to that the many books and articles by very famous doctors who will tell you that you can avoid developing cancer by following simple diets.

What you eat is what you are. Too much alcohol and you have liver problems. Too much fat and, and... well, you know the rest. Not enough of the right kind of foods and you develop diseases you didn't even know existed. For those diseases we have the Pharmaceutical companies creating new drugs for yet diseases yet to be found. And, of course, there are also thousands of doctors who are eager to tell you what you have, and how he can treat them with drugs.

Get educated, there are millions and millions of words written for your good health. If you can't afford them, it's time to change your life style. Make the kind of money that will provide you with the tools to stay alive and well.

If we increase our awareness about cancer prevention and start early with prevention strategies we can help to protect ourselves from developing cancer. But even after cancer has been diagnosed, the good news is that the use of whole organic seaweed products can be beneficial through all stages of treatment to provide nutritional supplementation, aid in detoxification, and enhance immunity and cell regeneration.

I use whole organic sea therapy products made from brown and green seaweeds gathered off the coast of Vancouver Island. These seaweeds are a treasure of ocean minerals, nutrients, vitamins and trace elements. Brown kelps are the most highly mineralized plants on earth. They accumulate minerals directly from the ocean and concentrate them within their plant structures. All these health-giving minerals in seaweed are readily available to you when applied to the body and absorbed through the skin, (or ingested by drinking organic mint green tea). Kelps provide colloidal minerals that can facilitate the unloading of toxic substances and assist other nutrients, such as trace elements, in being utilized and transported to cells. In terms of cancer prevention and treatment, perhaps two of the most powerful components of the seaweeds are iodine and fucoidan.

Iodine is a necessary nutrient, not only for proper thyroid functioning but, it is also essential for the normal functioning of cells, nervous system, muscles, brain development, oxygen utilization, metabolism, a strong immune system, and a whole lot more. According to Dr. Guy Abraham, M.D., a former professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and endocrinology at the U.C.L.A. School of Medicine, and a leading authority on iodine, says the benefits of sufficient iodine levels in the human body go far beyond this. Iodine may take a leading role in other healing functions of the body, such as prevention of cancer (especially in breasts, ovaries, uterus, prostate and thyroid gland), the prevention and treatment of fibrocystic breasts in women, and regulation of blood pressure. It can be noted that Japanese women have one of the lowest incidences of breast cancer in the world. They typically eat more than 13g of iodine daily, in the form of seaweed. The content of natural iodine found in the seaweeds is thousands of times higher than in land plants.

Most people have never heard of fucoidan because it is hasn't had much attention in the media. However it has been the topic of many scientific studies. It is an antioxidant that has been scientifically proven to kill cancer cells, as well as enhance immunity and cellular health. Scientists have established that fucoidan stimulates the death of certain cancer cells by supporting their normal disposal from the body. Fucoidan stimulates the immune response when the body is attacked, slowing down the growth and spreading of non-native cells. Fucoidan supports blood circulation to native body cells, fights off virus and bacteria, and regenerates tissue. Within the molecular structure of fucoidan is the presence of fucose which is a healing sugar, not to be confused with fructose. Fucose is also found abundantly in human breast milk, and that is why babies who are breastfed for longer periods of time seem to have a stronger immune system. Both fucoidan and fucose can be found in ample supply in whole organic seaweed products.

Seaweeds may be used in body and facial treatments in a variety of ways. They can be applied during body treatments to help rid the body of toxins and increase lymphatic drainage. They can be applied directly to the face and body for absorption of their high mineral, vitamin and trace element content. Seaweeds can also be taken internally in a tea, mixed with green and mint flavors.

Superfoods To Help With Cancer - 3 Types You'll Love

Research has shown that over 50% of all cancers can be prevented by eating the right foods every day. These are called superfoods. For those that have been eating superfoods for quite some time, this is old news. Just the mainstream media is behind on understanding all of this. It's a matter of science catching up to natural methods and approaches. Despite the fact that people have been teaching this information, and implementing it, for decades, science still has to provide empirical data. Medical research is now believing that superfoods are a viable option in regard to cancer treatment and prevention, something that is great progress for the scientific community.

There are enough different kinds of superfoods that you don't have to worry that you'll have to eat the same foods every day. One very common vegetable that can help prevent colon and rectal cancer is cabbage.

Among other things, this vegetable provides you with almost half of your daily requirement of Vitamin C, and on top of that it's a fiber rich food. Making sure you get enough fiber every day, especially from vegetables, is one of the best ways to protect yourself from cancer and other diseases. Fiber keeps your intestinal tract clean and prevents the build-up of toxins on intestinal walls. If you've never heard of prebiotics, then you should get familiar. Prebiotics are consumed by the (beneficial) bacteria in your intestines and used to maintain healthy digestion.

Beta carotene is an antioxidant that is contained in many superfoods; it's the type of Vitamin A that is most beneficial for your body. And we've all heard about how rich carrots are in vitamin A; they provide you with over 3 times the daily recommended amount of Vitamin A.

Like many vegetables (such as cabbage) and whole grains, carrots are a quality source of beneficial fiber for your body. Once again, you'll keep your intestinal bacteria in healthy populations due to the prebiotic nature of carrot fiber. Mixing carrots and cabbage would provide you with a very nutritious superfood snack or side dish. This would provide you with a day's worth of fiber and help you maintain regularity.

There are many superfoods that can fight against cancer, but we also need to discuss food that has omega-3 fatty acids. Let's now discuss flaxseeds, which are a great superfood in regard to how much omega-3 fatty acid is within them. Tumors related to breast cancer have actually shrunk as a result of using omega-3 EFAs, which is what we would like to touch on first. There are many benefits for your heart as well, on top of what this EFA can do. Buying flaxseed is not something that we actually recommend. Levels of omega-3 acids in flaxseed can actually change, and potentially diminish, if they are not run properly, or stored in the right way. Researchers probably your best friend in regard to funding flaxseed that will be exactly what you're looking for. According to modern research, cancer, and your diet, are intimately related. Superfoods that have such powerful antioxidant properties cannot be pushed aside. It is so beneficial to use superfoods to fight against cancer. Even medical researchers have been stating this for some time. By eating healthy superfoods in your diet every day, they can help you deal with other medical conditions that you may also be facing. So it's a terrific and smart idea to include these foods in your daily diet and have variety, as well.

Bone Marrow Transplantation, or BMT is a procedure that is undertaken to introduce healthy bone marrow stem cells as a replacement for the damaged bone marrow. The soft fatty tissue inside the bone is termed as bone marrow. New blood cells are created from certain immature cells that reside in the bone marrow, and these immature cells are known as stem cells.

When does Bone Marrow Transplantation become necessary?

Diseases of the blood like thalassemia, aplastic anemia, leukemia, and so forth can be treated with BMT. Cancers like Hodgkin's lymphoma, mutiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and so forth can be treated with BMT. Certain childhood cancers like sarcomas, neuroblastoma, and so forth too can be treated using BMT.

Types of BMT

Autologus Bone Marrow Transplant involves recovering stem cells from the body of the patient being treated. After the stem cells are recovered the patient is subjected to a high dose of chemotherapy. Once the chemotherapy sessions are completed, the stem cells are introduced back to the person's body in an intravenous manner.

Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplant involves obtaining the required stem cells for treatment from a donor. The donor, in this case, must have a genetic match with the patient being treated. In this regard, the usual stem donors are the patient's siblings, or a person with whom the patient has a very good genetic match. The genetic match is established after conduction of numerous blood tests.

The benefits of BMT

There are many factors that determines how healthy the treated patient becomes post the BMT treatment, and these factors include the type of BMT used, the percentage of match that was achieved between the patient and donor stem cells, the type of cancer that the patient was affected with, and also upon the age and the general health condition of the patient. BMT has the capability of completely curing a disease, or sometimes the disease could be brought under control. Depending on how successful the BMT treatment is the patient can get back to his or her regular chore in a few months, or sometimes in a year's time.

Are there any complications associated with Bone Marrow Transplantation?

The complications that may emerge following BMT depends on many factors including the diseases the patient has, the age of the patient, the present health conditions of the patient, and it also depends on the treatments that were undertaken prior to BMT including chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The complications will also have a relation to the amount of match established with the donor's stem cells, and also upon the type of BMT used, whether auto or allogenic. The complications that are generally seen includes the patient becoming susceptible to infections, the patient developing anemia, or bleeding, the patient may experience soreness in his or her mouth, stomach, throat, and food pipe, the patient's vital organs like kidneys, heart, lungs, and liver may face damage, there may arise an instance of graft failure, and so forth.

Cancer institutes that are capable of conducting BMT treatments have with them the required laboratory infrastructure to harvest stem cells, and they also have with them a well stocked blood bank. The other supportive facilities they have with them includes the pathology and microbiology departments.

Sodium and Stomach Cancer

In a study by the World Cancer Research Fund, it was found that 14 percent, (or in other words one in seven) of cases of stomach cancer could be prevented by watching sodium levels. I don't know about you, but considering this new information and also sodium's impact on blood pressure numbers, I think it's worth the effort to start learning what foods have higher levels of sodium and how to keep those levels under control.

Do You Know What to Look for When Watching Your Sodium?

According to the World Cancer Research Fund, in the U.K. where the study was completed, 43% of people consume more than the recommended amount of sodium. That recommended amount has a little more lenient number of 2400 mg's when high blood pressure isn't in the picture. If you do happen to have high blood pressure, aim for 1500 mg.

Don't you think it would be a good idea to get into the habit of aiming for the lower number even if you don't have high blood pressure? That way it's easier to not go over the 2400 mg, and is just a good habit to form.

Low Sodium Diets

It is really easier than it sounds to keep your sodium levels down. Here are a few tips:

• Keep packaged foods to a minimum. Three quarters of our salt comes already included in packaged foods. FYI: Not a good thing!


• Read and compare labels. The same food from a different brand could have more or less sodium than the other. For example: one low sodium chicken stock had more sodium than a regular brand, and I found a well-known brand soup that their low sodium tomato soup was the same as their regular product.


• Cut back on deli-meats and red meat. Deli-meats are loaded with sodium; cutting back on red meat is more because of the added cholesterol that contributes to high blood pressure.

This may be harsh, but it is your choice on whether you watch your sodium or not. But consider this: only about 15 percent of stomach cancer patients live more than five years because this particular disease isn't usually diagnosed early enough for treatments to bring better results. That coupled with the possible outcome of high blood pressure issues and medicinal side effects makes dietary efforts soooo much easier to deal with. Don't you think so, too?

Evvie created a "Bucket List," many years ago, at the top of her list was to visit Base Camp at Mt. Everest. Evvie is a two-time Breast Cancer survivor and was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2009. Evvie is the mother of four; prior to being diagnosed with PD she was a successful litigation attorney in DC.

As Evvie put it, "I'm 57 years old, have had breast cancer twice and live with Parkinson's, not your poster child of health. Frankly, after I was diagnosed with breast cancer (the second time) I scratched Base Camp off my list and reconciled myself to the fact that it would never happen."

Some might call her journey a miracle; others would simply call it fate. In early 2012 Evvie reconnected with a friend from High School, he too was going through chemotherapy. They quickly became "chemo buddies. "When you are going through chemo it can be a lonely journey. Unless you've "been there-done that", you just don't get it. Chemo was no walk in the park, having someone to share my thoughts with was my saving grace. My friend Greg became my sounding board and in the end he became my inspiration." Sadly Greg passed away in August 2012. "The greatest gift I was given by Greg was a love of life. Even through the worst of times he had a smile on his face and a kind word to share."

As fate would have it, after Greg died Evvie met his brother and mentioned her bucket list, he told her about a group out of La Jolla that summited Mount Kilimanjaro in 2011, and among them were three Parkinson's patients. He went on to say, "The group is called Summit4StemCell, they are planning a trip to Base Camp in 2013." Evvie was speechless, is it possible that she could accomplish what she thought was now impossible. The next day Evvie contacted Summit4StemCell, they invited her to join them in climbing for a cause. Evvie will take the trek of a lifetime in October 2013, in doing so; she will check Base Camp off her bucket list.

In October of 2012 Evvie visited Scripps Center for Regenerative Medicine and had a chance to tour the Loring Lab and to meet some of the other folks who are going to Everest with her. The research focuses on non-embryonic stem cell research. She could hardly contain her excitement, "I saw up close the work that Drs. Loring and Houser are doing and it truly is amazing. I was filled with hope after visiting the lab. I honestly feel that someday there will be a treatment that can help me and others with Parkinson's."

Summit4StemCell is led by Sherrie Gould, a nurse practitioner at the Parkinson's Disease and Movement DisorderCenter. As a member of the Summit4StemCell team Evvie is climbing for a cause, the ultimate goal is to inspire people with PD to move beyond their physical limitations.

Evvie is in the process of training for her trek, sometimes this can be overwhelming.

This is a story of survival and perseverance. Remember nothing is impossible.

In order to understand pancreatic cancer symptoms, first you must understand what the pancreas is and what function it performs. Located in front of the spine, in the abdomen and at a level just above the belly button, the pancreas is an organ that performs two jobs; it makes the enzymes that help to break down proteins and makes the hormone insulin, which regulates the levels of sugar in the blood. The enzymes that the pancreas makes chops proteins into parts small enough to help in digestion so that those proteins are more easily absorbed and used for energy by the body.

Due to the location of the pancreas, pancreatic cancer symptoms usually go undetected until it has advanced to the point of being difficult to treat. Unfortunately, with most of the cases, the symptoms do not develop until the cancer begins to spread and grow. The pancreas is made up of three areas; the head, the body and the tail; the most common form of pancreatic cancer is located in the head and is called adenocarcinoma. When it comes to pancreatic cancer, location does matter because the associated symptoms vary with each type. Adenocarcinoma, which is located in the head of the pancreas, produces symptoms earlier than symptoms of cancer in the body or tail of the pancreas.

Symptoms in the head of the pancreas include jaundice or yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, weight loss, itching, vomiting, dark urine, nausea, light color stools, lymph nodes in the neck that are enlarged, back pain and abdominal pain. Pancreatic cancer symptoms in the tail or body of the pancreas produce symptoms such as weight loss, stomach pain and back pain. Due to the pancreas close proximity to the digestive system, the symptoms, which predominate, are in the gastrointestinal areas. The most noted symptom is abdominal pain, which occurs in over 80 percent of people who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; the pain increases as the tumor grows.

Other symptoms that some people have reported include bloating or a sense of being full early after a meal or a feeling of uncomfortable swelling in the stomach; nausea and diarrhea also accompany this bloated feeling. When the stools turn a pale color, it is usually due to the duct that drains bile into the intestines becoming blocked by the cancer. As the cancer grows, the pancreatic cancer symptoms become more evident and begin to affect the body as a whole. These symptoms include weight loss due to a loss of appetite, malaise, depression, blood clots and high blood sugar, which sometimes can cause the development of diabetes.

A rare form of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic endocrine tumors, which is tumors of the Islet cells, is also called neuroendocrine tumors and arise from the hormone producing cells in the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer symptoms associated with pancreatic endocrine tumors include weight loss, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, sweating and low blood sugar. If you have experienced any of these symptoms, it is recommended that you see your doctor right away.

It is hard to keep one's perspective. Having to go to a multitude of doctors twice a year; having up to 5 MRIs; and being under general anasthetics at least once every 18 months make the family suffer. As it was explained to me ten years ago, if my body does not have the genetic protection against cancer, I will have constant internal growths of haratomas. 4 cancers later, I still consider myself lucky as I am an innate optimist. I suffer more from not knowing. Constantly getting myself in trouble as I joke with the nurses and people in the waiting rooms, if we have to wait, we are still living. Needless to say it is not a horror story. Early detection is essential.

The PTEN gene is important as it protects the body from cancer. In the Cowden syndrome, our PTEN is mutated. Most problems occur in the breasts, the intestinal tract, the kidneys, the colon, and the uterus. A small percentage suffer from neurological problems as focal epilepsy. The skin of the body is affected but most visual abnormalities can be removed by a dermatologist.

If you should have breast cancer, make sure the doctors perform a genetic study. I would never have known I had a PTEN mutation. At the time we thought it was the BRCA gene which is common in families who came from Central Europe. Remember than cancers which are caught early are treatable. Genetic studies help plan what might be inevitable. There is a 50% chance of transmitting the disease to your children. My children do not have Cowden. It is one of my driving forces.

My current situation as of the end of November is somewhat difficult as I try to verify everything once a year. A small tumor in my kidney is placed in such a position that they can not do a biopsy. As it is monitored, we know it isn't growing. It doesn't look benign but it doesn't look malignant. Kidney cancer is the slowest growing cancer. My uterous has a fibrome which hasn't bothered me up to now. It is on the check list. The melanoma, which I had removed 4 years ago, will be looked at by the doctor this month. He will not be pleased to know that there is a polyp at the base of my vocal cords. I am also getting checked for my 3rd breast cancer and the possibility of bladder cancer next month. The results will be in next week.

The hassle every 18 months, having to go for a coloscopy and an endoscopy to cut out all the new polyps is all part of it. They are checked for cancer. Avoiding future suffering is motivation. I usually try to wait every 18 months.

The major signs of Cowden:

• extremely large head (macrocephaly)
• haratomas, small visible skin growths
• breast cancer, uterine cancer, or thyroid cancer

I am not a doctor nor do I claim to have any medical knowledge. I have written this article from personal experience. Early detection will make a long and healthy life. The road you have is difficult but it is worth following.

Organ specific cancer treatments

Certain advanced cancer hospitals manage cancer in an organ specific way, and accordingly oncologists are reserved for treating cancers affecting specific organs only. Accordingly, oncologists have successfully treated breast cancer, head and neck cancer, gynecological cancer, orthopedic cancer, lung cancer, neuro cancer, and liver cancer.

Understanding each organ specific cancer and the treatment available for it

Breast Cancer

It is the commonest of cancers affecting women, and it is believed to be the cancer that has caused the most mortality among women next to lung cancer. The mortality has been the highest among women whose ages were between 45 and 55. Breast cancer is curable if it is diagnosed at an early stage, and if the necessary treatments are carried out immediately following its detection. Breast cancer is growth of breast cells in an uncontrolled manner.

Breast cancer diagnosis

Abnormal presence of a lump

This diagnosis can be carried out by the patient, and the doctor too looks for the presence of abnormally looking lumps through physical breast examinations. Other than a lump, the changes in the breast that doctors look forward to finding is skin dimpling, unusual changes in the size, and or shape of the breast, pulled in nipples as against it being pointed outward when normal, and discoloration of the breast's skin.

Mammography

Radiologists use mammograms to seek out abnormalities in the breasts. Mammograms are x-ray photographs of the breast that are usually taken by keeping the breasts in a compressed position.

Ultrasound imaging of breasts

Ultrasound imaging is used to examine the breasts, and this technique of using sound waves helps in distinguishing whether a lump that has been noticed in a breast is either a cyst filled with fluid, or a solid one.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI

The MRI of a breast is taken using a strong magnetic field. MRI of the breast becomes necessary in certain situations to properly diagnose breast cancer.

Biopsy

The biopsy of the breast becomes necessary when the oncologist has a strong suspicion of cancer being present. A core needle biopsy is performed on the suspect area of the breast to either confirm the disease, or rule it out.

The benefit of early breast cancer detection

Detection of breast cancer can be made at an early stage through screening. Screening refers to the various tests and examinations that are carried out on the breasts of a person to detect the disease at the earliest, even before the actual symptoms of the disease starts to show. Usually breast cancers that can be felt and detected are cancers that have grown larger in size and that which in usual cases has spread to regions outside the breast. The treatment in such cases is very complex. Breast cancers can be treated successfully if it is detected very early, and before the actual cancer symptoms starts to show.

Breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer is treated either through local treatment or systemic treatment.

Local treatment of breast cancer involves removal, destruction, or controlling the growth of cancerous cells in the breast. Local treatment by surgery is also known by the names mastectomy, and it is also referred to as lumpectomy. This is a breast preserving therapy. The other local treatment is the use of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy involves use of a high energy radiation beam to destroy the cancer cells. Advanced equipment like LINAC helps in focusing the radiation beam on to the cancer cells, and minimizes, or avoids causing damage to the surrounding healthy cells.

Systemic treatment becomes necessary if the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This treatment is therefore used to control and destroy cancer cells across the body. The various therapies that are used in this treatment include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapy.

Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill or control cancer cells. Hormone therapy involves use of certain drugs that inhibit production of certain hormones in the body, like estrogen, which can aid in the revival of cancerous breast cells that manage to remain in the body post the surgery of the breast. Biological therapy involves use of the body's immune system in fighting and destroying cancerous cells.

Thus cancer hospitals that offer breast cancer treatments are equipped with a robust team of breast surgeons, plastic surgeons, medical oncologists and other associated staff, they have with them advanced machinery for diagnosis and treatment, and they also have the facilities of advanced ICUs for apt patient management and recovery.

Lung cancer

Lung cancer is associated with uncontrolled growth of cells in either one, or both of the lungs. These cells do not develop into healthy lung tissue, but rather becomes abnormal cells which further continue to divide forming lumps of tissues which are identified as tumors.

Diagnosis

The symptom that is commonly associated with lung cancer is shortness of breath and presence of wheezing. Certain other symptoms like chest pain, fatigue, appetite loss, presence of blood in the sputum while coughing, persistent cough, unanticipated loss of weight, and coughing out blood, are also associated with lung cancer. Presence of these symptoms together with reports from many other procedures will be used by physicians in diagnosing the presence or absence of lung cancer. Imaging techniques like X-Rays of chest, bronchoscopy, MRI, CT, and PET scans, are also used to diagnose lung cancer. Further, the patient is also subject to a physical examination by the physician, and an analysis of the patient's sputum is also made. All these examinations and procedures will reveal the presence of lung cancer, and also the location of the tumor, and also information about the presence or absence of the disease anywhere else in the body.

Lung cancer treatment

There are many factors which influence lung cancer treatment, and the factors on which lung cancer treatment is dependent on includes, the type of the cancer, the stage or how far the cancer has spread, the age of the patient, his or her health status, and many other personal characteristics of the patient. There is no particular treatment for lung cancer, and patients often receive treatment which is a combination of palliative care and multiple therapies. The foremost of lung cancer treatment therapies include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The patient will also be exposed to therapies that have been recently developed which include gene therapy, hormone therapy, and also immunotherapy.

The treating team comprises of radiation oncologists, thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, onco medical social workers, and so forth.

Orthopedic cancer

Orthopedic cancer involves musculoskeletal tumors that affect the pelvis, limbs, and spine. Orthopedic cancerous tumors that are usually seen in children and adolescents are Ewings sarcoma and Osteosarcoma. Cancerous tumors that are more common among adults are chondrosarcoma, metastasis, and multiple myeloma. These tumors are considered to be rare, and the exact cause that leads to their formation has remained a mystery till date.

Patients who are affected with these tumors have persistent pain in their back or limbs, and this pain will not subside with medications or rest. Paralysis and hand or foot weaknesses are symptoms patients with spine tumors usually present with.

Orthopedic cancer diagnosis

Clinical examination by a specialist and further investigations becomes necessary to diagnose orthopedic cancer; mere physical examinations of bone and soft tissue swellings will never reveal the presence of orthopedic cancerous tumor. The investigations that are usually carried out include X-Ray, MRI, PET, CT, and Bone scan. Biopsy is necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

Orthopedic cancer treatment

Tumors like Ewings sarcoma and Osteosarcoma needs a combination of treatment therapies which starts with chemotherapy, which is then followed by surgery, and eventually involves radiotherapy. Surgical treatments become necessary to treat benign tumors, and tumors like chondrosarcoma. The quality of life of patients suffering from bone metastasis can be considerably improved by subjecting them to palliative surgeries. Procedures are customized in accordance with patients when limbs or arms need to be saved from amputation. Cancer hospitals make the necessary provisions for prosthetic substitutions when amputation surgeries become necessary.

There are no known methods to prevent the occurrence of musculoskeletal tumors, and these tumors are considerably rare. Since prevention is ruled out, early detection alone can lead to proper treatment. Further, advancements in technology in the recent times has brought forward the possibility of liberating patients from definite limb or arm amputations when they are affected with bone cancers. But, amputation can be avoided only when the cancer is detected at an early stage. Numerous patients have been treated and were rehabilitated, and they are now in a position to lead a normal life; these patients have benefited from the advancements made in technology, which has made complex surgeries simpler.

Cancer hospitals use advanced technologies for soft tissue sarcoma tumor excisions including Brachytherapy, and also use of LINAC for external radiation therapy.

The orthopedic cancer treatment team of cancer hospitals comprises of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, physiotherapists, and so forth.

Patients seeking treatment for musculoskeletal tumors can also benefit from numerous services including, limb salvaging surgery while being treated for malignant tumors, benign bone tumor management, pelvic and spine tumor surgery, treatment for skin malignancy, soft tissue sarcoma treatment, and so forth.

Head and Neck Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer are cancers affecting the Upper Aero Digestive Tract, or UADT, cancers that affect the region between the collar-bone and the brain, and cancers that originate at glands like thyroid and parotid.

Diagnosis

A good physical examination under the hands of a competent oncologist will reveal the presence of head and neck cancer. Biopsy of the affected region will give an accurate confirmation. Lumps are explored by means of a Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology, or FNAC.

Head and Neck cancer treatment

The head and neck area is associated with the personality of a person. Further, the various important functional areas, which also involve a person's senses like sight, smell, auditory, taste, speech, and swallowing, are present in this region. Hence, the treatment of cancers affecting the head and neck area needs to be a balanced one, the treatment should not compromise the aesthetics, or the functions of the sensory organs, but concurrently the treatment should be effective in containing the cancer. Thus, the most advanced of head and neck cancer treatments that are carried out is aimed at preserving the functions of the sensory organs and simultaneously controlling cancer in an effective way. Either surgery or radiation therapy is sufficient during the early stages of the onset of head and neck cancer. But, surgery combined with radiation therapy becomes necessary during the advanced stages of head and neck cancer. Chemotherapy too is used along with radiotherapy to enhance the potentiality of radiotherapy.

Further, head and neck cancer treatments also benefits from the advancements made in the domain of reconstructive surgery. These advancements has made it possible to preserve the functionality of vital sensory organs, and thereby improving the quality of life of the affected individual. Some of the surgery advancements that have aided head and neck cancer treatments include micro vascular tissue transfer, functional neck surgery, jaw preserving surgery, and so forth. Further, advanced machinery for external radiotherapy like LINACs has made it possible to deliver high intensity radiations in a precise way to tumors that are deep-seated, and also sparing vital anatomy in the vicinity of the tumor. LINACs have greatly reduced the treatment duration too.

The additional conservative services that a patient can also benefit from while being treated for head and neck cancer includes head and neck surgery, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, preservation of voice, restoration of speech, micro-vascular regeneration, speech rehabilitation, faciomaxillary surgery, prosthodontic treatments, and so forth.

Liver Cancer

All cancers and tumors affecting the liver have come to be known as liver cancer, and this includes primary liver tumors, and secondary liver tumors also. Primary liver tumors are liver tumors that emanate within the liver, and secondary liver tumors are tumors that have spread to the liver from other cancer affected sites of the body.

Liver cancer diagnosis

Imaging techniques including ultrasound, PET, and, or CT scan is required. Biopsy will or will not be required to establish liver cancer.

Liver cancer treatment

When liver cancer is detected in the early stage, it is usually treated by surgically removing the tumor, or destroying the tumor cells using targeted chemotherapy, which is also known as TACE, or by liver transplantation. There are numerous other factors which also determines the treatment that needs to be undertaken including the condition of the liver, the size of the liver, location, tumor count, the age of the affected person, and the person's overall health. Further, the risks and the benefits associated with a particular mode of treatment is also dependent on the extension the tumor has achieved, the condition of the liver, and also the health condition of the affected person. In the usual cases, a treatment plan is tailor-made in accordance with the condition of the person being treated.

Patients undergoing liver cancer treatment at advanced cancer hospitals have the benefit of receiving chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy under one roof. Further, these cancer hospitals have liver transplantation programs, and in accordance with these programs certain patients affected with liver cancer have the benefit of undergoing a liver transplant at the hospital they are being treated.

The cancer hospitals treating liver cancer have doctors in their team from various disciplines including hepatobiliary surgery, radiology, oncology, hepatology, pathology, and so forth. The entire team is well-trained and experienced in liver cancer management, and they work in unison at solving complex liver cancer problems.

Gynecological Cancer

Cancers affecting the female reproductive organs have been grouped under gynecological cancer. The cancers included under gynecological cancer include cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, ovarian cancer, vulvar cancer, and uterian cancer.

Gynecological cancer diagnosis

The symptoms that are usually associated with gynecological cancer includes vaginal bleeding that is not normal, swelling or bloating that is persistent in the abdominal region, gain in weight or loss that is questionable, persistent diarrhea, or constipation. Gynecological cancer is diagnosed only after thorough gynecological and clinical examinations. Imaging techniques like ultrasound, CT, and PET/CT scans are also used for accurate diagnosis. Biopsy may or may not be used in the diagnosis procedure.

Gynecological cancer treatment

The treatment is based on the extent of the spread of the cancer, and also on the type of cancer present. The treatment is usually a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and may or may not use radiotherapy. Surgery involves excision of cancerous cells from the affected area. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to stop, or control the growth of cancer cells in the affected area. The drugs are administered into the body either in the form of pills, or through Intra Venous, or IV injections. Radiotherapy involves the use of high energy radiation beams to kill the cancer cells, or preventing them from spreading further.

Gynecological cancer treatment which spares fertility have been successfully carried out. Ovarian choriocarcinoma which was in stage IV has been successfully treated by sparing fertility using a combination of surgery and chemotherapy.

The services and treatments patients can expect for Gynecological cancer from cancer hospitals includes

· Diagnostic services like hysteroscopy, biopsy, laproscopy, colposcopy, and so forth,

· Ultra-radical and radical surgeries like Wertheim's hysterectomy, radical vagino-abdominal surgery, and Japanese radical surgery for cancer at stage II B, are carried out to treat uterine cervix cancer. Para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy are also carried out as part of the procedure.

· Intraperitoneal chemotherapy,

· Cytoreductive surgery for ovarian tumor management is done, and this also involves hysterectomy, omentectomy, lymphadenectomy, and diaphragmatic stripping. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy is offered to patients requiring chemotherapy, and this has a good survival rate.

· Typel hysterecotmy is used in treating endometrial cancer. Pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy is also used. Progesterone therapy in high doses in undertaken to treat certain cases when fertility sparing becomes necessary.

· Radical vulvectomy, partial vaginectomy, and also partial urethrectomy with dissection of groin node is carried out in the treatment of vulval cancer.

· Surgical treatments are done to treat vaginal cancer and also fallopian tube cancers.

· Chemotherapy and hysterectomy is used in treatment of choriocarcinoma. Fertility sparing tumor excisions are also carried out in certain cases.

· Neo-vagina creation, urethral stricture treatment, vaginal dryness treatment, and so forth

· Adjuvant radiotherapy, and chemotherapy too is provided on a patient basis, as need be.

Neuro Cancer

Tumors affecting the brain, spinal cord, and the peripheral nerves are treated as Neuro cancers. Abnormal growth of cells in the brain leads to brain tumor. Likewise, abnormal cell growth in the spinal cord, and peripheral nerves leads to spinal cord tumors and peripheral nerve tumors, respectively.

Symptoms

Blurred vision, neurological defects, vomiting, persistent headaches, seizures, and so forth, are symptoms associated with brain tumors.

Back pain, disturbances in the bowels and bladder, pain in the limbs and arms, weakness associated with limbs and arms, and so forth are some of the symptoms associated with spinal cord cancer.

Swelling, feeling of weakness, pain, and so forth are symptoms associated with peripheral nerve tumors.

Neuro cancer diagnosis and treatment

Imaging techniques including CT, MRI, PET/CT scans are used for diagnosis.

The foremost technique of tackling neuro cancers is surgery. Tumors of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves are surgically removed. A thorough histological diagnosis can be achieved of the tumor, as a result of this surgical intervention. Further, physical removal of the tumor also relieves the affected person of the cancer symptoms. The surgery also paves the way for a brisk recovery. The surgery can be followed by other treatment methods such as chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

Any person affected with neuro cancer becomes eligible for neuro cancer treatment. But, early detection of neuro cancer helps annihilate the disease entirely. Tumors of the brain, spinal cord, or the peripheral nerves need immediate treatment, and if they are left untreated they can become life threatening at a later date. With advancements in technology, neuro cancer treatment has become significantly safe and manageable. Further, the treatment time, and thereby the required days of stay in the hospital has been considerably reduced.

Advanced cancer hospitals use numerous top-notch techniques in the treatment of neuro cancers including stem cell therapy, cerebral micro dialysis, and so forth. Advanced cancer hospitals have the required technology to conduct microneurosurgery, neuro surgery using navigation, neuro surgery that is guided by endoscopy, neuro surgery that is guided by imagery, and so forth.

Further, advanced cancer hospitals are also equipped with advanced top-notch operation theaters that are designed to handle neuro cancer cases, they also have advanced neuro ICUs and other associated infrastructure that helps a neuro cancer patient recover in a safe and monitored environment.

Epigenetics involves the study of external factors that affect the genome and gene expression without altering the base sequence. It involves the relationship between base methylation patterns and histones. Methylation causes DNA to wrap tightly around the histone complex. This hides this DNA from the transcription process, thus silencing the gene. Active and silent genes are defined by the function of the cell as cells become more and more specialized. Liver cells have one specific group of active genes while skin cells have a different group of active genes. Methylation and binding to the histone complexes are functions that determine when cells become more differentiated.

External factors could influence the epigenome. Ultraviolet radiation and chemicals found in harmful agents like tobacco affect methylation patterns. Cells that lose their specialized functions may also lose the mechanisms that control cellular division. Rapid cell division leads to cancer and tumor development. A better understanding of the epigenome and base methylation process may provide a better understanding of cancer. In the past, cancer was believed to be caused by mutation or was the result of specific viruses. Now it is understood that epigenetic damage can also lead to cancer. It is one reason cancer may develop in one of two genetically similar people like twins, but not in the other one. Epigenetics research has led to new directions in cancer treatment with varying success. But how do researchers determine methylation patterns when comparing normal and cancerous cells? Basic Sanger sequencing does not differentiate between methylated bases and non-methylated bases.

What Determines Base Methylation

DNA becomes increasingly methylated during development as groups of cells differentiate into cells with specific functions. In general, cytosine bases that are followed by guanosine bases are methylated along the 5-prime carbon, thus forming a methylated CpG. The cellular genetic mechanism provides the information the cell needs to determine which bases eventually become methylated. DNA methyltransferases help maintain proper methylation as cells divide so that the daughter cells perform the same functions as the parent cells.

Bisulfite Treatment of Genomic DNA

Researchers use a process called bisulfite sequencing to identify methylated bases. Genomic DNA undergoes treatment with bisultfite. This converts non-methylated cytosine bases to uracil. Methylated bases are not affected by bisulfite treatment. Once bisulfite treated DNA is amplified by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), uracil bases are replaced by thymine. Uracil is the RNA equivalent of thymine. Comparison of DNA that is untreated with bisulfite and DNA treated with bisulfite shows bases transitioning from cytosine to thymine as non-methylated bases. The cytosine bases that remain unchanged are methylated. Genomic DNA is the source for bisulfite treatment. Fragments amplified by PCR can not be treated with bisulfite because the methylation patterns are lost during amplification. This is the basic process used by researchers to determine methylation patterns in DNA for epigenetic studies.

Translational research involves managing the ultimate results of studies carried out the laboratory and making use of it within the clinic when it comes to improving the discovery, healing and guarding against diseases. Fundamentally, it is definitely too close the disparity between researches done in the clinic and completed in the laboratory. It could be the effective use of laboratory studies in clinical setting where patients are healed. Consequently, it's also in the name - research through the bench to the bedside..

Cancer's translational research goal

When done alone, it really is useless to acquire a cancer gene from fruit flies. However, if employed for the goal of scientific study, it's really a humane treatment for aid cancer patients. In the oncology area, translational research is essential. It's going a considerable ways in improving studies to boost identifying cancer in the initial phase. In the same manner, it facilitates the exploration of a much more effective and safer charge of cancer. There will come an occasion when translation research should be able to discover successful deterrent methods against cancer.

Cancer translational research direction

Brilliant investigators get excited about undertaking cancer translational research where they cover some other part of studies in biology, genetics, medicine, pharmacology, medicine including various other disciplines. Presently, scientists will work together to interpret the cornerstone of knowing the task from the laboratory and discover improve patient care by making use of innovative imaging techniques, newer diagnostic tools and improved medication.

Most companies from other countries all around the worlds are re-emphasizing their direction towards real progress with this sort of applied research. Several companies have been interested in the whole operation of setting up a tissue database of each and every type and each form of cancer. By tracking cancer's histopathology and coordinating every type using the molecular profile, it'll provide more advances from the beginning of diagnosis and find out the way of cancer.

In cancer research, another exciting field is in heat-sensitive nanoparticles for drug delivery. These nanoparticles bearing the medicines of chemotherapy are injected into the bloodstream and targeted about the tumor cells. They may be heated to permit the drugs to spread across the tumor cells. These studies hope to resolve the current issue of the non-selectivity of chemotherapeutic drugs in distinguishing between cancer cells and normal cells.

From the medical study stage of cancers of the breast, Fraxel treatments is now very relevant. It has to even be put on accommodate treatment in other sorts of cancer. Some laboratories are tasked to work on vaccines against glioblastomas, that's this is the most belligerent forms of brain tumors. Currently stage, the final results of research are extremely inspiring. There are additional cancer researchers focusing on an approach to anti-estrogen to stop cancer of the breast. This may greatly help patients with cancer of the breast that has become resistant to other standard therapies.

From the general perspective, studying cancer with all the approach of translational research comes with a vital advancement in improving positive outcomes for patients. Even regions of photoacoustics and high-frequency ultrasound have identified new directions for Cancer Translational Research.

We all know that our diet has changed over the last 50 years because most people in developed countries now shop in supermarkets. Our diet in the past was more natural but now day's people are consuming mostly factory food or processed food and this food exists because of profit. While cancer sometime has other contributing factors such as smoking, the food we eat is almost always the main cause.

Most processed foods contain additives; while a few might be from natural sources there are two that need to be avoided and they are sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. These additives are in bacon, hot dogs, ham, salami and other processed meats, used to help preserve its colour and to make it look more natural. These additives are also used to inhibit botulism which will give these products a longer shelf life, therefore increasing profit. Nitrates and nitrites will increase your risk of cancer.

Cooking food by smoke is cancer causing as it irritates our digestive system and can cause cancer of the stomach and colon. Also pickle foods have been suspected to cause cancer probably because of the high amount of salt used in the process. Research has linked pickle food to a higher risk of stomach cancer.

Cooking meat especially on a barbecue is very high in carcinogens which are known to promote cancer and increase the progression of cancer. Also sugar, the refined stuff has been found to be the natural fuel for growing cancer cells and since our modern diets are laden with it then it's not surprising that there is so much cancer today.

If bad food weakens the immune system which produces a favorable condition for cancer to form then it makes sense that the only treatment worthy of serious consideration lies within the domain of good food. We have all heard that vegetarians and vegans have a much less incidents of the disease and that is because a plant based diet is very effective in both preventing and fighting these foreign invasive cells.

There are many foods in a plant based diet that have been proven to aid in the recovery of a cancer patient. Onions, garlic and ginger along with vegetables from the cruciferous family which are broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Vegetables which are rich in colour such as tomatoes, capsicum and carrots. Fruit is the same so choose a variety of different coloured fruit such as pip fruit, stone fruit and berries.

As you can see we have moved away from eating foods such as these to convenient foods or food that has come out of a factory and when something is processed or heated it looses its cancer fighting properties. Cancer cells are really only a symptom of a poor diet and by changing your diet you are removing the reasons why it first appeared. For a cancer patient a change in diet has to be your top priority.

Cancer is mainly a food caused disease and there is no quick and easy cure and certainly no magic pill or treatment to solve the problem. It's only when the cause of the disease is recognised and corrected can true healing take place.

You are the only person that can make you healthy and you do that by choosing the foods you eat wisely. It works for everyone and no one can profit from it.

Since this is Thanksgiving week, I'd like to share something personal that I'm feeling very grateful for. I'm thankful for my mother's example of being open to change and new ways of doing things during the most challenging time in her life.

When my mom was diagnosed with cancer in her mid-seventies, she was a 30-year breast cancer survivor. Her first response to the diagnosis was that she would simply let nature take it's course. Being a retired RN, she was well aware of the gravity of her situation, having been mis-diagnosed for a year before an accurate diagnosis was made. She had gone through horrendous side-effects during her previous cancer treatment and was not anxious to repeat that process. She also felt that, given the lost time with incorrect diagnoses, there was no point in fighting.

At the urging of her family, she finally acquiesced and proceeded with treatment. However, she did not simply follow all recommendations without question.

It takes a great deal of courage to advocate for your own health. It takes tremendous fortitude to look outside of convention and accepted methods of modern medicine and make personal decisions based on your own inner guidance.

My mom found a health coach to support her during her illness. One of the first orders of business was to rid her house of foods and cleaning products that would be unhealthy or toxic. I was able to help with this process and it is the memory of this task that inspired this writing.

Being a child of the Great Depression Era, wasting food or anything she had paid money for, was very distressing to my mom. As we went through her kitchen and disposed of white sugar, white flour, pasta, processed foods, corn syrup laden condiments, and much more, my mom was a trooper! She fought the urge to hang onto those items "just in case". She conceded that giving those nutrient-depleted foods to someone else wouldn't be doing them any favors, so we just just kept filling trash bags.

While my mom fought cancer, she continually educated herself about nutrition and acted on what she learned. Her quality of life was far better than it might have been had she simply followed medical protocol. She also maintained the dignity of being in control of her life.

Mom's way of dealing with her illness was not always easy for her or for our family. However, I can say that her example of being willing to learn, to make changes, to be her own advocate, is something I am eternally grateful for. I am truly thankful that she demonstrated the courage to live the last years of her life on her own terms and that I have her example to carry with me always.

Chemotherapy can increase cancer growth by damaging the DNA of nearby healthy cells. Researchers found "evidence of DNA damage" in healthy cells after chemotherapy treatment. Scientists recently published this report in Nature Medicine.

Cancer cells metabolize sugar differently than do healthy cells. Cancer cells cannot absorb oxygen like healthy cells and it is this low oxygen level that proves to be the key factor in cancer growth.

Most cells and most proteins in blood are glycosylated; that is, they are coated with sugars. This coating of glycoprotein receptor sites form the operating system (OS) for your cells and the body communication system including translating and transcribing DNA.

The damaged DNA excites the healthy cells to secrete a protein that sustains tumor growth and cause resistance to further chemotherapy. The damaged DNA requests WNT16B protein which is then used to boost the cancer cell survival.

Other studies have shown that fermentation of sugar, because of lack of oxygen, allows the cancer cells to lose all beneficial function. Cancer with the highest fermentation rate has the highest growth rate producing only putrid toxic waste because the cell cannot metabolize further without oxygen.

The WNT16B study was seeking to explain why cancer cells are so easy to kill in the lab, yet so resilient inside the human body. Healthy tissue collected from men with prostate cancer showed evidence of DNA damage following chemotherapy. The team confirmed and then reconfirmed their findings with breast and ovarian cancer tumors. Co-author of the study, Peter Nelson of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle stated, "The increase in WNT16B was completely unexpected." These findings were "completely unexpected".

Nelson explained, "WNT16B (protein), when secreted, would interact with nearby tumor cells and cause them to grow, invade, and importantly, resist subsequent therapy."

Tumors often respond well with chemotherapy initially; but, is normally followed by rapid regrowth, prior to developing resistance to further treatment. Oncologists know this danger; but now they know why: the WNT16B protein.

Cancer cells crave sugar. Sugars that are easy to ferment feed cancer while some Smart Sugars resist cancer and build a powerful immune defense system.

My hypotheses is that cancer cells "mow down glycoproteins " on the surface of neighboring cells, thus weakening or killing their signaling capabilities. This reverse glycosylation (stripping away the glycoprotein receptor sites) leaves the cell naked and defenseless, unable to summon help to correct the situation. It cannot receive the proper care and feeding, so cancer spreads as it produces a more acid/toxic environment.

Smart Sugars coat healthy cells like fuzz on a peach; however, cancer cells are depleted of glycoproteins. Healthy cells have a forest of glycoproteins while cancer cells are void of this living forest.

The future of medicine and healthcare is in evaluating glycoproteins by literally counting and determining the quality of these receptor sites. Medical science will gather worlds of data through the soon to be Gold Standard of medical diagnostics to determine if the cells are healthy, bald, or balding.

The age-old question is: "Is the glass half full or half empty?" Is that really important? Just fill the glass!" Do we treat the cancer, enable the cancer, or prevent the presence of cancer simply by growing more glycoprotein receptor sites. We now have scientific evidence that oral consumption of Smart Sugars can and do improve glycosylation in the human body.

The epigenome is an extension of the genome. Epigenetic mechanisms cause specific genes in certain cells to become inaccessible, thus causing these genes to be silenced. Cells become increasingly specialized, or differentiated, into a specialized cell during development. For example, liver cells and lung cells carry the same DNA. However, only certain genes are active in liver cells while other genes are active in lung cells. This is the result of cell differentiation. What typically happens during cellular development is regions of DNA become methylated and wrap around protein molecules called histones. Genes bound to histones are silenced. This determines how a cell will differentiate.

Changes in the Epigenome

Environmental influences can impact the epigenome. Ultraviolet light and chemicals associated with tobacco are two examples. These influences can affect factors in the epigenome as well as cause mutation. Mutation has often been thought of as the primary causative agent of many cancers. However, mutation in the region of a silenced gene should not cause cancer. A silenced gene does nothing so it is as if it is not even there. Changes to factors in the epigenome can loosen the DNA bound to histones. This can cause the silenced genes to become active. Cells that loose this control may go into a stage of rapid division, eventually developing into cancer.

New Treatments for Damage Caused by Changes in the Epigenome

Typical treatments for patients with cancer include radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Although these traditional forms of treatment are sometimes successful, cancer remission does not always happen. Plus, these treatments attack both cancerous and healthy cells. This makes them very taxing on the recipient with no guarantee of remission. In many cases these therapies are the best means of treatment. Fortunately the treatments and how they are administered are continually improving.

The problem with genetic mutations that cause cancer is that the mutation is not reversible. People who survive cancer may still carry the genetic cause. If this is the case, then they may pass the cause on to the next generation. This is one reason doctors evaluate the family's medical history. Unlike mutation, epigenetic change is reversible. Some forms of treatment currently in clinical trials use drugs to repair cancerous cells instead of destroying them. Unfortunately, much like radiation and chemotherapy, these drugs are known to cause damage to healthy cells when high doses are used. However, some success has been seen when they are administered in low dosages. Azacitidine and decitabine are currently being used in studies at John Hopkins. Studies being conducted at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center are using similar treatments with Leukemia patients with varying degrees of success.

Epigenetic research is a field that helps science understand more about the complex relationship between DNA, histones and cell differentiation. It provides a new direction for the potential treatment of patients afflicted with cancer.

When somebody is diagnosed with cancer they tend to abandon all common sense and summit to our orthodox medical treatments because of blind faith. While our mainstream health care system is superb for some medical problems but when it comes to degenerative diseases like cancer it mostly fails. There is only one way to approach the cancer problem and that is to correct the reasons why it happened.

While everyone is hopeful for a cure to be found, the facts are if somebody wasn't trying to make money out of cancer, we would have a cure tomorrow. True cures for cancer involve correcting the reasons why it appeared but no one can profit from that. All you have to do is to remove the reasons why it grew and that will allow the body to self heal through the immune system. This system is effective when someone breaks a bone or cuts a finger and of course it also works for every type of cancer as well.

The cancer rate has been steadily climbing over the last 100 years and it's still increasing and expected to affect 1 in 2.5 people in the western developed world by 2015. Ten years ago world wide there were 6.5 million people dying of cancer each year and in the year that's just past that figure has increased to nearly 8 million people. That represents over twenty thousand people a day world wide that our medical system failed to cure.

The reason why people fear the disease is because everyone knows the treatments often don't work. Until our medical system changes the way they treat the disease those figures aren't going to change. The conventional approach to cancer is that it is a genetic problem and the best approach is early detection followed by surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. This approach most of the time has been a dismal failure.

Today we only have a medical care system which is profit driven and not a health care system which cares about people's wellbeing. Why do you think our drugs are synthetic or artificial? It's because they can then be patented and companies profit from them. That is also the reason why you will almost never be offered ways to overcome a health problem by natural means.

Nature has always had a cure for cancer so all you have to do is to turn to nature to help you with your problem. Cancer is not an isolated problem, it is a reminder telling you that something is wrong with the entire body so it's time to make some important changes. Cancer will arise in the body when the body's immune system has been weakened and allowed cells to divide without control and you certainly can't fix that with a pill.

Cancer is only a modern day problem and it's caused by the way we are now living. Also we are not being taught what we can do to help ourselves. We are kept ignorant about its many causes so we are forced to rely on the so called experts for treatment.

We don't have an effective health care system for someone with cancer and our three ways of treating it seldom solve the problem.

The cancer is probably the most dangerous diseases there is and can affect kids of all age groups. The outcomes of medication are amazing for kids with cancer, but there is much to be done in the process of discovering therapies and treatments for a host of various cancers. Mahak charity is an organization involved worldwide for kids with cancer and offers solutions in the areas of Welfare and Research. In the area of welfare, Mahak facilitates the kids being affected by cancer and their loved ones in full.

Cancer charities can protect each type of the cancers which can be known to affect people. When the medical area needs to have public advised about the characteristics of those cancers as well as the outcome that they have got on an individual's life they generally search for a strategy by which they can promote this point and help increase the money to battle this silent killer. The fundraising events which can be organized for cancer charities provide extensive advertising before the party even starts.

Sad to say, over 11,000 kids will be medically identified as having various types of cancer recent year, these kids with cancer will be understanding the critical encounters of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and medical center trips. Cure Kids Cancer is a company to help the kids with cancer. This works with TV and radio, and business associates to raise funds and attention to local children Hospital facilities.

For existing cancer treatment we use several procedures. Chemotherapy is one of the therapy for kids with cancer. The goal in its use is to eliminate the biggest number of cancer cells without irreversibly harming normal cells, while generating little architectural and efficient irregularities.

Some biologic reaction modifiers are monoclonal antibodies, interferon, tumor necrosis factor, killer T cells, interleukins and helper T cells. Interferon is a protein created by lymphocytes and fibroblasts that is able to produce an antiproliferative impact in cancer tissues. With the development of monoclonal antibodies, antibodies particular for a given focus on growth tumor cell antigen are designed. These highly particular antibodies are then filled into the affected person.

More cancer funds are available that supply financial and psychological support for kids with cancer. This can be especially essential for parents of kids with cancer who may be having a trouble being familiar with the condition. These companies accountable for increasing funds for the Cancer Institution and donate for cancer treatment. It bases financial commitment decisions on the suggestions of cancer professionals here and globally to ensure every donor has the biggest effect possible.

Every nation has it's a cancer community that generally is a healthy company with an only aim to bring attention about the critical condition, avoidance, treatment and social effect. This charity company concentrates on cancer elimination plans on a national level and completely funded by public donators. These also join all cancer society's together to help them and create attention together with policymakers and other experts in oncology. They offer housing with transportation service in a few areas, cancer connection which is a fellow service program to link people having the same disease problems and online services.