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Archive for the ‘Cancer’ Category

A cancer diagnosis can bring on many practical duties that have to be performed. One of the biggest and most tiring duties can be keeping other people informed about what’s going on. You may feel as though your phone never stops ringing and that you’re telling the same story over and over. In order to ensure that fatigue and irritation don’t take over, it’s important for the family members closest to the person who has cancer develop a game plan for communicating with other people. When everyone in the family knows how communications will be handled and who is responsible for which duties, communications become more streamlined, and, therefore, easier for everyone. In her book, Their Cancer: Your Journey, Anne Orchard discusses various strategies for handling communications with concerned friends and family members.

Once people around you know there has been a diagnosis of cancer, there will be an insatiable appetite for information, particularly amongst those who know the family well. If you live with the person who has cancer, you may find yourself endlessly answering the telephone and relating the same details to one relative after another. If you live at a distance, you may be one of the people phoning – and possibly feeling guilty about doing so. It’s important to handle this communication issue, as it can drive the sanest person to distraction.

The most important factor is to set down some boundaries about the best ways to communicate. Is email easier, because you can choose when to reply? Do you, or the person who has cancer, like to chat on the phone – but only at certain times? Would you prefer to update one person, and have them pass the information around the family for you?

If you are the one desperately wanting an update, but find it hard to get information, ask the person with cancer or others in the family what would work best for them.

One way that a family can come together for mutual support at a time like this is to build a private website. This way people with fresh information can update it so that everyone can read it. If you have a question, you can ask it there, and get an answer from anyone who knows what you are seeking. You can share positive stories, family news, happy memories, and even photos. If you have a family member in their teens or twenties, they will probably know how to create this much better than I do – and feel good about being involved. If not, you can learn to set up a website through WordPress, or use the system provided at www.caringbridge.org.

Developing a family strategy for dealing with communications can help relieve stress on all the family members who are receiving endless calls and requests for information. Taking the time to determine the best way for your family to communicate to others is certainly valuable in the process of relieving stress for everyone during this time. It’s important that people be informed, but it’s just as important that the person with cancer and immediate family have privacy and quiet time when you need it.

If you have moles you are not alone. In fact, most adults have a dozen or so moles in various places on their body. What are skin moles and are they dangerous? Technically skin moles are classified as a tumor so should be considered serious. A large majority of them are benign and thus harmless. Those skin moles will not cause any health issues with the exception of cosmetic issues.

The flip side to the skin mole coin is that they can be precancerous and have the ability to develop into very dangerous types of cancer. An at home diagnosis is not the best idea as your doctor should evaluate any growths that give you a concern. It’s a good idea to get a yearly exam by a dermatologist so that they can inspect areas that you might not be able to see.

Even though hidden cancerous skin molea sound scary, most growths are perfectly harmless. The atypical growths are most common in people with a genetic predisposition are referred to as melanoma

A physicians diagnosis is the best way to eliminate suspicion of a cancerous growth but below you will find a list of common traits of skin moles. This is not a complete list but is intended to serve as a general guideline.

Pre-cancerous moles may possess one, some, or all of the following qualities:

• Larger than an eraser on a pencil

• Inconsistent shape or color

• Spontaneously bleed

• Painful or itchy

• Changes in size and color

• Inflammatory changes that cannot be justified by an external factor.

If you are concerned that some of your skin moles might be precancerous you should contact a physician immediately so that a treatment regimen can begin. At the very least, this will put your mind at ease.

After your doctor has given you a clean bill of health there are some things that you can do to eliminate skin moles for cosmetic purposes. There are various creams and lotions on the market. While meeting with your doctor they might discuss possible surgeries to eliminate the issue. There are also things that can be done in your normal everyday life to help reduce and eliminate moles altogether. Wearing sunscreen or staying in shade when outside or even simple changes to your diet can result in a reduction of moles. The fact of the matter is that moles are a by product of your internal and external environment. The safest and most effective way to eliminate them completely is to make changes in one’s daily life.

A diagnosis of cancer brings with it an acute awareness that there are no guarantees in life. Though this can be most devastating in terms of facing your own mortality, it reverberates through many other aspects of the cancer experience, including uncertainty in regard to diagnosis, the effectiveness of conventional treatment options, and the safety of all complementary therapies, we can make some generalized statements.

Mind-body techniques are generally safe. If meditation, stress reduction, counseling, relaxation, journaling, or any other mind-body approach appeals to you, it is worth a try, and it will assuredly enhance your sense of well-being. Acupuncture, biofeedback, constitutional medicine, and naturopathic medicine are all considered safe when offered by a licensed practitioner and when used as complementary therapies to conventional cancer treatments. Botanical and dietary supplements are safe and effective when used appropriately under the guidance of qualified licensed health-care practitioners.

Ultimately, evaluating safety as it relates to cancer treatment is individualized based on the person, the cancer, and the information the person receives. A 35-year-old woman with stage IV lung cancer will view the safety of a particular herb or treatment differently than will a 65-year-old man with stage II prostate cancer, and they will also assess the pros and cons differently. In the end, you will make the best decision if you gather as much information as you can, consider it carefully, and clearly understand the risks versus the benefits. Remember, just because something is labeled “natural” does not mean it is safe. Then again, just because a drug is approved by the FDA does not guarantee its safety, either.

Even if supplements are safe on their own, their interactions with conventional medications may make them unsafe. This is one of the reasons why it is important to utilize the expertise of a licensed health-care provider such as a naturopathic physician or integrative physician when combining supplements with conventional treatments. This is particularly true in the case of cancer because the disease is complicated and the treatments are powerful.

More information is being discovered at a rapid pace regarding interactions of herbs and supplements with drugs used in cancer treatment. Some of the interactions may decrease the effectiveness of conventional treatment, and some may increase the side effects. In addition, some herbs may be contraindicated for certain cancer types. Given the substantial potential benefits as well as risks associated with supplements, we recommend that patients consult a naturopathic physician, and ideally a naturopathic oncologist. These doctors are trained in the scientific use of natural therapies and have extensive training in health and disease as well.

Did you know that there is a direct correlation between stress and cancer? It’s true. Back in the late 1970s, renowned German oncologist Dr. Hamer discovered the link after he himself was diagnosed with testicular cancer shortly after his son died.

He theorized that the appearance of cancer so soon after his son’s untimely death was not a coincidence, but rather it was a physical manifestation of the dramatic and emotional shock that he had suffered. Hamer would go on to refine his theory and develop what he called German New Medicine (GNM), which explained the stress-cancer connection in greater detail.

The 5 Laws of German New Medicine

Hamer developed his German New Medicine theory after conducting over 40,000 case studies that involved looking for direct correlations between emotional shocks or traumas and the sudden appearance of serious diseases like cancer.

The GNM theory consists of five laws:

Law #1 – Every disease is the result of an emotional or traumatic event that has taken the patient by complete surprise. Law #2 – If the conflict that caused the disease is resolved, then the disease moves from the conflict-active stage to the healing phase. Law #3 – The first two laws are the result of how we evolved as a species and demonstrate that there is a clear biological correlation between the effected organ, the brain and the psyche of the patient. Law #4 – Microbes are vital to our survival and played an important role in our evolution because each organ in our bodies originates from three germ layers. Law #5 – Every disease is the result of a very specific biological program that is activated to resolve an unexpected biological conflict.

Psychological Stress – Cancer Connection

Hamer’s research proves that there is a direct biological correlation between stress and cancer. According to Hamer, when a patient suffers a dramatic and unexpected emotional shock, such as a mother seeing her child struck by a car, this event triggers a special biological program in the brain.

In this case, seeing her child in danger, the woman’s brain experiences a mother-child-worry conflict that triggers the formation of a lesion in the area of the brain associated with this specific type of conflict. That lesion, which can be observed on an MRI as a series of sharp, concentric rings, generates a biological signal that is sent to the corresponding cells in the body that are associated with the conflict.

In this example, the signal would be sent to the ****** glands to stimulate milk production. This happens because biologically speaking, offspring recover faster when they receive more milk. As long as the child is in danger, the ****** cells continue to divide and multiply, which leads to the formation of glandular ****** tumors and ultimately, cancer.

Resolve the Conflict – Resolve the Disease

In our example above, once the child recovers, the biological signal that instructs the ****** cells to divide and multiply is switched off and the mother begins to heal. This means that when an individual suffers from a traumatic, emotional event, the best course of action is to correct the problem that is causing the stress. Whether it was the loss of a job, a divorce or some other emotionally stressful event, once the conflict is resolved, the body will heal itself.

Stress is a likely occurrence for families facing cancer. It is helpful to know some practical ways to alleviate stress, or avoid it all together. Some of the most basic methods are; alter the source of stress, avoid the stress, or accept it by building up your resistance.

To Alter Stress: Change the thing that is causing stress. If it is a time crunch, rearrange your schedule; drop some task or errand that isn’t crucial. If it is a specific incident or pending event, write it down on a sheet of paper. Be sure that you just write down one thing at a time, and then list some ways you could handle it: Be creative and think of many ways, even the silly or absurd. Then pick one thing from your list, and do it. Taking action will alter and lessen stress-feeling as if your hands are tied will increase stress. For example, you feel a lot of stress after the doctor informs you that an additional treatment is required:

1) Research the treatment; read up on it, and if you have more questions, call and ask the doctor.
2) Talk to your professional coach or counselor about how you feel and what you need to do next.
3) Vow to avoid jumping to conclusions. Instead, wait and see how the treatment turns out.
4) Sing a song or recite a poem to your dog or cat (or yourself) about how you are feeling. Read aloud from a favorite book that you find comforting.

To Avoid Stress: Walk away or leave the setting you find stressful, or avoid it from the start. You may go on a short drive or a trip for a day or more, ask people not to call you, go to a movie, etc. Knowing your limits helps-if something is past your limit, say no. Think of what your limits are for time, energy, money, the ability to remain happy or cheer people up. If you have used all of these resources for the day, week or month, draw the line. You can replenish your vitality by taking a reprieve from having to give to others continually. You can delegate; someone else will make the appointment, pick up the food, and so on.

To Accept Stress by Building Resistance to it: Prepare for any crisis that may occur, by conditioning yourself to accept stress if or when it occurs. Prepare yourself physically, mentally, socially and spiritually.

- Physically – by eating healthy foods, exercising, proper sleep, & simple relaxation. Just as your body needs exercise, it also needs relaxation.
- Mentally – by clarifying priorities and goals. Make plans monthly, weekly, daily. Implement plans by writing small tasks in your calendar that reflect your plan. Live by that calendar: If tonight is your dine out club, take your cell phone or give the number where you will be, and go have fun. If you planned to enroll this semester at school, keep your plan. Your calendar is your foundation for mental health. Since you have a life, as reflected in your calendar, disappointing or stressful events will affect you, but not nearly as much as if you had no life of your own. The calendar points your way to the future that you have chosen.
- Socially – by asking for support from extended family, friends, your community and social groups to which you belong.
- Spiritually – by prayer, fellowship, meditation.

Remember, stress is not reality. Stress is how your mind reacts to the reality around it. For instance, when you receive a message from the doctor asking you to call, your automatic response may be stress, but you can pause-choose to remain neutral, and check back with the doctor. If the news is disappointing, you can once again become stressed or listen to your Higher Power-realize that stress will make it worse for all concerned. The news is beyond your control-but how you react to the news is absolutely within your control.

According to research, ****** cancer is a hundred times more frequent in women than in men. In the US, is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women. Male ****** cancer is rare on the other hand. In fact, it only comprises about 1% of all cases. Considering the figures presented, this issue is something that we must not take for granted.

Symptoms vary. One of these includes the formation of a lump or a non-painful mass just below the ****** area. There are times some people experience pain and swelling of their ******. Changes in the skin may also take place in the areas around the ******. This consists of the nipple’s redness, scaling and retraction. Also, there could be instances of dark fluid/bloody discharge. When you think you are experiencing any one of these symptoms, it is best to undergo a ****** cancer checkup. At present, there are many related examinations which could help correctly diagnose your condition. Although cancer is one of the leading causes of death, treatment is available.

As people get older, the possibility of getting ****** cancer increases. In order to decrease the possibility of acquiring this kind of cancer, we have to undergo regular screening tests. Annual mammogram and ****** examination enables early detection of any ****** cancer sign. In addition to this, we should also understand our risk factors. Here are the groups of people who are more likely to acquire ****** cancer.

1. People with personal or family history cancer should be more cautious. Even if a person is already cured, cancer cells may come back.
2. Can be inherited. A person is most likely to inherited through his genes.
3. Women who had their menstruation before the age of 12 and those who went through menopausal period after 55 have an increased possibilities . This is because they have been more exposed to ovarian hormones.
4. White women are more likely to have it than Latinas, Asians and Afro-Americans.
5. Women who never got pregnant and those who were able to have their first full term pregnancy over the age of 30 are more likely to have ****** cancer. A full term pregnancy offers protection since it ceases menstruation for nine months.

These are some of the facts which can certainly increase your level of awareness regarding the ****** cancer issue. It is always better to be well informed especially if it is regarding health matters. Being familiar with the early signs and symptoms can stop the cancer from developing. Also, when a person is aware of his chances of getting it, he may be able to adjust his lifestyle for his own good. This is also considered as a form of prevention. Through educating ourselves with these simple but important information, we may be able to save ourselves or our loved ones.