Healthy Tips

In my clinic, American Diseases of the Prostate, as in any clinic that sees a large number of prostate cancer patients, I’ve encountered prostate cancers that deviate from the well-established behavior of the common adenocarcinoma. One of those unusual forms of prostate cancer is neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Neuroendocrine cells are found in the normal prostate gland, where they have been shown to produce a range of hormones including serotonin, bombesin, and calcitonin. However, we do not know the role these neuroendocrine cells play in normal prostate biology. In the standard adenocarcinoma of the prostate gland, neuroendocrine cells are nearly always found scattered throughout the cancer mass. In this setting, these neuroendocrine cells do not make PSA, are not growing and do not have the androgen receptor. In the test tube, even though the neuroendocrine cells do not grow, the hormones produced by these cells are capable of fueling the growth of the adenocarcinoma cells. One report claimed that in the prostate cancer specimens obtained at surgery, the prostate cancer cells near the neuroendocrine cells were growing more rapidly than those distant from these cells. This suggests that the neuroendocrine cells might fuel prostate cancer progression. In fact, the larger the proportion of the cancer mass composed of neuroendocrine cells at diagnosis, the more likely the patient would do poorly over time.

While serum chromogranin A has generally been found to be the best marker to detect the development of neuroendocrine cells in prostate cancer, there is some evidence that it is more than just a marker. For example, if you add chromogranin A to prostate cancer in tissue culture, it triggers the formation of proteins that improve the cancer cell’s resistance to treatment.

In prostate cancer research, there are certain classic studies that define issues with great clarity. In 1991, Kadmon, et al. showed that an elevated chromogranin A level made evolution of hormone resistance more likely. Furthermore, once hormonal therapy started, chromogranin A levels initially increased in many patients, but would later decline back to normal. When chromogranin A levels stayed elevated or when it started to increase late in hormonal therapy, hormone resistance was very likely to follow. This observation has been repeatedly confirmed.

Up to this point, we have been discussing the impact of neuroendocrine cells that are not themselves capable of growth and where the impact appears to be thought an effect on the prostatic adenocarcinoma cells. In small cell carcinoma of the prostate gland we have neuroendocrine cells that are able to rapidly grow and spread. Again, these cells make very little or no PSA and make little or no androgen receptor. While they can make chromogranin A and other neuroendocrine markers, in many cases they make no detectable markers.

To read the remainder of this article on neuroendocrine carcinoma of the prostate gland as well as other articles on unusual forms of prostate cancer, visit http://www.prostateforum.com/back-issues.aspx where you can download Volume 10 Issue 9 of Prostate Forum.

When the FDA uses the phrase “may reduce the risk of certain cancers,” it is nearly impossible to imagine they are talking about anything other than a new costly prescription pill. Then following said claim usually includes a fine print warning or commercials with the “speed talker” warning us of the numerous side effects which may occur while taking the prescription.

Proponets of mainstream medicine in the U.S. seem content to leave things as they are, shuffling the countless off to the surgical ward, concerned more with slicing and dicing than actually improving your quality of life. Major pharmaceutical companies refuse to acknowledge anything natural because only chemicals can be patented. Drug companies then try to replicate
the components but it just isn’t quite working out. So, what are we left with? What are our choices?

Currently, conventional medicine is basically telling us the way to treat cancer is to cut, poison and burn. Diagnosed with breast cancer, just cut it off. Chemotherapy is poison, it makes people very sick and this most popular drug for breast cancer causes uterine cancer. Use radiation to burn then, but medical studies show that the results between people with cancer who were treated with radiation and those who were not treated showed no difference.

Don’t be naive, cancer equals big money and we have been beyond “awareness” for many years now. In fact, the drug companies have already made 12.5 billion on diabetes so far in 2008 and this is not intended to come across as unsympathetic for those who currently have cancer and those who have lost friends and loved ones to this disease. Au contraire, it especially breaks my heart when I think how hard it must be on a young boy or girl who has a form of cancer and the toll it brings on their families.

My question is why the medical profession and big pharma will not give consideration to treating cancer naturally or at least incorporate natural supplements and not just close the door. Sadly it seems the love of the almighty dollar has distorted things just a bit.

Do not be surprised when in the not to distant future we will be unable to purchase vitamins in the U.S., such as vitamin c for example, without a prescribtion. CODEX is already controlling a lot of this internationally and it’s just a matter of time until those dollar signs trigger a new era in the U.S. which is already a signatory but it is not enforced…yet.

Sure we are all familar with the saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and this is so very true, especially concerning cancer. It is much easier to prevent a disease than to cure it and cancer is no exception. All the processed food out there full of preservatives is not only void of nutrients but in many cases is harmful. Companies advertise we can our daily dose of certain vitamins and minerals with their product so we think it’s healthy. Certain fast foods should least have warnings on the wrapper/box that read “this may cause bad things.” Organic foods are great option for a nutricious lifestyle if one can afford it.

We need to focus on what we can do to prevent cancer. Just as it is wise to use preventative measures in other areas of our life, this isn’t any different. This is not meant to bring doom and gloom but don’t fall into the trap of “this will never happen to me.”

Without going into a big dissertation about cancer but very simply, cancer starts at the cellular level. Our immune system plays a vital role in preventing cancer by destroying invading pathogen’s. With this in mind it makes sense to make sure our cells have the nutrients needed, be oxygenated and our immune system is balanced so that the antibodies hit the right target to wipe out the invader.

There are a number of natural supplements available that help make sure this happens, to make any weak links strong. Like most things, there are the good, the bad and the ugly in the natural supplement arena. This article is not intended to tell you what or what not to buy, but to let you know there are options that work which you will never hear about from mainstream medicine. Do some investigation but keep in mind that mainstream, conventional medicine is quick to use the term “quackery” that which does not fit neatly in their protocol.

Beating Cancer, how can you possibly beat cancer when the treatments for it are killing good cells too? You actually have two battles the physical and the mental. It seems everyone knows someone at sometime that has had a brush with this deadly killer. Is it stress or toxins in the environment that cause our cells to degenerate.

Here are some forms of cancer we know of:

bladder cancer

breast cancer

carcinoid tumor

colorectal cancer

glioblastoma

liver cancer

non-small cell lung cancer (NSLC)

chronic lymphocytic leukemia

lymphoma (both Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s)

melanoma

multiple myeloma

neuroblastoma

ovarian cancer

pancreatic cancer

prostate cancer

renal cell carcinoma

throat cancer

uterine cance

That’s quite a list and I’m sure there are more, but this will keep us busy. Understanding a few processes that your body goes through might provoke you to live a bit better so we can give it a go.

Sleep - your body is on a universal time clock and it repairs itself somewhere between midnight and 6 a.m..Over time if you can’t or you don’t give it time to repair what do you think will happen? Right, a run down or break down will occur. You will get sick or worse.

Immune  system – evidence is mounting and it’s being traced back to your immune system. Stress, toxins, poor eating habits and a slew of other elements are wearing down our immune systems. This is the main defense against many viruses and bacterial invaders. We are starving our troops.

Nutrition - the very thing that feeds our army which fights diseases is eluding us daily.

It’s actually quite amazing with all the pressures, lack of nutrition that people are not sicker than they are.This is a testimonial to the adaptive nature of the human body, but these last several years we can see the armour cracking.

Drugs are trying to fill the gaps, but they are causing their own problems. When it comes to cancer and other illnesses we haven’t listed are there options? I’m here to say yes. Why haven’t the drug companies come forth with them and are they safe?

I’m afraid it all comes down to money over health. I don’t think I’m shedding any mighty revelation, but that seems to be the truth. There is a drug that’s been around for thirty years or so that has been quite effective with Cancer, MS and other debilitating deceases. The other benefit to this alternative is minimal to no side effects. When you see the cost compared to the current drugs on the market you will understand why drug companies are not interested in marketing this alternative.

You can get more information at the Health Hub under the Cancer category.

We have to look at all options because….We only have One Life – One Body

RB

Usually associated with cancer are tumors. Tumors are: an abnormal growth of tissue resulting from uncontrolled, progressive multiplication of cells and serving no physiological function; a neoplasm. This is from  The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,.

A tumor can be either benign, like a wart, or malignant, in which case it is a cancer. Benign tumors are generally easy to remove completely. In contrast, cancers pose some of the most difficult problems in all of surgery. 40% of all cancers are treated with surgery and 60% are surgery combined with other treatments such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

Surgery is the only way to determine how far cancer has spread from the tumor.  In the medical profession there are a few standard methods of comparing one cancer to another. The outcome will determine what treatments to take and the prognosis. These methods are called “staging”  and the most universal is “TNM”.

T - stands for the size of the tumor

N – represents the speed at which the cancer cells are traveling within the lymph nodes.Since cancer cells generally spread within the lymph system this is a useful measurement of which to determine their ability to disperse.

M – refers to the metastases, how far they are from the original cancer and how often they have multiplied.

Curative cancer surgery demands special considerations. There is a danger of spreading or seeding the cancer during the process of removing it. Cancer cells can grow almost anywhere in the body and the surgeon must not “spill” cells into the operating field or “knock them loose” into the blood stream. A techniques called “block resection” and “no touch” are used. Block resection means taking the entire specimen out as a single piece. “No touch” means that only the normal tissue removed with the specimen is handled; the cancer itself is never touched. This prevents “squeezing” cancer cells out into circulation. Clamping  off the blood supply first,  prevents cells from leaving by that route later in the surgery.

So as you can see the tumor plays an important role in determining what and how to treat your cancer.

If you or anyone you know are confronted with this situation get informed. For more information go to the  Health Hub and read the articles, ads and any other resources you can. Then you can make the right choice for You.

We only have One Life – One Body.

RB

If you are a woman, there is one kind of cancer that you always have to be on the look out for, and that is breast cancer. No matter what age you are, you can still get breast cancer. Although it is more common in women that are 40 years of age or older, you should start doing breast exams as soon as you can. This is because you can actually help to prevent breast cancer with early detection. If you are not able to prevent it, you are going to be able to have a better chance of getting rid of it the sooner that you do find it.

They recommended doing breast cancer exams every 3 years. This is after you reach your late 20’s and 30’s. However, keep in mind that breast cancer is something that you are able to detect yourself. It is always good to keep a close watch on your breasts. Every few days, you should feel them while you are in the shower to check for lumps. These lumps could be signs of breast cancer. The lumps will usually be hard and noticeable.

When it comes to doing breast self-examination, there are a few times of the month that are the best time to check for breast cancer. This is a good way to do early breast screening detection to help you prevent getting it. Although some people still think that you should check for breast cancer every few days, you are really only suppose to check it about once a month. However, do keep in mind that doing it more than once a month is not bad.

The best time a month to check for breast cancer is the day after your period. This is the best time to perform a self-examination, because your breasts are likely to be less tender and sore. If you are a person that has irregular periods, then you can check your beast any time of the month. You will still get the same effect. Just remember, try to do a self-examination when your breasts are not sore. This way you can do a much better job examining without worrying about your breasts being too sore to touch.

If you do not think that self-examinations are the best way to go, for early detection of breast cancer you can always go in and have mammograms. This is a breast X-ray that is able to see the smallest breast tumors. Now the question is, when and how often should you go in for a mammogram? The truth is, it is really going to depend on your age. Not only that, but it is going to have a lot to do with your family history as well. If breast cancer is something that runs in your family, then you are going to want to do mammograms more often than other people. Breast cancer is something that kind of runs in families. Although it is unknown why it does this, it does not change the fact that it does run in family trees.

As you can see, there are a few things that you can do to help you with early detection of breast cancer. Early detection is, of course, the best shot you have at getting rid of breast cancer before it starts and spreads to the rest of your body. Also, breast cancer is not that common in men, but it can happen, thus, men should check themselves as well from time to time with a self-examination. However, they should do this far less often than women.

According to a recent survey from the Macmillan Cancer Support organization in England, there have been several inconsistencies among primary care trusts (PCTs) systems for patients receiving cancer care on time.

The inconsistent patterns, according to the survey, may result in cancer patients, such as mesothelioma patients, suffering from delays in receiving treatments. Because mesothelioma cancer is a condition in which the life expectancy can be approximately 12 months from diagnosis, it is imperative that any treatments or clinical trials that a patient can participate in become available to them immediately as time is of the essence.

Seventy-six percent of the time, treatment costs were taken into account prior to a patient being approved or declined for medical treatments, according to the survey. Mesothelioma cancer treatments can quickly become extremely expensive, with costs of continued treatment ranging in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to estimates from the Cancer Information Network and the American Cancer Society (ACS). Alimta and cispltin are often uses as common mesothelioma cancer treatments and most often require several cycles before signs of the condition decrease; one cycle of this medicine costs approximately $4,100.

Diagnosing Mesothelioma

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes mesothelioma as a cancer of the mesothelium, which is a membrane that “covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body.”

When asbestos fibers are inhaled they begin to form cancerous cells on the lining of the mesothelium, which then becomes abnormal. The cancerous cells begin to spread to additional parts of the body over time.

The NCI has found that “most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum” within the body and that over the last 20 years the incidence of mesothelioma cancer have increased rapidly with approximately 2,000 additional cases of mesothelioma being diagnosed each year in the United States.

Unfortunately, delays are often associated with a correct prognosis of mesothelioma cancer because it is often misdiagnosed. The condition commonly remains dormant within the body for years, even decades, which is why it is important for an individual who may have previously worked with or been exposed to asbestos fibers or dust to know the signs and symptoms of mesothelioma.

The following are several signs as described by Cancer Research UK, an educational non-profit site dedicated to bringing cancer information to patients that should prompt a potential mesothelioma victim to seek medical attention. Symptoms include:

* 
 pain in lower back or side of chest

* 
 persistent cough

* shortness of breath

* 
 hoarse or husky voice

* 
 severe loss of weight

* 
 sweating and fevers

* difficulty swallowing

* 
 pain in the abdomen

* 
 swelling in the abdomen

* 
 poor appetite

* feeling or being sick

* 
 diarrhea

* 
 constipation

Overcoming Mesothelioma

Because mesothelioma cancer is currently an incurable disease it is imperative that a mesothelioma patient partake in any of the clinical trials available as well as to contact an experienced environmental toxin attorney who can assist in developing litigation related to asbestos. Building a mesothelioma lawsuit can offer insight into receiving monetary compensation as a return on the damages incurred by a mesothelioma. Such a lawsuit may also provide a relief from the burden of expensive mesothelioma medical bills that often accompany the disease.