WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Women who need radiation after breast cancer surgery do just as well with three rather than five weeks of treatment, a new Canadian study suggests.
"We consider this [finding] a win-win situation, both for women with breast cancer and the health-care system," said study author Dr. Timothy J. Whelan, head of radiation oncology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Women can have a shorter, more convenient treatment schedule, he said, and the course of treatment is less costly to them and their health-care providers.
Though shorter, the three-week schedule used in the study involved a more intense dose of radiation. But the researchers found that the women -- who all had breast-conserving surgery, in which only part of the breast is removed -- could expect similarly low rates of recurrence and comparable cosmetic results.
Previous studies have shown that up to 30 percent of women in North America who have breast-conserving surgery do not undergo the recommended breast radiation, citing inconvenience or cost, Whelan and his fellow researchers wrote in a report on the study published Feb. 11 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The study involved 1,234 women with invasive breast cancer who had a lumpectomy, which involves removing the cancerous lump and a small amount of normal tissue around it. After surgery, they either had the standard radiation treatment over a 35-day period or an accelerated treatment over 22 days.
About 10 years later, the risk for local recurrence of the cancer was 6.7 percent among the women who had gotten standard radiation treatment and 6.2 percent among those who'd gotten the briefer treatment, the study found.
Cosmetic outcomes were termed good or excellent in about 71 percent of the women in the standard-treatment group and 70 percent of the accelerated-treatment group.
The probability of survival at the 10-year mark was also similar: 84.4 percent for the standard group and 84.6 percent for the accelerated group.
Whelan said that, for some women, an accelerated schedule could be a welcome alternative.
"Some women are reluctant to have breast-conserving surgery because of the need to undergo the lengthy radiation treatment, typically six weeks," he said.
Another breast cancer expert said that she had also found positive results with shorter radiation treatments.
Dr. Manjeet Chadha, associate chairwoman of radiation oncology at Beth Israel Medical Center and associate professor of radiation oncology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, found that a three-week course of radiation works well for early-stage breast cancers.
She presented her findings in late last year at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.
But she cautioned that while the new finding, coupled with her study's results, are promising, they don't apply to all women with breast cancer. Participants in Whelan's study, for instance, had to have negative axillary lymph nodes and clear resection margins.
What that study does reveal, she said, is "that in the node-negative patient, when you don't require chemo, you can get similar results with the abbreviated [course]."
But what is yet to be researched thoroughly, she said, is how well the shorter radiation course works for women who have breast-conserving surgery and do need chemo. About 11 percent of the women in Whelan's study also had chemotherapy.
Even so, Chadha said, the new study is important "because it does present an alternative for early-stage breast cancer patients."
Spend Valentine’s Day warming the hearts of those fi ghting breast cancer.
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Published: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Updated: Thursday, February 11, 2010
Diagnosed every three minutes and with deaths every 13 minutes, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. In our country, breast cancer awareness has been promoted to encourage those overcoming and fighting breast cancer. There are many organizations and schools that help take action, and USC is one of them, hosting breast cancer awareness at the women’s basketball game.
This upcoming Sunday, Feb. 14, the Colonial Life Arena will also be known as the “Pink Zone.” South Carolina’s women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and the athletic department are teaming up with the WBCA’s national Pink Zone events to benefit the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. This is in honor of legendary NC State coach Kay Yow, who is an inspiration to those fighting with breast cancer. Zeta Tau Alpha sorority is also encouraging students to go, since their philanthropy is breast cancer awareness.
It is great that USC is hosting this type of event, especially during a basketball game that expects a good attendance. The 3 p.m. game will be nationally televised by ESPN2, so with this national recognition there should be a bigger crowd than usual. There will also be free food, T-shirts and shuttles from various locations on campus, so these incentives should be enough to want to attend.
So, instead of spending an afternoon on Valentine’s Day at lunch or at a movie, take your friends or significant other to the basketball game. Not only will it be a good time, but it will be great encouragement for those struggling with breast cancer. Spend Valentine’s Day warming the hearts of those fighting breast cancer and promoting a good cause in honor of those who have passed or overcome.
The experts concluded that a greater thickness increased the risk of metastasis up to five times The risk of metastasis and recurrence of skin cancer increases significantly if the tumor is larger than 6 millimeters thick and if it is located in the ear, according to a study published in the online version of Lancet Oncology. According to research conducted by German scientists, also influence the likelihood of spread of squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer) and the presence of a recurrence plastic demo tumor (abnormal tissue formation, excessive and uncoordinated) and suppression immune. Skin cancer is among those who are more likely to spread to other parts of the body, says the medical journal. Scientists Kay Brantsch and Helmut Breuninger Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen
in Germany, analyzed the factors that predict the metastasis and recurrence. The researchers examined the cases of 615 patients who had undergone surgery between 1990 and 2001 in one center in Germany. They did a complete analysis from tumors-thickness, horizontal size, the shape of cells and tissue, and also considered the place of the body that had arisen, the record of epidermal cancer and tumors of plastic demo patients and the degree of immune suppression. Also measured the time elapsed between diagnosis of first tumor and the diagnosis of metastasis or recurrence. The 615 patients, ages 27 to 98 years, were followed for an average of 43 months. During that time, 26 patients, 4 per cent, experienced a metastasis, while disease recurred in 20 of them, 3 per cent. They found that tumors of 2 mm or less did not spread. However, there was metastasis in 12 of 318 tumors between 2.1 and 6 mm thick (4 percent), and in 14 of 90 tumors with a thickness greater than 6 millimeters (16 per cent). The experts concluded that a greater thickness increased the risk of metastasis up to five times, and immune system suppression (4.3-fold increased risk), the location on the ear (3.6 times) and increased horizontal size (more twice the risk). The increased risk of recurrence than tumor thickness (up to six times) and desmoplasia (16 times), experts say. In its conclusions, the scientists recommended clinical monitoring and ultrasound every three to four months for four years for patients with more risk, while recognizing that we must see the benefits for patients of this action
According to the American Melanoma Foundation, one person dies every hour of every day from skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common human cancer. One million people are diagnosed with new skin cancer every year. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. Skin cancer will kill more than 10,850 Americans this year. Skin cancer rates have more than tripled in the last 30 years even with the explosion in the use of sunscreen and sunblock products and a high percentage of the population reducing sun exposure.
The National Cancer Institute explains that hairless mice are used for skin cancer studies. Human skin tissue has been grafted to these mice to create an optimal creature for evaluating causes of skin cancer as well as skin cancer treatments as applicable to humans. Many treatments developed on these mice are currently effective treatments for humans. In addition, these mice and their reaction to excessive exposure to UV light is the main reason that scientists have concluded that excessive exposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer.
I have been a constant reader of many skin care articles, skin care home remedies, skin care tips, skin care blogs and skin care magazine. In these articles, you can see advertisements and marketing campaigns as well as link building for the search engine optimization.
Certain skin care blog encourages link building process but some with a strict moderation strategy prefers limited link building to avoid spamming. For instance, you can see various people leaving their URLs with their comments that have nothing to do with the article, website and their business offerings. This is a common practice on Facebook and I have seen many people’s account being blocked after providing them with prompt warnings to slow down the process or else you will no longer be able to operate this account anymore.
I think skin care blogs and skin care article submission websites must be incorporated with skin care pictures of skin lotions, skin creams, anti aging, age defying, skin products, skin care cosmetics and skin care products to make the blog more powerful, more attractive and more informative for the visitor.
With skin care pictures, the blog or website admin and moderators can find a way to be more appealing for the visitors. For instance, skin infection pictures would likely draw a huge number of visitors to come and see the pictures especially when they are themselves going through the same skin infection or skin disease. Young girls mostly feel ashamed of sharing skin ifectons with their fiends so they look for the relative subject on the internet. Similarly, the skin infection pictures will be guiding many young and confused girls to get an idea about the skin condition they are facing with.
Skin treatment can never be endorsed by just looking at few articles and some websites and only a dermatologist can give better opinion and medicine for skin treatments but with informative articles with pictures surely can help a person to at least be not afraid of some skin infection and mistaking it for skin cancer. Skin treatment is a doctor’s job but reading and getting aware of skin and skin infections on internet is not harmful at all.
Skin is our largest organ and one that is not immune to developing cancerous cells. Skin cancer develops when damaged cells start growing and dividing uncontrollably in the skin. This form of cancer is the most prevalent with more than one million cases in the United States diagnosed each year. Here we will cover some of the commonly asked questions.
What Are The Different Forms of Skin Cancer?
There are different types of skin cancer with three forms accounting for almost all of the diagnosed cases. They are:
• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)- Accounting for nearly 80% of skin cancer, BCC develops in the basal cells which are located in the lowest layer of the epidermis. It is commonly found on areas of the body regularly exposed to the sun such as your face, head and upper body. Signs of BCC include skin that appears as a sore that repeatedly heals and re-opens, a slightly elevated pink growth, patch of irritated skin that is red in color and/or shiny translucent skin. This type of cancer does not commonly spread but should be treated to protect surrounding tissue.
• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)- Found in the uppermost layers of the epidermis, SCC cancer affects squamous cells. Long term exposure to the sun can result in this form of cancer in middle to elderly aged individuals. The skin may appear to have an inflamed base with a crusty or scaly area over the base. While this cancer is most commonly found on areas of the body exposed to the sun, it can be found anywhere. Early detection and treatment can prevent this form of cancer from spreading.
• Melanoma- The most dangerous and lethal form of skin cancer, this form accounts for only 4% of diagnosed cases. Melanoma readily spreads to other areas of your body such as your lymph system or other internal organs. Most commonly found in moles either pre-existing or new, melanoma has a 95% cure rate if caught in time for treatment. It is important that you are aware of any moles on your body and what they look like so you can spot changes in existing moles or the appearance of new moles. Undetected and untreated, melanoma becomes very difficult to treat and can result in death.
Who Gets Skin Cancer?
To be quite honest, anyone can get any type of cancer. There are however certain individuals who are at a higher risk than others. The following factors play a role in the likelihood of developing skin cancer:
• Individuals who are fair-skinned or burn easily.
• People who use tanning devices.
• Genetics or family history of the disease.
• Certain occupational exposures, i.e. coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic or radium.
• Excessive exposure to UV radiation.
Exposure to the sun is the leading cause of cancer which makes protecting your skin from sun exposure vitally important.
Can You Prevent Cancer?
Yes, you can take precautions that lower your risk of developing skin cancer. Take all effort to reduce your exposure to sun and other controllable risk factors. This includes wearing SPF 15 or higher sunscreen everyday in addition to sunglasses and brimmed hats to shield your face from the sun. If at all possible avoid exposing your skin to sunlight during the peak of the day (10am-4pm) and give up tanning beds as they can also damage your skin.
For more information on cancer you can visit the American Cancer Society or National Cancer Institute.
I see all of these things that say… you need to catch skin cancer early. But nothing says what early means, does this mean every time i see an abnormal thing on my skin i should run to the doctor? Or should I wait a day, or a week, or a month? When people go to the doctor and the cancer is in it’s late stages, were they an hour too late, a day too late, a week too late, 10 years to late? Seriously… cancer sites need to put more information out there about rate of growth and timing.
UCSD researchers have discovered how to use an STD to treat skin cancer.
A team of scientists led by Dr. Gregory Daniels, assistant clinical professor of oncology at the Moores Cancer Center, has engineered the herpes virus to kill melanoma, or skin cancer, tumors.
When a foreign substance, such as a virus, is introduced to the body, the immune system detects the change and begins to fight the entire area, killing the cancer present as well. The cancerous cells are not usually detected because they are integrated with the body’s cells.
According to Daniels, surgeons have been using viruses to stimulate immune response to cancerous tumors since the 1880s.
“You can inject anything into cancer and kill it,” he said. “People inject weird stuff, and as long as it has toxicity, it works.”
However, this treatment has been dangerous because some of the viruses made matters worse by spreading through the body, or causing cancer themselves. Now, the herpes virus can be engineered so that it is elicits the immune response while still being harmless for non-cancerous cells.
Daniels’ team of researchers used recombinant DNA technology to delete the genes in the herpes virus that cause the disease and the genes that program the virus to spread, making it harmless to noncancerous cells while simultaneously eliciting an immune response.
“We engineered the virus to delete harmful genes until we had a less robust version of herpes,” Daniels said.
The herpes virus was then injected with the protein GM-CSF, which initiates the inflammatory immune system.
“This causes a one-two response,” Daniels said. “The presence of the virus itself causes the immune system to be heightened, and by engineering it to carry the protein, we ensure that GM-CSF also creates a response.”
Daniels conducted a clinical study in which 50 patients with melanoma were injected with the virus twice weekly.
“We saw over 80-percent success [rates] in the tumors,” Daniels said. “They just went away.”
In addition, Daniels said the virus elicited such a strong immune response throughout the entire body, that 20 percent of the patients saw melanoma tumors disappear from parts of their bodies not directly injected.
This type of gene therapy can be used for other cancers as well.
“The therapy can also be used for head and neck cancers too, or any cancer that starts from the skin,” Daniels said.
The next step is for the Food and Drug Administration to review Daniels’ study and decide whether this is a safe treatment for skin cancers.
Readers can contact Angela Chen at shchen@ucsd.edu.
Malignant Melanoma can be cured in 95% of cases if detected early (this is what I have been told). That last part is the real kicker. EARLY!
I am here to tell you that moles are not the only source of this deadly skin cancer. I am not a doctor, that will spill out all kinds of facts and figures and percentages, but a grieving sister.
I lost my brother this past April to Melanoma Skin Cancer, and I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep a check on your own body. After all we are responsible for our own health. My brother was only 48 years old, but was a redhead with fair skin, he knew about the signs and symptoms and risks of melanoma, and how to watch for changing moles.
But what happened to him, was a little different. He noticed a small thin cut on his thigh while in the shower. He couldn’t remember cutting himself, but he said it was almost like a thin paper cut. The next day, it started to form an ugly scab. He thought nothing of it, until the scab got a bit more 3D looking, and dark, then it came off and started all over again.
He ignored this as a cut that was having trouble healing.. he just kept spraying it with antiseptic spray, after all, it didn’t even hurt and had no redness. He left it for a very long time, until finally he got fed up with his jeans irritating it and went to the doctor to get antibiotics for what he thought was an infected cut.
The doctor sent him immediately for a biopsy, and that is when he found out about melanoma and how cuts that don’t heal are another sign, he always thought it was just moles. His came back stage 4, and after further tests, the melanoma had already spread to other internal organs. Melanoma cancer does not respond to typical cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, and there was not much that could be done at this stage.
If he had of gone within that first month, he may have had a chance.. but we will never know now. He burned a lot as a kid, and like the rest of us from that era, we burned and baked to get that “glow”. It is important to use sunscreen, and check your skin regularly for changes.. In the end, your skin health is up to you and no one else. and it is not just moles… ANY changes in your skin are worth investigating further.
Learn about other peoples experiences with Melanoma click here and arm yourself with information.
Very recently i have gotten a bump on my middle toe. Before it looked a bit redder, but I think it has gotten bigger. It slightly itches, but not all that often, hurts when pressed upon, and is slightly shiny.
Before, i thought it was a blister from my shoes, and when i tried to release the liquid like i do in blisters on my heels so they don't pop, it didn't work.
Then i believed it was a spider bite. But now i've begun to get worried by it (though i haven't had it long) but i have been tanning in a tanning bed lately.
I'd like to have someones opinion on what this could be, before i tell my parents that i don't think its a spider bite (which they suggested it could be) because they usually don't take much worry over something like that, and im a little freaked out. thank you so much
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays and Moffitt Cancer Center will kick off the third annual Spring Swing-Moffitt's Sun Safety Tour on March 5.
Spring Swing-Moffitt's Sun Safety Tour offers free skin cancer screenings at specified Spring Training venues in Florida in March and April. Screeners will be looking for early signs of skin cancer while promoting sun safety, skin cancer awareness and education.
During the previous two seasons, Spring Swing screened nearly 1,400 people, identifying 783 suspected cancerous lesions or suspected precancerous lesions. Year after year, screeners found a 10 percent increase in suspected skin cancers.
Following is the schedule. Those interested in taking part don't have to worry about missing any game action, as the screenings will begin approximately two hours before game time.
March 5: Steinbrenner Field (Tampa, Fla.), Rays vs. Yankees, game at 1:05 p.m. ET March 8: Charlotte Sports Park (Charlotte County, Fla.), Pirates vs. Rays, 1:05 p.m. March 13: Tradition Field (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), Tigers vs. Mets, 1:10 p.m. March 21: Hammond Stadium (Fort Myers, Fla.), Rays vs. Twins, 1:05 p.m. March http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100211&content_id=8059980&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb28: Space Coast Stadium (Viera, Fla.), Braves vs. Nationals, 1:05 p.m. April 2: Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg), Mets vs. Rays, 6:10 p.m.
Cancer is the general term used for diseases in which normal cells separate without any control thus involving other tissues. Cancer cells can also spread to various parts of the body through the blood and lymph system.
Wild cell growth turns into cancer when it is exposed to carcinogens (Cancer- causing substance) genetic defects, or viruses. A tumour is formed when cancer cells multiply large masses of tissue. In some cases tumours limit themselves to one spot in the body; some can be removed by surgery. These kinds of tumours may cause little harm and is termed benign. Hostile tumours are called malignant. The study of cancer is called oncology.
Causes of Cancer
People get lung cancer most of the time from smoking tobacco which is said to have carcinogenic substance mainly known as tobacco smoke. Some carcinogens include certain chemicals, the Sun’s ultraviolet light, and radiation. Cancer can be formed by several viruses by altering the DNA of a host cell and converting the cell’s normal genes into cancer – causing genes, or oncogenes. Genetic factors – such as chromosomal abnormalities or the inheritance of faulty genes from a parent of fore parent. This could most likely cause these persons who inherit these genes can end up having cancer. People that are Down syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality are susceptible to leukaemia.
How is cancer formed?
When a normal cell transforms into a cancer cell the genetic material (deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA) of a cell is changed, or mutated. Tumours don’t form over night they formed over decades or a certain amount of years, because of this it is very susceptible to formed into a cancer cell as time goes along. Most cancer occurs after the age of fifty, yet some are detected earlier in life, it varies.
Different types of cancer
It has been accessed that there are over more than 200 different types of cancers. They are named after the tissue or the organ they begin to form. The term Leukemia refers to cancer of white blood cells (can be also called leukocytes). Melanomas are cancers that begin in melanocytes (skin pigmentation.
Names of Cancers
Lung Cancer
Bladder Cancer
Colon and Rectal Cancer
Breast Cancer
Endometrial Cancer
Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer
Non- Hodgkin Lymphoma Pancreatic Cancer
Skin Cancer
Non-melanoma thyroid Cancer
Prostrate Cancer
Leukemia
Bladder Cancer
Bone Cancer
Bile Duct Cancer
Brain Tumour
Appendix Cancer
Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Cervical cancer
Childhood cancer
Eye Cancer
Gall bladder Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Lip and oral Cancer
Liver Cancer
Mouth Cancer
Rectal Cancer
Salivary Cancer
Urethral Cancer
Vaginal Cancer
Vulvar Cancer
Treatments for cancer
Oncologists have been using Chemotherapy, or drug therapy to help cancer patience around the world. When cancer spreads to different parts of the body chemotherapy is used to help treat the cancer, before it gets worst. The immune system is weak when cancer spreads through the body. Therefore a treatment name immune enhancing drugs or antibodies are also used to help build back up the immune system and to destroy abnormal cells. There has been an anticancer drug that kills cancer cells while leaving the good ones alive. This drug was introduced in the spring of 2001. The drug, Gleevec has proven to work very strongly against chronic myelogenous leukaemia, leukaemia is one of the four main types of blood cancer.
How can u prevent cancer?
Cancer can be prevented by doing the following:
¬For all smokers the only way that you can avoid yourself from getting lung cancer is to stop smoking.
¬Try not to be in the sun for lengthy periods, too much exposure to the sun can cause cancer
¬Lessen your high- fat diets
¬Avoid alcohol as much as possible
¬Unsafe sex
¬Other Carcinogens could prevent more than 80% of all cancer cases.
¬Do yearly testing; this would detect it in the early stage if you are tested positive, early treatment can be taken.
The following are various tests than can be taken to see if you have cancer.
Skin Cancer: Skin examination this is done by the naked eye of the doctor. If any area may look suspicious then biopsy is done and under the microscope cancer cells are examined
Prostate Cancer:
· Digital Rectal Examination: Prostrate is examined by a doctor using his/her finger from the lower part from the rectum. When you reach fifty years it must be done at least once a year. If there was any sign before that you may have prostrate then do a test once every year even though you may be under forty
Breast Cancer:
· Breast Self Examination: when you reach twenty years of age, this examination must be taken once every month.
· Clinical Breast Examination: the breasts and regions under the arms should be examined also, between the ages of 20 and 40 years. Once every three years this examination should be carried out, and once every year after the age of forty.
· Mammogram: Imaging of the breasts with X rays. It must be done once every year after 40 years of age.
An illustration of how a mammogram is done
Lung Cancer:
Chest X-ray: It is imaging of organs and bones in chest with X-ray. Especially if you are a smoker you should do chest x –rays at least twice a year.
Colorectal Cancer:
· Fecal Occult Blood Test: Blood in stool which can be seen only under microscope is examined. It must be done once every year after 50 years of age.
The 3rd Annual Spring Swing-Moffitt's Sun Safety Tour kicks off March 5 and will run throughout 2010 Spring Training.
Spring Swing-Moffitt's Sun Safety Tour is a partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center and the Tampa Bay Rays offering free skin cancer screenings at specified baseball Spring Training venues in March and April. Screeners will be looking for early signs of skin cancer while promoting sun safety, skin cancer awareness and education.
During the previous two Spring Training seasons, Spring Swing screened nearly 1,400 people, identifying 783 suspected cancerous lesions or suspected pre-cancerous lesions. Year-over-year, the program found a 10 percent increase in suspected skin cancers.
Screenings will begin approximately two hours before game time.
Friday, March 5, Tampa, Steinbrenner Field, Rays vs. Yankees at 1:05 p.m. Monday, March 8, Charlotte County, Charlotte Sports Park, Pirates vs. Rays at 1:05 p.m. Saturday, March 13, Port St. Lucie, Tradition Field, Tigers vs. Mets at 1:10 p.m. Sunday, March 21, Fort Myers, Hammond Stadium, Rays vs. Twins at 1:05p.m. Sunday, March 28, Viera, Space Coast Stadium, Braves vs. Nationals at 1:05 p.m. Friday, April 2, St. Petersburg, Tropicana Field, Mets vs. Rays at 6:10 p.m.
The chemicals in wine just sound important. "Polyphenols, a lot of a chemicals called polycyanidin, which is also thought to be a very potent antioxidant, and resveratrol," said Dr. Maximilian Buja of the University of Texas-Houston Medical School. That's why you've heard that wine is good for your heart and blood vessels. "That can have all kinds of beneficial effects on the heart, keeping blood pressure under control, perfusion of the brain," said Dr. Buja. But here's something you haven't heard. "Drinking a moderate amount of red wine may very well help with both aging and prevention of skin cancer," said Dr. John Wolf, Baylor dermatologist. How? Well it's those same chemicals again. "Resveratrol protects the skin from ultraviolet light and ultraviolet light as you know is the most common cause of both aging the skin and skin cancer," said Dr. Wolf. Resveratrol in wine may help protect the brain, too, by prolonging the life of brain cells because it starts a process. "That can do all kinds of beneficial things including prolonging life in certain lab animals," said Dr. Michael Friedlander, Baylor neuroscientist. Now it's not like you can drink two glasses of wine and live longer - just yet. "You literally would have to ingest hundreds of glasses of red wine to get enough of that chemical to get the effect seen in the lab," said Dr. Friedlander. But think of the possibilities. As far as the chemicals in wine, one that's hard to believe is that scientists say even the alcohol is beneficial. And wine can raise your HDL, or good cholesterol, as much as running a marathon. "You could get your HDL up to almost the same level by moderate alcohol consumption. And you can tell from looking at me, I've chosen the latter," said Dr. Buja. Dr. Wolf said, "I would recommend two glasses of red wine a day, preferably pinot noir, for men, one glass for women, plus wearing sunscreen." To your health now has a whole new meaning.
For 15 years, from about April through September, Vicki Ondracek would head to the tanning salon two or three days a week.
“You want to look better,” Ondracek said.
But that was before she was treated for malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, which accounts for about 8,600 deaths each year in the U.S.
The 55-year-old Omahan doesn’t know for sure what caused her cancer — the ultraviolet light from tanning beds, the UV from natural sunlight, a combination of the two.
But she has joined a growing chorus of critics who say the use of tanning beds is too risky.
“I feel like it would be a death sentence for me to get back in a tanning bed,” Ondracek said.
Congress and two federal agencies are shining a hot light on the tanning industry:
Ÿ Late last month, two U.S. House members introduced a bill called the Tanning Bed Cancer Control Act, which asks that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration consider tougher federal regulations of tanning beds, with the goal of limiting both the amount of UV rays emitted by the devices and the time consumers may be exposed to the rays.
“Tanning beds are the cigarettes of our time: cancer-causing and poorly regulated,” said one of the bill’s co-sponsors, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.
Ÿ The same day the legislation was introduced, the Federal Trade Commission charged the Indoor Tanning Association, which represents thousands of tanning centers and tanning-equipment suppliers, with making false health and safety claims about indoor tanning. In a settlement with the FTC, the association is prohibited from continuing to make the misrepresentations (including the idea that indoor tanning is approved by the government), from misrepresenting any tests or studies and from providing deceptive ads to members.
The tanning group’s Web site now includes this statement on its home page: “Exposure to ultraviolet radiation may increase the likelihood of developing skin cancer and can cause serious eye injury.”
Ÿ In March, FDA advisers will hold a public hearing to consider amending tanning-equipment labeling requirements to strengthen warnings about skin cancer and eye damage and make the warnings easier to read and understand.
Last summer, a working group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, published a report classifying UV-emitting tanning devices as carcinogenic to humans. The group’s analysis of more than 20 studies showed that the risk of melanoma increased by 75 percent when the use of tanning devices starts before age 30.
The American Academy of Dermatology says evidence from several studies has shown that exposure to UV radiation from indoor-tanning devices is associated with an increased risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.
The American Cancer Society and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommend that people avoid tanning beds.
But indoor tanning remains extremely popular with millions of people. The Indoor Tanning Association says the nation’s 25,000 indoor-tanning businesses serve 30 million people and have a total economic impact of $5 billion. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that about 70 percent of tanning salon patrons are girls and women, primarily those ages 16 to 29.
Tracie Cunningham, executive vice president of Nebraska-based Ashley Lynn’s tanning salons, said moderation in tanning is the key: “We tell that to all of our clients.”
The anti-ultraviolet light idea, she said, is “absolutely the wrong message. It’s irresponsible to tell (people) to avoid it altogether,” noting that skin exposure to UV light induces the production of vitamin D, a necessary nutrient.
She acknowledges, though, that people don’t need to develop a tan to produce vitamin D.
Cunningham said people with Type 1 skin, the fairest skin type, aren’t allowed to use tanning beds at her business and are encouraged to instead use spray-on tans. People with other skin types are given charts offering guidelines on how often they can tan and for how long. Tanners also are advised to wear eye protection while tanning, she said, and are warned to never burn.
Dermatologists, in general, don’t like indoor — or outdoor — tanning.
“If you get tan, there is some risk of all forms of skin cancer,” said Dr. Chris Huerter, head of the division of dermatology at Creighton University Medical School. “The premise that there is a safe tan is a false one. If you’re developing a tan, you’re doing damage. It’s as simple as that.”
People who tan “develop facial lines and other signs of aging at a much faster rate,” said Dr. Mary Finnegan, Ondracek’s dermatologist, who serves as vice president of the Nebraska Dermatology Society. Tanners, she said, have “more lines and wrinkles, more sunspots.” Tanning also decreases elasticity, she said, and tanners’ skin sags and droops more than those who don’t tan.
“You can really tell the people who have tanned a lot versus those who haven’t,” Finnegan said. “Just the quality of the skin is different.”
Ondracek said she wouldn’t have been checked for skin cancer had her then-11-year-old daughter, Katie, not had a dark mole on her back. In June 2005, a couple days before the family left on vacation, Ondracek accompanied her daughter to Finnegan’s office. To put Katie at ease, Finnegan examined Ondracek first.
The doctor told Ondracek that a mole behind her knee had to be removed.
Ondracek said she could come back to the office after the family returned from Minnesota. “‘No, it needs to come off now,’” Finnegan told her.
Ondracek had the mole removed and went on vacation with her family. With an open wound, she couldn’t go in the water. After the family returned to Omaha, someone from Finnegan’s office called and asked Ondracek to come in to go over the test results.
“Right then,” she said, “I knew. I just knew.”
Even though Ondracek’s mole was only a little larger than the head of a straight pin, Finnegan had to go back and cut away a 3- to 4-inch section around the mole site to make sure all the cancer was removed. “The size of skin removed is dictated by the depth of the melanoma,” Finnegan said. “The deeper the malignancy, the wider the diameter of skin taken.”
Ondracek said she feels fortunate her cancer was caught early. She now must get her skin checked every six months, and she no longer wears shorts: “The incision is ugly, ugly, ugly.”
Today, Ondracek gets concerned when she looks at teenage girls and young women who have dark tans in the dead of winter. “I think, ‘Oh, my God, you have no idea what this could be doing to you.’”
We wish Louis Gossett Jr. a speedy recovery. The acclaimed actor who won an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1983 for his portrayal of the no-nonsense Navy flight school sergeant who whips Richard Gere into shape in "An Officer and a Gentleman” announced Tuesday that he is being treated for prostate cancer.
In his announcement the 73-year old actor says the disease was caught early and he expects to make a full recovery.
Gossett says he decided to speak up about his diagnosis to increase awareness about the disease, particularly in the African- American community. With preventive examinations and early treatment, prostate cancer is one of the most treatable cancers.
Prostate cancer is the single most diagnosed non-skin cancer among African Americans: 30,870 will be diagnosed this year alone.
While the mortality rate is dropping, prostate cancer is still the second-leading cause of cancer death in African American men.
Actual death rates for African American men have also been dropping, averaging 64 per 100,000 men in the period from 2000-2003, down 9 percent from an average of 70.4 per 100,000 men from 1997-2008.
For an African American man, the chances of getting prostate cancer are 1 in 3 if you have just one close relative (father, brother) with the disease. The risk is 83% with two close relatives. With three, it’s almost a certainty (97%).
There are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer while it is still in the early stages. This is why screening is so critical.
Every African American man age 40 or older should resolve to be screened annually for prostate cancer.
Before the advent of early detection through PSA screening, about three-fourths of all prostate cancer cases were found in the late stages. With the widespread use of screening, 88 percent of cases in African American men are now found early.
Nearly 100% of African American men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer are still alive five years from diagnosis.
Of African American men diagnosed in the late stages of the disease, 29% survive five years (not including those who died from causes other than prostate cancer.) The message brothers, - get tested! Prayers and kudos to Mr. Gossett for speaking up about his disease. Get well soon!
The International Tanning Association (ITA) has heavily promoted the use of indoor tanning as a safe and desirable activity.
This, in spite of the fact that recent research has shown an increase in the incidence of melanoma, an often-fatal skin cancer, by people who use indoor tanning equipment, particularly among young women who started before the age of 30. The major users of indoor tanning salons are teens and young women seeking a year-round tan,
Since other risk factors for melanoma have not changed over time, this surge in new cases among young women is attributed to the increase in tanning-related activities.
House Bill 2652 introduced by Rep. Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma, would ban anyone under 18 from indoor tanning unless they had a doctor’s prescription. It would also give the state Department of Health licensing and enforcement authority over the indoor tanning industry, including safety and cleanliness, reporting of injuries and posting of warnings regarding the risks of indoor tanning.
So why should the state of Washington pass an indoor tanning bill? When the ITA makes public statements, it deliberately avoids mention of melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer that kills more than 8,600 people annually in the United States – around 13 percent of the 68,000 cases diagnosed. Even when melanoma is diagnosed early, surgery is disfiguring and can be associated with complications.
The ITA’s claims have been false and misleading. Each can be proven wrong by hard data.
There is no such thing as safe tanning. The amount of ultraviolet light required to produce visible tanning exceeds the amount associated with permanent DNA damage, which may cause cancer,
UVA, which is present in tanning salon light, was previously thought to be less carcinogenic than UVB. But we now know that it is also harmful and is much more difficult to measure and regulate. The World Health Organization has classified UV radiation as a known carcinogen, the same category as cigarettes.
Also frightening is the recent finding that frequent tanning induces the production of chemicals such as endorphins, which are associated with a sense of well- being. These same endorphins are also characteristic of substance dependency and other addictive behaviors like gambling and extreme athleticism.
Is it possible to alter these destructive patterns of a greedy industry and a culture that associates golden-brown skin with beauty, popularity and improved health? The introduction and passage of indoor tanning bills restricting minors’ use, many of them spearheaded by groups like AIM at Melanoma (www.AIMatMelanoma.org) have certainly begun to make an impact.
Legislation to restrict the use of indoor tanning by those under 18 in Washington state must be approved now. Success in this effort will prove that public awareness and efforts to protect young Americans from an industry that preys on their vulnerability can save lives, starting now.
Dr. Kim Margolin is a professor at the University of Washington and a member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Most of us feel helpless against cancer. It seems that almost everything can cause cancer and there’s not much we can do to prevent it. But according to Dr. Jeff Niederdeppe, Ph. D., of the University of Wisconsin at Maddison that’s not necessarily true. Research has shown that a change in lifestyle can cut your lifetime risk of cancer and raise your odds of surviving. Poor nutrition, not enough exercise, and tobacco cause about one in three cancer deaths. So just the elimination of those risks can cut your chance of getting cancer by one third.
The American Cancer Association suggests you focus on getting at least five daily servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables. For protein choose fish, poultry, and beans over red or processed meat. Add some whole grain, and keep your portions small.
Adults need at least thirty minutes of vigorous exercise every day, and more is better. To reduce colon and breast cancer you need forty five to sixty minutes. Exercise will also keep your weight down which is a plus. It has been found that when women do get cancer and are active, they have a better survival rate.
Being overweight plays a role in a large percentage of cancer related deaths. Especially cancers of the breast, esophagus, colon, kidneys, and endometrium. It’s very important to maintain a normal body weight.
It comes as no surprise that smoking causes eighty seven percent of lung cancer deaths. But smoking ups your risks for other cancers too, including kidney, stomach, and throat cancer. Smoking is one of the most detrimental things you can do to your health.
When eleven of the eighteen major cancers are found early, their five year survival rate ranges from ninety to a hundred percent. Survival plummets for more advanced cancer. Yet less than half older people have had a colorectal screening. And the share of women who had a mammogram in the past two years fell to sixty six percent.
Stay out of the sun and use lots of sunscreen when you are out. Make sure your family avoids sun burn, especially when young. Exposure to ultraviolet rays caused more than a million cases of basal and squamous cell skin cancer last year. Doctors found nearly sixty thousand cases of more serious melanoma.
Some women choose to take raloxifine after a hysterectomy which has been shown to cut the risk of cancer and add bone growth. Long term use of adult aspirin has shown promise. But due to gastro intestinal bleeding it is not recommended for cancer prevention.
Some experts think vitamin D supplements might be useful, but results have been mixed. It’s hard for people who have short summers to get enough vitamin D from the sun, and we are all avoiding ultraviolet rays, so higher doses of vitamin D might be a good idea year round. The Canadian Cancer Society recently recommended taking one thousand units of vitamin D, either through the winter or year round. Researchers agree that a well rounded diet rather than supplements are best. In fact the study of the antioxidant beta carotene concluded that high doses actually increased smokers lung cancer risk.
No food is a magic bullet but here are some foods that experts agree could be preventive. Cabbage and family members, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale may lower colorectal and prostate cancer. These lycopens bearingfruits and vegetables, tomatoes, apricots, watermelon, and grapefruit may cut the risk of cancer of the lung, stomach, and prostate. Whole grain bread, pasta, and cereals may help prevent colon cancer.
Limit alcohol it can cause cancer of the mouth, voice box, esophagus, liver, and breast. Risks rise sharply for women who drink more than one drink a day, and men who drink two. Stay away from red meats, They are linked to high risk of colon, stomach, and advanced prostate cancer. Processed meant are tied to cancer of the stomach, colon, and advanced prostate cancer. Fried foods provide too many calories and fat so stay away from those.
Here are the factors that cause most cancers. Other factors are still many, unfortunately not yet possible to be explained everything here. That is :
Age Most cancers strike people aged over 60 years. But not a few people who was much younger, even children under the age of five years, who also had cancer.
Tobacco Smoke cigarettes / tobacco smokers who inhaled either active or passive smoking can cause lung cancer, cancer of the vocal cords, cancer of the mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, leukemia, and cervix. Not only the smoke, often smelling of tobacco can cause cancer, and chew / suck it (eg in the form of quid-Jw) can cause mouth cancer.
Sunshine Good morning sunshine to health. But the afternoon sun, which contains ultraviolet, can cause skin cancer. Use an umbrella, hat, and clothing as much as possible to close the body to protect itself from ultraviolet rays. Unprotected skin should smeared with sunscreen containing sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
Ultraviolet rays can penetrate glass, thin clothing, can also be reflected by sand, water, snow, and ice. Keep in mind, that the ultraviolet lamps are sold in stores can also cause cancer, you know.
Chemical substances Many chemicals are added in the food / beverage modern can lead to cancer, such as preservatives, artificial coloring, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavorings. In fact, almost all food / beverage production plant or sold in the shop / restaurant contain additional substances such.
But the food prepared at home may not free any cancer risk. Since most vegetables and fruits planted by relying on artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Baked goods, baked, or fried in oil jelantah also potentially cause cancer. Once the water is polluted detergent and chemical wastes other (despite being cleared).
Substances other cancer-causing chemicals can enter the human body through the air, such as gasoline, asbestos, cadmium, nickel, vinyl chloride, and so on.
Virus and Bacterial Infections Some types of viruses and bacteria can increase the risk of cancer, among others:
Human papilloma virus (HPV), is the main cause of cervical cancer and can increase the risk of other types of cancer. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C can lead to liver cancer. Human T-cell leukemia / lymphoma (HTLV-1) increase the risk of lymphoma and leukemia. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which causes AIDS was known as this increases the risk of lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma.
Epstein-Barr virus increases the risk of outbreak of lymphoma. Human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) may cause Kaposi's sarcoma. Helicobacter pylori causes gastric and intestinal injury can also cause cancer throughout the digestive tract.
To reduce the possibility of contracting the virus / bacteria, avoid changing sexual partners, also do not exchange toothbrushes, needles, combs, cutlery, etc.. Diet, Obesity, and Lack of Motion
Too much consumption of red meat and salt can increase the expected risk of colon cancer, rectum, and other cancers in the abdominal area. Instead many vegetable and fruit consumption may reduce cancer risk through the digestive tract.
Obesity and inactivity can lead to breast cancer, endometrial, kidney, colon, and esophagus. To prevent this, every day of exercise for at least 30 minutes.
Alcohol Consumption of alcohol can trigger cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, vocal cords, liver, and breast. But once in a while eat tape, not okay.
Hormones Excessive hormone estrogen in the body can increase the likelihood of the outbreak of the womb cancer and breast cancer. Progesterone was able to prevent the occurrence of endometrial cancer, but increases the risk of breast cancer. Both types of hormones are widely used as an ingredient of the Pill or hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women. Long-term use can reduce the risk of pregnancy and endometrial cancer, but increase the risk of breast cancer and liver cancer.
Family History Trigger factors above will cause cancer if you managed to make a gene in the cell nucleus to change (mutate). If the immune system not able to improve or destroy genes which have this mutation, the gene makes normal cells into malignant cells, which develop into cancer so forth.
Sometimes the nature of the gene is then passed on to children, which makes the child has an abnormal gene. Yet this abnormal gene does not necessarily develop into cancer, because it still depends on the presence or absence of other triggers and least powerful body endurance. Moreover, not all types of inherited cancer. Only certain types of cancer who have inherited the tendency, namely melanoma (skin cancer), breast, womb, prostate, and colon.
Skin damage doesn’t only occur on the beach on the days you forget sunblock. Granted, skin damage can be drastic and develop rapidly from over exposure to the sun (sunburn), but the majority of damage goes unnoticed as it is occurring. It happens daily in doses both large and small. Even on the walk to your car in the morning, you are exposed to damaging rays.
One area of great concern is the part of body that is always exposed: the face. Over time, sun exposure causes the face to age prematurely, evidenced by lines and discoloration.
Consistent exposure to the sun can cause photoaging, primarily on the face and neck. Ultra-violet (UV) radiation inhibits collagen production and destroys natural elastins. The skin is never given a chance to adequately heal or repair itself, thus as these vital resources become depleted, the skin loosens and wrinkles form, and/or the skin becomes discolored. The most deceptive part of this type of skin damage is its latent long-term effects. The damage is immeasurable day to day, and only over time becomes visible. It takes years of neglect for premature aging to manifest in the form of wrinkles and discoloration.
Studies show that wearing sunblock regularly can curtail the effects of photoaging. While this is certainly valuable advice, the most practical way to prevent photoaging (along with most other skin imperfections) is to begin a proactive and comprehensive skin care regimen involving anti-aging skin care products.
While admittedly the application of anti-aging skin care products cover a variety of imperfections, they all share a common ability. The basic function of anti-aging products is that they provide the skin with a way to repair itself, which counters the daily damage it receives. Comprehensive regimens of anti-aging products not only nullifies daily skin damage, but can allow the skin to regain some of its elasticity and actually look younger. In essence, quality anti-aging products can help reverse some of the damage that has already accrued.
Several anti-aging skin care products and their respective lines demonstrate the capability to help repair and prevent sun damage, as well as aid other skin imperfections. Cosmelan, Glominerals, SkinMedica, Neocutis, and Elta MD come highly recommended by dermatologists. One of these products is certain to meet your specific needs. For example, Elta MD’s hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic sunblock formulas are safe for even the most sensitive skin. Or, Cosmelan offers a superior line of depigmentation treatments. On the whole, these types of products supply valuable vitamins and minerals and with regular application, offer prevention and foster the skin’s ability to repair itself.
Many of these products are not available at your local department store or spa, but rather only through a dermatologist. Dr. Gregory Nikoladis, of Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in Austin, Texas, founded iDerma.com, making these best in class anti-aging products available online.
While everyone enjoys the warmth of the sun on their face, no one wishes to look older than they are—premature aging is a concern for all. Complete avoidance of sun exposure (and thus skin damage from UV radiation) is next to impossible. Thus, a comprehensive regimen of anti-aging products stands as the most practical line of defense, offering both prevention, and potential reversal of photoaging.
Rick Simpson's Hemp Oil Medicine Why is the Canadian government persecuting him, why does the media ignore him, and where is the American Cancer Society when you need them? by Steven Hager
From the time he was 12 years old, Rick Simpson just wanted a job so he could make some money. He was smart enough to get by in school without having to open a book, so education wasn't something he took very seriously. After getting in trouble for supplying his teacher with a case of beer as a Christmas present in the 9th grade, he dropped out rather than face the consequences from the school administrators. At age 16, he went to work in the steel mills in Ontario, Canada. Two years later, he moved back to his hometown in Spring Hill, Nova Scotia, and got married. Before long, he had a job maintaining boilers for All Saints' Hospital. Then his cousin was diagnosed with cancer. "They found a little bump on his rib cage and cut him open. He went from 200 pounds down to about 130. In 1972 we were having a drink and he collapsed right in front of me. I knew damn well it had to be the cancer coming back. They gave him six months to live, and he made it through three. I was 22 years old and didn't know anyone who had died from cancer. He was down to about 50 pounds when he died on November 18, 1972. I used to shave him and it was like trying to shave a skeleton." Two years after his cousin died, Simpson was listening to his car radio when he heard the results of a medical study from the University of Virginia claiming THC reduced brain tumors in mice. "I stopped my car and just stared at the radio," recalls Simpson. "At the time, I didn't smoke pot or anything, although most of my friends did. The guy on the radio was laughing like a fool. Like this was all a big joke. I never heard anything more about it, so I thought it must be a joke." It was no joke. The Medical College of Virginia had been funded by the National Institute of Health to find evidence marijuana damaged the immune system. Imagine their surprise when the results came back indicating the opposite effect: instead of hastening the death of mice implanted with brain cancer, marijuana dramatically slowed the growth of their tumors and extended their lives. The DEA quickly shut down this promising research. According to Jack Herer, two years later, President Gerald Ford would put an end to all public cannabis research and grant exclusive research rights to major pharmaceutical companies to develop synthetic THC. Fast forward to December 1997: Simpson had been working at the hospital for 25 years and was covering asbestos on the boiler pipes with duct tape. He employed an aerosol spray that allowed the tape to stick to the asbestos. He didn't realize, however, that this spray was capable of causing a temporary nervous system shutdown if the fumes were inhaled too deeply. And that's exactly what happened. "Luckily for me, the boilers were shut off, or I would have been burnt to nothing," he says. "I fell backwards off the ladder and struck my head on a steel loading ring. Of course, I don't remember any of that. When I came to, I was hung up in the pipes by the side of the boiler." Simpson slowly made his way back to his office and fumbled around for over an hour trying to make a phone call but couldn't make his phone work. Finally, another engineer showed up for his shift and brought Simpson to the Emergency Room. When asked his name, Simpson had no response. He was taken to the trauma center and put on oxygen. "It felt like my head was going to explode," he says. "I remember it looked like people were moving funny. They were kind of jerky. I told the doctor and he just kind of shook his head." After three hours in the trauma center, the exploding-head sensation went away and Simpson was told to go home. He doesn't remember much of the next few days, including the drive home, but somehow he made it. When his next scheduled shift came up on Christmas Eve, Simpson reported for work even though he was still feeling woozy. At around 10 PM that night, while still at work, Simpson's head began ringing. The ringing got louder and louder. By 3 AM, he was back in the Emergency Room seeking treatment. When the nurse checked his blood pressure, she was so alarmed she immediately gave him a pill and called a doctor. The ringing never went away. "At lower levels, it's about 93 decibels," he says, "which is about the same as having a lawn mower running in your living room. I became very short-tempered. They tried every possible drug but nothing worked. It got so bad I wanted to shoot myself." Within a year Simpson was having trouble remembering anything because he was taking 1,000 milligrams of tegretol a day. Reading was out of the question because by the time he got to the end of a sentence, he'd already forgotten what the sentence was about. Then one day, he watched an episode of Dr. David Suzuki's "The Nature of Things," Canada's longest running documentary series. The episode was about how promising a medicine marijuana was. "I went right back to my doctor and asked if marijuana would help," recalls Simpson. "Of course, he told me it was bad for the lungs and still under study. So I went out and got some pot and tried it and it worked better than anything they were giving me. So I went back again and asked for a prescription but they still wouldn't give it to me." By 2001, Simpson was a chemical zombie from all the drugs he'd been taking. But he was still determined to get legal medical access to the marijuana, so he asked his doctor: "What would you think if I took the plant and made an essential oil and then ingested the oil rather than smoked it?" "Well, that would be a more medicinal way to take it," agreed the doctor, but he still refused to write a prescription to allow Simpson legal access to the plant. A few months later, the doctor said they had tried every possible treatment and nothing worked, so Simpson was on his own. He decided to stop taking pharmaceutical pills and start eating hemp oil exclusively. "I didn't really believe the hemp oil could bring me back the way it did," he recalls. "But once the system gave up on me, I just continued making oil and taking it on a regular basis. The ringing was still there, but now I could live with it. Within a few months, people saw the difference. The oil controlled the pain, my blood pressure and it allowed me to sleep. I lost weight and looked twenty years younger." For many years Simpson had lived with three suspicious spots on his skin, two on his face and one on his chest. "Yes, this looks like skin cancer," said his doctor upon examining the bumps. In January 2003, the doctor surgically removed the spot near his eye and sent it in for a biopsy. A week later, Simpson was sitting at home when he recalled the 1974 news report about THC and cancer. "I knew I was supposed to go back and get the other two spots removed," says Simpson. "When I removed the bandage from the spot they had removed, I noticed it looked red and infected and there was puss coming out of it. That's when the news report from 30 years earlier kicked in. I looked at the oil and I thought, well this is full of THC, and I've probably got skin cancer. I put a little oil on two band-aids and covered the two little bumps. Four days later, I took the band-aids off and both bumps had disappeared." Within a few weeks, the cancer that had been surgically removed reappeared. So Simpson tried the same treatment and got the same results: four days after being treated with hemp oil, the red bump was gone and the skin completely healed. Obviously, Simpson was overjoyed by this discovery and could hardly wait to share this information with his doctor, who had so resisted marijuana as a treatment for his head injury. So after picking up his pathology report, he mentioned to the receptionist (who also happened to be the doctor's wife), that he had something important to discuss with the doctor. "I treated my skin cancers with hemp oil..." Simpson barely got the words "hemp oil" out of his mouth before the receptionist went ballistic. "The doctor will not go there! The doctor will not prescribe this!" she yelled. "I felt like I was in the twilight zone," recalls Simpson. "I'd just told her I cured my cancer and she should have been interested. It was freaky." Simpson soon made a visit to his mother's house. For years she had suffered with weeping psoriasis. He applied the hemp oil to her infected skin and within a few weeks the sores healed and the scales disappeared. Thus began the long journey of Rick Simpson and his miraculous hemp oil medicine. The fact Simpson has always given this oil freely and without any charge has greatly enhanced his already legendary status. "In the beginning a lot of people didn't want to put the oil on their skin," he recalls. "In the first year, I treated 50 to 60 people for various skin conditions. The following year, I was treating a man with a melanoma cancer on his left cheek bone. It had been removed five times. It was a nasty looking thing. You could put your finger right into the hole. I told him I could heal it, but of course he didn't believe me. Three weeks later it was completely healed. And that's when he mentioned to me he had glaucoma. I said, well, hemp is the best treatment for glaucoma. He was the first one to start eating the oil other than me. At that time he also had arthritis and had to sleep with a pillow between his knees. About two weeks after taking the oil, he stopped sleeping with a pillow and his ocular pressure was already way down. When I started giving him the oil, the pressure was around 31 or 32. Last time I checked, it was 13 or 14." Once Simpson started giving people the oil internally, it was only a matter of time before he tried it on cancer patients. Simpson became increasingly confident of the oil's healing properties after a few bouts with internal cancers. Even patients with stage-four terminal cancer who had been given only weeks to live were miraculously brought back to health. Not only did the oil heal diabetic ulcers with topical application, it also healed diabetes and allowed some diabetics to stop using insulin. Simpson kept treating patients until they got better, but soon determined a 60-gram treatment was necessary to clear serious illlness. The oil is eaten as quickly as possible, starting with small doses until a resistance is established. Eating a gram of oil a day can be disorienting, but many adapt rapidly to the pharmacological effects. After Simpson successfully treated a woman with cervical cancer, she visited the local chapter of the Royal Canadian Legion to share her story. The Legion is a veteran's organization whose lodges function as unofficial town halls in remote areas of Canada. Rick Dwyer, the bartender at the Legion, was so fascinated by the woman's story he asked her to invite Simpson to drop by the Legion. "I met Rick in 2005," says Dwyer. "He told me he could cure skin cancer and diabetic ulcers and other skin diseases. I didn't believe him, but I could see he was sincere, so I asked if I could go with him to visit some of the people he was treating. So I interviewed his patients. And there was no doubt there was something to what he was doing." Before long, Simpson was treating members of Dwyer's Legion, and hemp oil continued to have successful results against a variety of chronic illnesses and infections. As a past Legion president, Dwyer knew the Legion's mission was to serve veterans and their dependents, promote remembrance and act in the service of Canada. He felt strongly this included a responsibility to share information about Simpson's hemp oil with as many people as quickly as possible. Dwyer contacted the local Health Authority and asked them to investigate. He made calls to elected officials. "Nobody would even come look at the evidence," says Dwyer. "I told the zone commander, people are suffering and this stuff works. But I just kept running into brick wall after brick wall. The Royal Candian Mounted Police (RCMP) had already raided Simpson's property in 2003, after hearing reports he was circulating marijuana oil. They seized the plants out of his backyard and confiscated his oil, but no charges were filed. In 2005, Simpson voluntarily returned to the RCMP office to drop off scientific information supporting his treatment, as well as a video tape revealing interviews with the patients. He made it clear to the RCMP that he intended to keep helping patients who had no where else to turn. He continued to get plants to make oil by working out trades whereby local marijuana farmers brought in their buds and split the oil they generated with Simpson. Most growers use shake to make waterhash or oil, but Simpson is adamant that the best colas are necessary for making the best medicine for cancer. He will not make oil from shake, unless it's intended for topical application only. He also prefers indica-dominant plants. Shortly after Simpson dropped his video off with the RCMP, the mounties returned and seized 1,620 plants from his backyard. This time he was arrested and charged with marijuana possession, cultivation and trafficking. Meanwhile, Dwyer's father had checked into the hospital with stage-four lung cancer. "He also had a bad heart and sugar diabetes," says Dwyer. "I remember telling him, 'Dad, don't take the chemotherapy, it you take it you're dead. Go to Rick and get some oil and your chances of survival will be a lot better.' I remember my father looking at me. And what was he thinking? My son has no medical background. Who's he going to trust? After his first chemotherapy treatment he swelled up real bad. His legs swelled, his arms were full of fluid. He was suffering horribly. The doctors told us he wasn't going to make it. He talked to us and said the things a father says to his children when he knows he going to die. I just kept thinking about the oil. I knew it worked on skin cancers and diabetic ulcers, but I wasn't sure it would work internally. So I called Rick and said my dad only had 24 hours to live, 48 at the most. Rick didn't know if it was too late. I think my dad wanted to die he was suffering so horribly. It was like he was breathing out of a straw. I had a tube of oil in my pocket and I remember thinking, 'I'll probably get arrested if I give this to him.' I asked the nurse to give him the oil, but she refused. The doctors didn't want to be responsible. So I put some oil on a cracker and my father ate it. Then I left the hospital and my brothers stayed on the death watch." When Dwyer returned the next morning, something truly miraculous had taken place. His father had slept soundly for the first time in weeks and he continued to sleep through the day. And when he finally woke up, he had a smile on his face. "I thought to myself, my god, he's got a chance," says Dwyer, "but I got to get him out of this hospital." An ambulance took his father home and he continued eating hemp oil for the next few months. "He was breathing better and didn't want the oxygen anymore. The oil healed two sores on his legs. The fluid went out of his arms and legs. But what really shocked me was that his prostate was shot, and one day he asked the nurse to take out the catheter. She said he'd have to go back to the hospital to have it put back in and that would hurt like hell. And I looked at him and said, 'Dad, can you pee?' And he said, 'Yes!' I told the nurse to take it out and I watched him pee like a race horse. The nurse came to check his lungs one day and said, 'clear as a bell.' I decided to hold a meeting at the Legion and invite the politicians, the police and the media. So they could meet the people who had been cured of cancer and other diseases. The meeting was just supposed to look at the evidence so they could draw their own conclusions." But the day the meeting was scheduled to be held, Maritime Command changed the locks on the Legion's doors and informed Dwyer his rights and privileges had been revoked. The Legion would remain closed until a new executive committee could be formed. An anonymous phone caller to Dwyer's wife said ominously, "Tell Rick he's getting in over his head." She took the call as a veiled threat and broke down. Dwyer is unable to recount this part of the story without breaking down himself. "I tell Rick there's many a night when I wish I'd never met you," he says wiping tears from his eyes. "I wish you hadn't shown me what you showed me because this has been a terrible burden on me, especially when I meet people with cancer. I try to explain this medicine to them, but people are so close-minded. They talk about swine flu killing people? My god, cancer and diabetes are killing millions across the world." Rick Simpson's trial in September of 2007 was carefully stage-managed. Simpson had obtained 48 sworn affidavits from patients, but no medical testimony was allowed by the presiding judge. "I had people cured of terminal cancer sitting in the court waiting to testify. They wouldn't let them on the stand. They wouldn't let me introduce any scientific evidence. I defended myself, and when I cross examined the mounties, first thing I did was hold up a copy of an interview I'd given to the Spring Hill Record from September of 2004, one year before I was charged. It was a full-page article detailing everything I was doing. Would a criminal have a full-page article in the newspaper detailing his activities? Then they brought out their expert. So I said, you are a marijuana expert for the RCMP, correct? What do you know about hemp? He said 'nothing because hemp and marijuana are different plants.' I got out the book and read the law from 1923, which says nothing about marijuana, but does call it Indian hemp. So I shredded him. I beat them hands down even without the medical testimony." The jury needed only three hours to deliberate. But when Simpson was called back into the court room for the verdict, he noticed the Crown Prosecutor wasn't in the room. A witness later told him the prosecutor was seen departing the jury room right before the jury was brought back into the court room to pronounce him guilty on all counts. "So I got in touch with the judge, but he wouldn't do a damn thing. They can tamper with juries but not us. He called me into the side room before sentencing and said, 'Rick, the truth of the matter is that the government wants the researchers to bring this out.' I looked at him and said, 'If one of your kids was diagnosed with cancer tomorrow, what would you be looking for?' And down went his head. So we go back into the court room and he says, 'In my 34 years in the legal system, I've never seen a case like this. There was no criminal intent.' He admitted the scientific evidence exists to back up what I was doing. Now I was facing 12 years in jail but he gave me a $2,000 fine and didn't even put me on probation because he was getting a little bit of conscious. One time I used to be proud to be a Canadian. Now that word means nothing to me." Thanks to an internet video titled "Run From the Cure," which Simpson produced with filmmaker Christian Laurette, hundreds of thousands of people have been introduced to Simpson's hemp oil treatment. Early on, Jack Herer became one of Simpson's biggest supporters. "I first heard about Rick five or six years ago," says Herer. "I didn't believe him. And I knew all the cancer and THC studies that has been done. Rats with all sorts of cancers were 100% cured and lived 40% longer than rats who had nothing at all. Now Rick has treated over a thousand patients and there are others like him, like Ron Smith in Kentucky, distributing oil to terminal cancer patients and having similar results. And Rick can't even come to the United States because of his conviction." Not everyone is saved. While the photographer was taking pictures for this story, Simpson received word that one of his patients had just died after only two days of treatment. Simpson estimates his success rate with terminal cancer is about 70%. "The ones that can't be saved are usually the ones who've had the most chemotherapy and radiation, or wait too long to start the treatment," he says. "They have to be able to stay alive long enough for the oil to start to work." In fact, most patients who undergo chemotherapy die from the treatment not the disease. But because chemotherapy is a multi-billion dollar industry that supports some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world, it's unlikely these corporations will give up this profit stream without a struggle, no matter how many dead bodies pile up. But the most amazing development in this story took place in April, 2009. A team of biochemists from the School of Biology at Complutense University in Madrid led by Manuel Guzman investigated the use of cannabinoids on cancer. Although similar investigations have been conducted on lab rats and tissue culture many times since the oirginal 1974 study in Virginia, this time researchers used real live cancer patients and analyzed their results using methods used to gauge the progress of chemotherapy treatments. Their findings were published in the April 2009 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation and are available free online at http://www.jci.org/articles/view/37948. The Spanish researchers had two patients suffering from "recurrent glioblastoma multiforme," a fast-moving brain cancer. Using electron microscopes to analyze brain tissue taken before and after a 26- to 30-day THC treatment, the researchers found that THC eliminated cancer cells while protecting the surrounding healthy cells. The active chemical in marijuana promoted the death of brain cancer cells by helping them feed upon themselves in a process known as autophagy. Strangely, little mention of this groundbreaking report made it into the national news. Instead, the media continues to run gutter science reports on marijuana's cancer-causing effects, even though regular users of marijuana continue to have lower cancer rates than non-users. While working on this story I got a call from longtime hemp activist Joe Barton, who had been providing free oil to a throat cancer patient in Woodstock, New York. After Barton delivered 25 grams of oil, nearly half the treatment, his home was raided by an Ulster County drug task force and the police confiscated the plants and the oil, which ended the treatment prematurely. Six months later, the patient died. "The oil was working," says Barton. "His neck tumor had gone down and he was talking normally again." As a repeat marijuana offender, Barton is facing a 20-year sentence.
Receiving news that you have skin cancer, malignant or not, is devastating. Ultimately cancer and stress will go hand in hand while you are receiving treatment and waiting for follow-up appointments.
Easing the stress of cancer is important to your recovery and general wellbeing especially if you are undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment. This section will explore stress management for cancer patients and investigate some recommended tips on stress management to help you build your emotional and physical strength.
There are two types of stress that will impact on your life if you are suffering from skin cancer; emotional stress and physical stress.
Skin Cancer And Emotional Stress
You will be flooded with intense feelings of emotion if you have any serious illness. Common emotions felt are worry, panic, fear, anger, worrying about your family worrying, coping with work, money and finances and dealing with the possible onset of depression.
It is important that you are not alone during this period as having support from friends and family will help you to cope with these emotional changes. Your peers will understand that cancer and stress are a natural phenomenon and their help may play a significant part in your emotional recovery.
Skin Cancer and Physical Stress
Treatment for skin cancer can take its toll on the healthiest of bodies. However, treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and even surgical removal can cause unwanted side effects that can wipe out your physical strength and leave you feeling incredibly low.
Pain can cause immense stress, and it is important that you discuss your pain management with your doctor or consultant. Being comfortable can make a huge difference to your mental attitude and outlook. If you are having invasive treatment such as surgical removal or biopsies, be prepared for infections around wound sites, these can take hold very quickly and require immediate medication. Some deep tissue infections can lead to cellulitis which can cause a lot of swelling and a redness that spreads fast. It is also unbearably painful. Recognising infection early will avoid situations like this and aid to a speedier recovery.
Tips On Stress Management For Skin Cancer Patients
Eat Well - A healthy diet is paramount to giving your body all the nutrients it needs to rebuild itself. Do not skip meals because you don't feel in the mood to prepare food and don't binge on sugary snacks for comfort. One of the best books I have ever read is called The Schwarzbein Principle: The Truth About Losing Weight, Being Healthy, and Feeling Younger by Diana Schwarzbein, MD.
She describes the impact a poor diet and lifestyle has on the body, with raised cortisol levels being at the root of many health conditions. It is an exceptional read that is easy to follow and understand. There are also very easy to implement food choices that should appeal to most people.
Sleep Well - Worry, fear and anxiety can have a dreadful effect on your sleeping pattern. Laying for hours on end with everything going round and round in your head will leave you exhausted and irritable. This will affect your whole outlook and you may find yourself being less able to cope with the emotional and physical demands of cancer and stress. Using some of the other tips here should help you find a balance and aid in restful sleep.
Exercise and Activity - Most of us hate exercise but just being a little bit more active can help your body deal with stress more effectively. There is no need to rush to the nearest gym, of course you can if you like, but simple changes can have more longevity. Walking instead of using the car, taking stairs rather than the lift and more outdoor pursuits perhaps at weekends all add up to a fitter you. Combine this with our book recommendationabove and you will look and feel so much better in no time. If you are more 'gym' orientated, we have found a fabulous exercise program online that maximises results with the least strain. You can even do it in the comfort of your own home and there are videos that you can follow to explain what to do. It's so good, that I have just signed up for it myself! Perhaps we can compare progress?
Avoid Pick-Me-Ups - Drinking excessive coffee, alcohol, smoking cigarettes etc will absolutely not help you to gain control of your situation. You need to keep a clear head and focus on things that bring positivity into your life and add value. Swamping your body with toxins and chemical stimulants will only further the decline in your health and make recovery slower for you mentally.
Counseling -A problem shared is a problem halved as they say. Working through your emotions with someone that is impartial can have a really positive effect. It helps your mind find answers to problems and any emotional issues you may have regarding your skin cancer. A good therapist or counselor will be able to guide you through the many traumas of serious illness whilst remaining detached from any feelings themselves. Simply offloading your troubles can lift your spirits, helping you to find your way back to positivity and control.
Complimentary Therapy - A little 'me time' does wonders for relaxation and de-stressing.Complimentary therapy is slowly becoming more popular for easing the stress of cancer. The most popular treatments are massage, especially aromatherapy massage, yoga or pilates and meditation for mental focus. Massage for skin cancer patients (commonly referred to as Oncology Massage) can help reduce pain, treat aching muscles and promote relaxation thereby helping sleep and reducing anxiety. For those with cancer, massage treatment can give you that short amount of time desperately needed to escape from the trauma of illness. Yoga is an Indian philosophy that has been around for many years. It is thought that it can strengthen the immune system and encourage healing. It involves relaxation, breathing exercises, meditation and posture control. Meditation relaxes the mind, reducing stress which enables better coping and emotional strength. According to Cancer Research UK, meditation can help control pain, tiredness, nausea and high blood pressure.
Social Support - Make time for friends and family. A support network positively impacts overall wellbeing. Having good friends that you can discuss your feelings with can be as good as therapy for some. Making time to have fun with friends will take you away from the anxiety of cancer and stress helping you to feel 'normal' again.
Get A Hobby - There is nothing better than finding an activity that you really enjoy. If you don't have any hobbies, try and find something that interests you and see if you can develop it into a regular pastime. It is this type of distraction that can help you relax considerably.
Spiritual Therapy - According to an article published in The Annuls Of Behavioral Medicine (Volume 24, Number 1 / February, 2002, p49-58), "A significant relation between religion and better health has been demonstrated in a variety of healthy and patient populations. In the past several years, there has been a focus on the role of spirituality, as distinct from religion, in health promotion and coping with chronic illness". Spiritual healing can compliment conventional medicine by treating the body as a whole creating a feeling of relaxation and peace. Derryn Borley, the head of support services at Macmillan Cancer Support, says: “There is evidence that it improves patients' moods and can help with physical symptoms. It also helps people to go through chemotherapy.”
Summary For Cancer And Stress Management
Over the past twenty years, extensive clinical research has revealed that a combination of emotional factors and a sedentary lifestyle may change the body's ability to fight skin cancer by reducing the immune system. Changing exercise patterns and emotional states could therefore play a powerful role in preventing or surviving the disease.
by Diana Schwarzbein, MD.