medwise

2006-08-22T18:50:00.000Z

3 treatments to slow skin cancer

Acid skin peel, laser resurfacing, and a chemotherapy cream all remove precancerous skin growths and slow cancercancer -- but patients prefer the peel.
Precancerous growths, small areas of discrete roughness to the skin, come from too much sun, note VA researcher Basil M. Hantash, MD, PhD, and colleagues. Particularly when a person has a lot of them, they tend to become squamous cell carcinomas: skin cancerskin cancer.
Doctors often burn off these growths, called actinic keratoses, with liquid nitrogen. But there's evidence other ways of removing them work at least as well.
Also, the other techniques appear to do another very important thing: They slow the development of cancer.
Hantash, of Palo Alto, Calif., and colleagues compared three of these techniques in 24 men. The patients had an average age of 73; all but three had previously had skin cancers removed. Five similar patients served as an untreated comparison group.
Before treatment, the 24 men had dozens of precancerous facial growths.
The researchers treated the men with laser resurfacing, an acid skin peel, or a topical cream containing fluorouracil, a chemotherapy drug.
All treatments worked, reducing the number of precancerous skin growths by 83% (chemo cream), 89% (skin peel), and 92% (laser).
The treatments also seemed to slow the development of new skin cancers.
Left untreated, the patients would be expected to develop 1.7 new facial skin cancers a year.
That's pretty close to what happened in the untreated comparison group. But the treated patients had only 0.04 to 0.22 new skin cancers per year.

"In the ... acid peel arm, one cancer per 26.1 years would be expected, compared with 1 cancer per 6.79 and 4.77 years in the [laser] and [chemo cream] arms, respectively," Hantash and colleagues report.
The untreated comparison group, they calculated, had 1.57 new cancers per year: that is, one new cancer every eight months.
The patients who got the acid peel were much more compliant with treatment, and had fewer side effects than those treated with laser or chemo cream.
Hantash and colleagues note that repeated treatments may be needed. In any case, patients with precancerous facial growths must get careful follow-up care.
Because the study had several limitations -- including its small size, infrequent use of sunscreen, and a control group that was not randomly picked -- the researchers warn that their findings must be confirmed in larger studies.
Hantash and colleagues have reported their research in the August issue of the Archives of Dermatology.

Via: Webmd

2006-07-25T19:08:00.000Z

Alcohol heart protection may not be down to inflammatory markers
A new study indicates that light to moderate alcohol drinking may exert cardioprotective effects in some, but in elderly men at least the mechanism of action does not seem to be down to a reduction in inflammatory markers as previously thought. Although alcohol has been implicated in worsening some other chronic diseases and the overall effect of drinking on survival is not clear, some studies have shown that light to moderate drinking may reduce the risk of heart disease. The effect was thought to be somehow connected with inflammation, since reduction in levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 circulating in the blood were seen to drop.
But the current study, which the researchers claim is the first with the specific aim of investigating the impact of inflammation on the relationship between alcohol consumption and health-related outcomes, found that these markers did not seem to be linked to heart disease incidence. This leads to the suspicion that some other, as yet unidentified mechanism may be at play.
Researchers led by Cinzia Maraldo, MD, at the University of Florida recruited 2487 adults without heart disease and aged between 70 and 79 years. The participants answered questions about disease diagnostics, medication and drinking habits during an initial interview, with telephone follow-up every six months and clinical examination every year.
Alcohol consumption was classified by number of drinks in a typical week over the past year. The categories were: former; never or occasional (less than one); light to moderate (one to seven); and heavier (more than seven).
Over a five-and-a-half year follow up, 397 participants had died and 383 experienced a cardiac event. Light to moderate drinkers were seen to have a 26 per cent lower risk of death over all and a 30 per cent lower risk of cardiac events, compared to those who drank never or rarely.
Heavy drinkers were seen to be more likely to die or have a cardiac event than never or rare drinkers.
Via: Nutra

2006-07-24T22:40:00.000Z

Arrhythmias
When symptoms of arrhythmias are present, they may include:
Palpitations (a feeling of skipped heart beats, fluttering or "flip-flops," or feeling that your heart is "running away"). Pounding in your chest. Dizziness or feeling light-headed. Fainting. Shortness of breath. Chest discomfort. Weakness or fatigue (feeling very tired). Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of arrhythmia. Most people with AF experience one or more of the following symptoms:
Heart palpitations (a sudden pounding, fluttering, or racing feeling in the heart). Lack of energy; tired. Dizziness (feeling faint or light-headed). Chest discomfort (pain, pressure, or discomfort in the chest). Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing during activities of daily living). Heart Valve Disease

Symptoms of Heart valve disease can include:
Shortness of breath and/or difficulty catching your breath. You may notice this most when you are active (doing your normal daily activities) or when you lie down flat in bed. Weakness or dizziness. Discomfort in your chest. You may feel a pressure or weight in your chest with activity or when going out in cold air. Palpitations (this may feel like a rapid heart rhythm, irregular heartbeat, skipped beats or a flip-flop feeling in your chest). If valve disease causes heart failure, symptoms may include: Swelling of your ankles, feet or abdomen. Swelling may also occur in your belly, which may cause you to feel bloated. Quick weight gain (a weight gain of two or three pounds in one day is possible). Symptoms do not always relate to the seriousness of your valve disease. You may have no symptoms at all and have severe valve disease, requiring prompt treatment. Or, as with mitral valve prolapse, you may have severe symptoms, yet tests may show minor valve disease.

2006-07-19T21:18:00.000Z

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction or MI)

Symptoms can include:
Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm or below the breastbone Discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, throat or arm Fullness, indigestion or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn) Sweating, nausea, vomiting or dizziness Extreme weakness, anxiety or shortness of breath Rapid or irregular heartbeats During a heart attack, symptoms last 30 minutes or longer and are not relieved by rest or oral medications (medications taken by mouth). Initial symptoms can start as a mild discomfort that progresses to significant pain.
Some people have a heart attack without having any symptoms (a "silent" MI). A silent MI can occur among all people, though it occurs more often among diabetics.
If you think you are having a heart attack, DO NOT DELAY. Call for emergency help (dial 911 in most areas). Quick treatment of a heart attack is very important to lessen the amount of damage to your heart.

2006-07-17T05:50:00.000Z

Quit smoking and improve your asthma

Quitting smoking may have a quick pay off for people with asthma. A single smoke-free week may be all it takes to start seeing improvements in asthma patients' lung function, researchers report in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
"In smokers with asthma, improvement in lung function occurs as early as one week after smoking cessation, with a further improvement up to six weeks," write Rekha Chaudhuri, MD, and colleagues. Chaudhuri works at Scotland's University of Glasgow.
"Active cigarette smoking is known to worsen the severity of asthma," the researchers point out. They studied 20 asthma patients (average age: mid- to late 40s) who were smokers.
The patients had smoked for at least 28 years and currently smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day, on average. For the study, half agreed to quit smoking for at least six weeks. The others kept on smoking.
Before and after the experiment, patients took lung function tests.
In one of those tests, the patients forcibly exhaled as much air as possible in one second's time. When the study started, the patients' scores on that test were lower than what would be expected for normal, healthy lungs.
After one week of not smoking, scores on that same lung function test -- called FEV1 -- began to improve. The gains continued for six weeks for the new nonsmokers.
The quit-smoking group also showed a drop in neutrophils -- a type of white blood cell -- in the thick fluid called sputum made in the lungs and airways. Neutrophils are part of the body's immune system, which helps fight off infection and illness. They can also be used as a measure of inflammation.
Meanwhile, no such improvements were seen in the patients who kept smoking.

via:Webmd

2006-07-14T01:02:00.000Z

FDA approves 1-a-day AIDS pill
Houston patients infected with HIV could start taking a one-a-day AIDS "cocktail" as early as next week, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which announced its approval of Atripla tablets Wednesday.
The availability of the drug, which combines three drugs made by two companies, was applauded by doctors and patients who say it will improve treatment and quality of life by making it easier to adhere to a life-saving medication regimen.
"This has been the holy grail of HIV treatment, really," said Dr. Mark Kline, chief of retrovirology at Texas Children's Hospital. "They've taken three drugs that, individually, are very, very good drugs, well-tolerated, safe and potent. This has been a long-sought-after goal."
AIDS activist Keith Folger of Washington, D.C., who started on 36 pills a day about 11 years ago, said he plans to switch to the new pill. He recalled having to take pills every 2 1/2 hours and how some of them often stuck in his throat.
"It was just awful. Now all a doctor is going to have to say is, 'I want you to take one of these before you go to bed,' " said Folger, who is leaving a position with the National Association of People with AIDS. "How easy is that?"
The drug also is expected to be a powerful weapon in the global AIDS fight, said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, who called it a "key breakthrough" in an FDA news release. Simplified drug regimens are easier to stick to, and, therefore, more effective and cheaper — an important consideration for developing nations hardest hit by HIV.
Atripla is a combination of drugs already on the market: Sustiva, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Truvada, a drug from Gilead Sciences (actually a combination of two Gilead drugs called Viread and Emtriva).
Unprecedented allianceThe historic collaboration is the first of its kind in the field of HIV/AIDS, the FDA said. Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead formed a joint venture to commercialize the drug in the United States. Atripla was approved in three months under the FDA's fast-track program.
The price of the new drug will be the sum of the components, or about $1,100 for a month's supply, a spokeswoman for Gilead said. She said health insurance programs are expected to reimburse for Atripla at the same level as other HIV medications. In addition, the companies will work with public health programs, such as the Harris County Hospital District, to ensure low-income patients have access to the pill.
Dr. Roberto Andrade, a Baylor College of Medicine assistant professor who works with HIV patients at the hospital district's Thomas Street Health Center, which sees about 4,000 patients a year, marveled at the drug companies' cooperation. He said the effort created an unprecedented advance in terms of scaling back drug quantity unseen in any other medical field he could think of.
"Everybody benefits," Andrade said. "We believe the best therapy for HIV is the therapy patients will take."

For more on this info, click here

2006-07-13T01:14:00.000Z

Symptoms of Heart Disease
Each type of heart disease has different symptoms, although many heart problems have similar symptoms. The symptoms you experience depend on the type and severity of your heart condition. Learn to recognize your symptoms and the situations that cause them. Call your doctor if you begin to have new symptoms or if they become more frequent or severe.

Coronary Artery Disease
The most common symptom is angina. Angina can be described as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing or painful feeling in your chest. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. Angina is usually felt in the chest, but may also be felt in the shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw or back.

Other symptoms that can occur with coronary artery disease include:
Shortness of breath Palpitations (irregular heart beats, skipped beats or a "flip-flop" feeling in your chest) A faster heartbeat Weakness or dizziness Nausea Sweating

via:webmd

2006-05-02T23:51:00.000Z

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2006-03-30T01:07:00.000Z

Growth spurts 'fuel teen cancer'
Growth spurts may trigger bone cancers in teenagers, researchers suggest.
University of Manchester research presented to the Teenage Cancer Trust conference looked at 16m cases of cancer in people up to the age of 79.
They found bone cancers and certain types of ovarian and testicular cancers hit adolescents and young adults hardest.
The researchers suggest puberty and infections could also prompt tumours to develop in susceptible individuals. Teenage cancer patients are rare - they account for just 1% of all cancer cases. But it is thesecond largest cause of death in that age group after accidents. Researchers looked at cancer incidence in the UK from 1995 to 2003.
Over that time, 14,000 were diagnosed in people aged from 13 to 24.

via:bbc

2006-03-30T00:58:00.000Z

India sex selection doctor jailed

A doctor in India and his assistant have been sentenced to two years in jail for revealing the sex of a female foetus and then agreeing to abort it.
This is the first time medical professionals have been jailed in such a case.
Under Indian laws, ultrasound tests on a pregnant woman to determine the gender of the foetus are illegal.
It has been estimated that 10m female foetuses may have been terminated in India in the past 20 years.
Dr Anil Sabhani and Kartar Singh were caught in a sting operation in the northern state of Haryana.
Government officials sent in three pregnant women as decoy patients to find out if the clinic would carry out abortions based on sex selection.

2006-03-17T05:06:00.000Z

Doubt cast on Venus catastrophe

Accepted views of how the planet Venus evolved are challenged by new age dates for its surface.
Massive volcanism 500 million years ago was thought to have covered over much of the planet's ancient features.
But work carried out at Imperial College London, UK, suggests a "volcanic catastrophe" is not needed to explain the look of Venus's surface.
The British team presented details of its research to a major science conference in Texas, US.
Scientists will have an early opportunity to examine the new ideas - Europe's Venus Express spacecraft is due to arrive at the planet next month for a two-year investigation of Earth's near-neighbour.

2006-03-13T04:57:00.000Z

'Gene cause' of cocaine addiction

The chances of becoming addicted to cocaine could depend on genes, the Institute of Psychiatry has found.
It identified a gene variation where cocaine would more markedly inhibit a protein that controls removal of key mood chemical dopamine in the brain.
Two copies of the variant made people 50% more likely to be cocaine abusers.
DNA of 700 cocaine abusers and 850 other people were compared for the study published online by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Cocaine's action within the brain is relatively well understood.
Its key effect is that it strongly inhibits the action of a protein - DAT - which controls removal of excess dopamine from the junctions between nerve cells in the brain.
This leads to nerve cells effectively being overloaded with dopamine, which is thought to contribute to the "high" associated with taking cocaine.

via:bbc

2006-03-11T03:14:00.000Z

Double kidney transplants mooted

Transplanting two kidneys of limited quality could be as good as giving one high-function organ, a study has found.
A US short-term study found a 100% survival rate among 19 patients who had double transplants of kidneys earlier rejected for having limited function.
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina said double transplants could help solve the organ donor shortage.

via:bbc

Technorati Tags: Kidneys

2006-03-05T00:14:00.000Z

Scientists warn of growing animal-disease risk

38 illnesses have jumped to humans over the past 25 years
In ST. LOUIS, Humans risk being overrun by diseases from the animal world, according to researchers who have documented 38 illnesses that have made that jump over the past 25 years.
That's not good news for the spread of bird flu, which experts fear could mutate and be transmitted easily among people.
There are 1,407 pathogens -- viruses, bacteria, parasites, protozoa and fungi -- that can infect humans, said Mark Woolhouse of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Of those, 58 percent come from animals. Scientists consider 177 of the pathogens to be "emerging" or "re-emerging." Most will never cause pandemics.

via:MSN

2006-03-05T00:01:00.000Z

Prostate cancer op delay 'safe'

Delaying surgery on small, low-grade prostate tumours does not increase the risk of the disease progressing to an incurable form, research suggests. A 10-year study involving 320 men by Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University found it can be safe to delay surgery.
The risk of noncurable prostate cancer was the same for men waiting two years for surgery as for those who had surgery immediately, researchers said.
Details appear in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Noncurable prostate cancer is defined as a less than 75% chance of remaining disease-free 10 years after surgery.
Lead researcher Professor Ballentine Carter said: "This study suggests that for carefully selected men with prostate cancer who are monitored, the window of cure does not close in the short term.
"For those men diagnosed with early-stage, low-grade prostate cancer, an alternative to immediate surgical treatment would be careful surveillance."

via:bbc

Technorati Tags: cancer NCI

2006-03-04T23:29:00.000Z

Marital rows 'harm heart health'

Marital rows do not just produce harsh words and hot air - they can harden your arteries too, a study suggests.
But the cause of the damage differs depending on your gender, the research by University of Utah scientists involving 150 couples found. They said arterial disease in women was linked to either partner demonstrating hostility, but in men it was linked to either showing controlling behaviour. The research was presented to the American Psychosomatic Society meeting.
We know that pressures such as anger or hostility can release certain chemical in the body that may increase the risk of heart disease.

via:BBC

Technorati Tags: anger behaviour couples

2006-03-03T16:55:00.002Z

Drug 'blocks Alzheimer's course'

A drug that appears to block the progression of Alzheimer's disease has been identified by scientists.
In tests on mice, the drug, AF267B, reversed the symptoms of memory loss and problems with learning associated with Alzheimer's.
Further analysis showed it also reduced levels of protein clumps and tangles often found in Alzheimer's patients.
The study, by the University of California, Irvine, is published in the journal Neuron.
Researchers gave AF267B to mice engineered to show classic signs of Alzheimer's.
They found animals treated with the drug performed better at learning and memory tasks than untreated animals.

2006-03-03T16:55:00.001Z

Iraqi dies of suspected bird flu

A woman suspected of being infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu has died in the southern Iraq province of Nasiriya, health officials said.
Additional tests are being carried out at laboratories in Baghdad and the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
Officials also said possible cases of bird flu had been found in poultry in Diyala province, north of Baghdad.
There have been two confirmed human deaths from bird flu in Iraq so far - both in the Kurdish north.
The H5N1 virus, which causes bird flu, does not pose a large-scale threat to humans as the virus has not mutated into a form that can pass easily from one person to another.

via:bbc

Technorati Tags: Bird flu H5N1 virus

2006-03-03T16:55:00.000Z

Trial Over California Stem Cell Research Ends

A trial that could determine the fate of California's $3 billion stem cell research program ended quietly Thursday in HAYWARD, Calif after three and a half days of mundane proceedings that belied the stakes involved.
Lawyers opposed to embryonic stem cell research are seeking to kill the program, arguing that it violates the state Constitution by giving taxpayer money to an organization not sufficiently controlled by the state government.
Judge Bonnie Lewman Sabraw, who is presiding over the nonjury trial in state court here, is expected to issue a ruling after receiving briefs from both sides over the next two weeks.

via: NYtimes

Technorati Tags: stem cell

2006-03-03T04:47:00.000Z

Ear infection vaccine developed

A vaccine which could help prevent ear infections in young children has been developed by Czech scientists.
Also known as acute otitis media, the infections can be very painful and - very rarely - cause long term damage.
The vaccine was effective against two bacteria - the streptococcus pneumoniae and haemophilus influenzae, the British Medical Journal reported.
But a UK ear expert said there concerns about vaccinating children against what was generally a mild infection.
The vaccine tested contained proteins derived from both streptococcus pneumoniae and haemophilus influenzae.
Almost 5,000 infants were either given this vaccine, or a hepatitis A vaccine, at various ages between three and 15 months.
When the researchers followed them up at the age of two, 333 of the children given the new vaccine had a middle ear infection, compared with 499 in the control group.
The vaccine was shown to be effective against both disease-causing bacteria.

via:bbc

Technorati Tags: ear infection vaccine

2006-03-02T02:11:00.000Z

German cat gets deadly bird flu

A domestic cat in Germany has become the first European Union mammal to die of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.
The cat was found dead at the weekend on the Baltic island of Ruegen, where dozens of birds infected with H5N1 have been found.
Further north, Sweden has detected "aggressive" bird flu in two wild ducks and is testing to confirm H5N1.
Meanwhile, vets from 50 countries have been meeting in Paris for a second day to discuss ways to combat the virus.
The H5N1 infection in the German cat was confirmed by officials at the national laboratory, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, but tests are continuing to determine if it is the exact strain that has been found in birds.

via :bbc

2006-02-27T07:43:00.000Z

Alcohol 'aids HIV cell infection'

Exposure to alcohol makes mouth cells more susceptible to HIV infection during oral sex, research has shown.

Earlier studies focused on how alcohol consumption increased the chance of someone having unprotected sex and therefore risking HIV infection.
But the team from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) looked at how alcohol affected cells.
The research is published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

Cells from the lining of the mouth, the epithelium, were obtained from people who were HIV negative.

The cells were then exposed to various concentrations of alcohol, similar to those found in beers, and then to a strain of HIV which had been modified with green fluorescent protein so that researchers could see if it infected cells.

It was found that epithelial cells which had been exposed to 4% of ethanol for 10 minutes showed between a three to six-fold greater susceptibility to infection from the HIV strain.

via :BBC

2006-02-27T07:33:00.000Z

'DNA target' to block HIV found

American scientists have discovered how a molecule controls HIV's ability to hijack the genetic machinery of human cells

The finding gives experts a new target for blocking the virus, according to the journal Nature Medicine.
The molecule, called LEDGF, is a cellular protein that dictates where HIV can integrate into a cell's DNA.
It could also point the way to safer gene therapy, says the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine team

via:bbc

2006-02-27T07:22:00.000Z

Steroids 'risk to teenage brains'

Steroid use may have a lasting effect on teenagers' brains, a study suggests.

US researchers, who looked at the effect of anabolic steroids on hamsters, suggest the drugs 'flip a switch' and trigger lasting aggression.
The effects of steroid may last for at least two years, and cause permanent brain changes, the Behavioral Neuroscience study warns.
But a UK expert said it was impossible to state the length of effect in humans, based on a study in hamsters.

Long-term steroid users can suffer from mood swings, hallucinations and paranoia, liver damage and high blood pressure as well as increased risk of heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.
Coming off steroids can lead to depression.

via :bbc

2006-02-27T06:50:00.000Z

Prematurity 'affects personality'

Being born very premature can affect a child's personality into adulthood, a study has suggested.
Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry studied 18 and 19-year-olds who had been born early, and compared them to those born at full-term.
Premature babies, particularly girls, were found to be more likely to be anxious and withdrawn, and potentially at a higher risk of depression.
The study is published in the American journal Pediatrics.
The researchers assessed 108 young adults who had been born before 33 weeks gestation between 1979 and 1981.
They were then compared with 67 people of the same age who were born at full-term.
Everyone was asked to complete a personality questionnaire, which included 48 questions such as 'does your mood ever go up or down?' and 'do you enjoy co-operating with others?'.

via: BBC

2006-02-22T10:37:00.000Z

How Bird Flu Has Spread

The spread of a lethal strain of bird flu in the past two years has sparked fears of a new pandemic.
Although more than 150 people have contracted the H5N1 virus, experts point out that cross-infection to humans is still relatively rare, and usually occurs where people have been in close contact with infected birds.
Many scientists fear it may be carried by migrating birds to Europe and Africa but say it is hard to prove a direct link.
But as H5N1 spreads west from its original hotspot of south-east Asia, there is mounting concern that it may combine with a human strain to produce a mutation that is more dangerous and difficult to combat.

2006-02-15T19:52:00.000Z

HIV hitting blacks harder

In DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) U.S. researchers reported that' just over half of new infections with the AIDS virus in the United States are in blacks.'

A study of detailed data from 33 states shows that of 156,000 new cases of HIV infection between 2001 and 2004, 51 percent were in non-Hispanic blacks -- although blacks made up just 13 percent of the population in those states.
"The rates are extremely high for African-Americans," Tonji Durant of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who led the study, told a news conference.

The rate of new infections declined in black women and in many black men -- with the exception of men having sex with other men, Durant's team reported.
"Despite reductions in diagnoses among African American men and women, HIV continues to pose a major health threat," the CDC said in a statement.
"Despite possible signs of success, HIV continues to exact a disproportionate and devastating toll on African Americans."

Durant and colleagues found that the rate of HIV diagnosis fell by 6.8 percent annually among black women and 4.4 percent annually among black men between 2001 and 2004.
The HIV diagnosis rate even fell by 9.7 percent every year on average among black male users of injected drugs, the CDC study found.

Blacks still had a substantially higher infection rate than other ethnic groups, the CDC team told the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections being held in Denver.
"For African-American men, it is seven times the rate of white men and for African-American women it is 21 times the rate of whites," Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis, said in an interview.
CDC officials noted the declines were in the number of new diagnoses -- not necessarily new infections.

via: cnn

2006-02-12T02:02:00.000Z

Mesothelioma: A Major scourge in the cancerworld:
Medwise Alert!

This is information on an epidemic ravaging the world today.
Are you already wondering what Mesothelioma is? I'll tell you in a minute.
Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, unlike lung cancer, and usually associated with previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.
Stay tuned for more on this.

2006-02-08T07:16:00.000Z

Youths and Mental Illness Part 4

Future and Ongoing EffortsThe NIMH epidemiological research portfolio contains several related projects that are focused on mental disorders among adolescents and ethnic subgroups. These include
1) an arm of the NCS-R that is studying 10,000 youths;

2) the National Study of African American Life, with 6,000 participants; and

3) the National Study of Latino and Asian Americans, with 5,000 participants. Each of these, like the NCS-R, will provide information on diagnosis, medications, disability/impairment, and service use, drawing from nationally based samples.
An international perspective on these findings is also becoming available, as the study is part of a global initiative on the epidemiology of mental disorders in 28 countries, coordinated through the World Health Organization.
For more information on the NCS-R, visit http://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/ncs-r.cfm.
Visit the NIMH Health Information menu page for information about many of the mental disorders described above.

2006-02-08T07:15:00.000Z

Youth And Mental Illness Part 4

Severity and Comorbidity of Mental Disorders

The paper reports that even though mental disorders are widespread throughout the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in those with a severe disorder - about 6 percent. A "serious" disorder involves a substantial limitation in daily activities or work disability, or a suicide attempt with serious lethal intent, or psychosis. The serious group reported a mean of 88.3 days — nearly 3 months of the year — when they were unable to carry out their normal daily activities.

Unfortunately, say the researchers, individuals with one mental disorder are at a high risk for also having a second one (comorbidity). Nearly half (45 percent) of those with one mental disorder met criteria for two or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity. This finding supports the suggestion by a growing portion of researchers that the boundaries between some diagnostic categories may be less discrete than previously believed.
Use of Mental Health Services
The study indicates that the U.S. mental health care system is not keeping up with the needs of consumers and that improvements are needed to speed initiation of treatment as well as enhance the quality and duration of treatment. For instance, over a 12-month period, 60 percent of those with a mental disorder got no treatment at all.

The good news is that the proportion of people who reported 12-month mental health service use is higher now - at 17 percent - than a decade ago in the baseline NCS survey, at 13 percent. The expansion was mainly in the general medical sector, with more primary care physicians providing psychiatric services.
People with mental or substance abuse disorders were more likely to get treatment from a primary care physician/nurse or other general medical doctor (22.8 percent), or from a non-psychiatrist mental health specialist (16 percent), such as a psychologist, social worker, or counselor, than from a psychiatrist (12 percent), though the survey did show that the adequacy of treatment — measured by number of visits — is best when provided by mental health practitioners. About 9.7 percent sought help from a counselor or spiritual advisor outside of a mental health setting; and 6.9 percent used a complementary-alternative source, such as a chiropractor or self-help group. This held true even for those with severe mood disorders. Traditionally underserved groups, such as the elderly, racial/ethnic minorities and those with low income or without insurance, had the greatest unmet need for treatment.

2006-02-08T07:14:00.000Z

Mental Illness And The Youth 3

Failure and Delay in Initial Treatment Contact

The study documents the long delays between the onset of a mental disorder and the first treatment contact, as well as the accumulated burden and hazards of untreated mental disorders.
These pervasive delays in getting treatment tend to occur for nearly all mental disorders, though they vary according to specific diagnostic categories. The median delay across disorders is nearly a decade; the longest delays are 20-23 years, for social phobia and separation anxiety disorders. This is possibly due to the relatively early age of onset and fears of therapy that involve social interactions.
Shorter delays between onset of disorder and treatment seeking — still a protracted 6–8 years — are seen for mood disorders, and are likely attributable to public awareness campaigns, the marketing of newer therapies directly to consumers, and expanded insurance coverage.
While approximately 80 percent of all people in the U.S. with a mental disorder eventually seek treatment, there are public health implications from such long delays in treatment. Untreated psychiatric disorders can lead to more frequent and more severe episodes, and are more likely to become resistant to treatment. In addition, early-onset mental disorders that are left untreated are associated with school failure, teenage childbearing, unstable employment, early marriage, and marital instability and violence.
"The pattern appears to be that the earlier in life the disorder begins, the slower an individual is to seek therapy, and the more persistent the illness," said Dr. Kessler, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. "It's unfortunate that those who most need treatment are the least likely to get it."
Treating cases early could prevent enormous disability, before the illness becomes more severe, and before co-occurring mental illnesses develop, which only become more difficult to treat as they accumulate, according to the researchers.

2006-02-08T07:12:00.000Z

MENTAL ILLNESS AND THE YOUTH 2

Prevalence and Age-of-Onset of Mental Disorders

Unlike most disabling physical diseases, mental illness begins very early in life. Half of all lifetime cases begin by age 14; three quarters have begun by age 24. Thus, mental disorders are really the chronic diseases of the young. For example, anxiety disorders often begin in late childhood, mood disorders in late adolescence, and substance abuse in the early 20's.
Unlike heart disease or most cancers, young people with mental disorders suffer disability when they are in the prime of life, when they would normally be the most productive.
The risk of mental disorders is substantially lower among people who have matured out of the high-risk age range. Prevalence increases from the youngest group (age 18-29) to the next-oldest age group (age 30-44) and then declines, sometimes substantially, in the oldest group (age 60 +).
Females have higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders. Males have higher rates of substance use disorders and impulse disorders.
The survey found that in the U.S., mental disorders are quite common; 26 percent of the general population reported that they had symptoms sufficient for diagnosing a mental disorder during the past 12 months. However, many of these cases are mild or will resolve without formal interventions.
It is likely, however, that the prevalence rates in this paper are underestimated, because the sample was drawn from listings of households and did not include homeless and institutionalized (nursing homes, group homes) populations. In addition, the study did not assess some rare and clinically complex psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, because a household survey is not the most efficient study design to identify and evaluate those disorders.

2006-02-08T07:10:00.000Z

Mental Illness Exacts Heavy Toll, Beginning in Youth

Researchers supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have found that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, and that despite effective treatments, there are long delays — sometimes decades — between first onset of symptoms and when people seek and receive treatment. The study also reveals that an untreated mental disorder can lead to a more severe, more difficult to treat illness, and to the development of co-occurring mental illnesses.
The landmark study is described in four papers that document the prevalence and severity of specific mental disorders. The papers provide significant new data on the impairment — such as days lost from work — caused by specific disorders, including mood, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders. These measures will allow researchers to determine the degree of disability and the economic burden caused by mental illness, as well as trends over time.
The papers are reported in the June 6 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry by Ronald Kessler, Ph.D., and colleagues. The study was a collaborative project between Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and the NIMH Intramural Research Program.
This study, called the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), is a household survey of 9,282 English-speaking respondents, age 18 and older. It is an expanded replication of the 1990 National Comorbidity Survey, which was the first to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders (using modern psychiatric standards) in a nationally representative sample. The expansion includes detailed measures that will significantly improve estimates of the severity and persistence of mental disorders, and the degree to which they impair individuals and families, and burden employers and the U.S. economy.
"These studies confirm a growing understanding about the nature of mental illness across the lifespan," says Thomas Insel, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Mental Health. "There are many important messages from this study, but perhaps none as important as the recognition that mental disorders are the chronic disorders of young people in the U.S."

2006-02-02T17:44:00.000Z

Treatment of Breast Cancer

The main treatments for breast cancer patients are surgical removal of tumors, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and, possibly, reconstructive surgery.

Treatment Team
General surgeons and plastic surgeons form the core of the patient's surgical team and work together to provide the best care. After the cancer has been removed, pathologists and/or radiologists immediately evaluate the tissue and report results directly to the surgeon while the operation is still under way. Direct, face-to-face contact with the pathologist allows the surgeon to verify the tumor's margin (edges) and other important pathology details.
I did some research and found a good hospital that has one of the best treatment teams ever. They are Mayo Clinic.

Surgery
Mayo Clinic offers a full range of the latest surgical techniques and procedures to treat breast cancer. Physicians at Mayo Clinic treat a large volume of patients, performing approximately 750 surgeries for breast cancer per year. Research has demonstrated that patients who have breast cancer treatment at high-volume-centers have better outcomes. Mayo Clinic's state-of-the-art equipment, facilities and research activity also play a role in successful diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. This research includes current clinical trials in two new surgical approaches to breast cancer: radioactive seed localization and MR-focused ultrasound ablation of tumors.
Surgical options available at Mayo Clinic include lumpectomy, simple or total mastectomy, modified radical mastectomy, skin-sparing mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Patients may also be evaluated for prophylactic mastectomy. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer often can be scheduled for surgery the next day, if desired. Surgeons provide patients with individualized information to help them decide which treatment is best for them.
Frozen sections. Mayo Clinic has the benefit of its unique frozen section pathology lab, which allows for rapid and accurate microscopic analysis of tissue while a patient is still in the operating room. This capability allows doctors to know whether they have removed all of the cancer (achieved negative margins) within minutes of removing the tissue. Without frozen section analysis, determining whether all of the cancer has been removed may take days, causing a patient to undergo multiple surgeries. Mayo Clinic physicians routinely use frozen section evaluation of tissue during breast cancer surgery to avoid the need for additional surgeries.
Localization. When a breast tumor that shows up on a mammogram cannot be felt, a process called localization is used to pinpoint the location of the tumor for the surgeon. Before surgery, a radiologist uses either mammography or ultrasound to insert a fine wire that the surgeon follows to locate and remove the targeted area. An alternative involves use of a wire to place a radioactive seed the size of a grain of rice at the tumor site. This "seed" is a metal capsule that contains a small amount of radioactive material. In the operating room, the surgeon can find the seed with a hand-held Geiger counter. This procedure, currently available through clinical trials, can reduce the surgery time because the seed can be placed a day or more before the scheduled surgery.
Evaluation of lymph nodes. If breast cancer spreads, it usually spreads first to the axillary lymph nodes located under the arm. Therefore, when an invasive cancer is found in the breast, the surgeon will recommend removing some underarm lymph nodes to see if the cancer has spread. Surgeons at Mayo Clinic use three procedures to evaluate the lymph nodes, including sentinel lymph node biopsy, fine needle aspiration and axillary lymph node dissection. Fine needle aspiration may be performed before surgery if lymph nodes appear abnormal by ultrasound exam. Axillary lymph node dissection is performed when it is known that cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. The majority of all patients with breast cancer are unlikely to have cancer in the lymph nodes, and for this group sentinel lymph node biopsy is the recommended procedure.

Breast Reconstruction after Cancer Surgery
Breast reconstruction after cancer surgery is feasible in some cases. Surgical options offered at Mayo Clinic include reconstruction with implants and reconstruction using the patient's own tissue (autologous reconstruction) including TRAM surgery, DIEP surgery, SIEA surgery, and reconstruction of the nipple and areola.

Chemotherapy
A Mayo physician may recommend chemotherapy (drugs) following surgery to kill any cancer cells that may have spread outside the breast. These drugs may be administered intravenously, in pill form or both. Chemotherapy may also be recommended before surgery when the breast tumor is large (having a diameter greater than 5 cm), when the tumor is attached to the chest wall muscles, and in cases of inflammatory breast cancer.
Most patients receive chemotherapy after they heal from the operation and prior to radiation. The physician chooses the chemotherapy drugs and sequence of treatment based on the details of each case. In some cases, the chemotherapy may be given before surgery (but after a biopsy) to try to shrink the tumor, allowing for a simpler and possibly more effective operation.
Mayo Clinic researchers conduct many clinical trials to find drug combinations and treatment sequences that result in improved outcomes for patients who have breast cancer. Physicians talk with many patients about participating in a clinical trial.

Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high energy X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. An oncologist will likely recommend radiation if treatment includes a lumpectomy, or if at the time of the mastectomy the size of the tumor is greater than 5 centimeters and/or multiple lymph nodes contain cancer cells. Those who undergo radiation consult with a radiation oncologist prior to the start of treatment.

Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy involves taking drugs that block estrogen from reaching breast cells to reduce the chance that cancer will recur. Hormone therapy may be appropriate if the cancer cells are sensitive to hormones. Mayo researchers conduct many clinical trials on hormone therapy, and patients may be offered the opportunity to participate.
For premenopausal women whose tumor is sensitive to hormones, one form of hormonal therapy stops the hormone production in the ovaries. Options include surgical removal of the ovaries or medications that stop estrogen production. This approach may then be combined with pills that further help to reduce estrogen production. Several clinical trials are available to further study this treatment.

Other Therapies
Mayo's clinical trials include experimental treatments, often unavailable elsewhere, which frequently lead to improved patient care for people worldwide. Mayo offers many experimental therapies, including Herceptin therapy. A Mayo physician can advise about experimental treatments.

Mayo Clinic Familial Cancer Program
In addition to these standard procedures, Mayo Clinic offers patients the opportunity to participate in the Familial Cancer Program, which helps to identify people at higher risk for breast cancer related to family history. A team of nurses, doctors and geneticists evaluate the patient and family. They determine risk potential cancer risk and develop a customized cancer screening plan for families at increased risks. Consultations in the Familial Cancer Program are offered to those who have been diagnosed with cancer and to family members who have not had cancer.

Women's Cancer Program
The Mayo Clinic Women's Cancer Program (opens in new window) works to understand and manage breast and gynecological malignancies. Multidisciplinary teams in the Women's Cancer Program work together to identify the genetics associated with women's cancers, define the biology of women's cancers, better identify women at increased risk for breast and gynecologic cancers, and develop and test innovative treatment of women's cancers.

2006-02-01T20:24:00.000Z

STROKE!!!!!!!

What is Stroke?
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and the No. 1 cause of adult disability.
80% of strokes are preventable; you can prevent a stroke!

What is a stroke?
A stroke or "brain attack" occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these things happen, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs.
When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. These abilities include speech, movement and memory. How a stroke patient is affected depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged.
For example, someone who has a small stroke may experience only minor problems such as weakness of an arm or leg. People who have larger strokes may be paralyzed on one side or lose their ability to speak. Some people recover completely from strokes, but more than 2/3 of survivors will have some type of disability.

2006-01-27T18:56:00.000Z

DO YOU KNOW ........................PART 2

How can I prevent breast cancer?
The most important risk factors for the development of breast cancer cannot be controlled by the individual. There are some risk factors that are associated with an increased risk, but there is not a clear cause and effect relationship. In no way can strong recommendations be made like the cause and effect relationship seen with tobacco and lung cancer.
There are a few risk factors that may be modified by a woman that potentially could influence the development of breast cancer. If possible, a woman should avoid long-term hormone replacement therapy, have children before age 30, breastfeed, avoid weight gain through exercise and proper diet, and limit alcohol consumption to 1 drink a day or less. For women already at a high risk, their risk of developing breast cancer can be reduced by about 50% by taking a drug called Tamoxifen for five years.

Tamoxifen has some common side effects (like hot flashes and vaginal discharge), which are not serious and some uncommon side effects (like blood clots, pulmonary embolus, stroke, and uterine cancer) which are life threatening. Tamoxifen isn't widely used for prevention, but may be useful in some cases. There are limited data suggesting that vitamin A may protect against breast cancer but further research is needed before it can be recommended for prevention. Other things being investigated include phytoestrogens (naturally occurring estrogens that are in high numbers in soy), vitamin E, vitamin C, and other drugs. Further testing of these substances is also needed before they can be recommended for breast cancer prevention. Right now, the most important thing any woman can do to decrease her risk of dying from breast cancer is to have regular mammogram screening, learn how to perform breast self exams, and have a regular physical examination by their physician. For more information on breast cancer prevention, see NCI/PDQ Physician Statement: Prevention of breast cancer.

What screening tests are available? The earlier that a breast cancer is found, the more likely it is that treatment can be curable. For this reason, we screen for breast cancer using mammograms, clinical breast exams, and breast self-exams. Screening mammograms are simply x-rays of each breast. The breast is placed between two plates for a few seconds while the x-rays are taken. If something appears abnormal, or better views are needed, magnified views or specially angled films are taken during the mammogram. Mammograms often detect tumors before they can be felt and they can also identify tiny specks of calcium that could be an early sign of cancer. Regular screening mammograms can decrease the mortality of breast cancer by 30%. The majority of breast cancers are associated with abnormal mammographic findings. Woman should get a yearly mammogram starting at age 40 (although some groups recommend starting at 50), and women with a genetic mutation that increases their risk or a strong family history may want to begin even earlier. Between the ages of 20 and 39, every woman should have a clinical breast exam every 3 years; and after age 40 every woman should have a clinical breast exam done each year.

A clinical breast exam is an exam done by a health professional to feel for lumps and look for changes in the size or shape of your breasts. During the clinical breast exam, you can learn how to do a breast self-exam. Every woman should do a self breast exam once a month, about a week after her period ends. If you find any changes in your breasts, you need to contact your doctor. About 15% of tumors are felt but cannot be seen by regular mammographic screening. There are some experimental screening modalities that are currently being studied. These include MRI, ductal lavage, ultrasound, optical tomography, PET scan, and digital mammograms. For more information on these experimental techniques, see Advanced Breast Imaging, Penn Leads International Study on Breast Cancer Detection, and Komen Foundation Focuses Attention on the Need for Improved Breast Imaging and Early Detection Technologies: OncoLink Talks with President and CEO Susan Braun and Director of Grants Anice Thigpen, PhD

What are the signs of breast cancer? Unfortunately, the early stages of breast cancer may not have any symptoms. This is why it is important to follow screening recommendations. As a tumor grows in size, it can produce a variety of symptoms including: lump or thickening in the breast or underarm change in size or shape of the breast nipple discharge or nipple turning inward redness or scaling of the skin or nipple ridges or pitting of the breast skin If you experience these symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean you have breast cancer, but you need to be examined by a doctor. How is breast cancer diagnosed and staged? Once a patient has symptoms suggestive of a breast cancer or an abnormal screening mammogram, they will usually be referred for a diagnostic mammogram. A diagnostic mammogram is another set of x-rays; however, it is more complete with close ups on the suspicious areas. Sometimes, particularly if your doctors think that you may have a cyst or you are young and have dense breasts, you may be referred for an ultrasound. An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to outline the suspicious areas of the breast. It is painless and can often distinguish between benign and malignant lesions. Depending on the results of the mammograms and/or ultrasounds, your doctors may recommend that you get a biopsy. A biopsy is the only way to know for sure if you have cancer, because it allows your doctors to get cells that can be examined under a microscope. There are different types of biopsies; they differ on how much tissue is removed. Some biopsies use a very fine needle, while others use thicker needles or even require a small surgical procedure to remove more tissue. Your team of doctors will decide which type of biopsy you need depending on your particular breast mass. Once the tissue is removed, a doctor known as a pathologist will review the specimen. The pathologist can tell if it is cancer or not; and if it is cancerous, then the pathologist will characterize it by what type of tissue it arose from, how abnormal it looks (known as the grade), whether or not it is invading surrounding tissues, and if the entire lump was excised, the pathologist can tell if there are any cancer cells left at the borders (also known as the margins). The pathologist will also test the cancer cells for the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors as well as a receptor known as HER-2/neu. The presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors is important because cancers that have those receptors can be treated with hormonal therapies. HER-2/neu expression may also help predict outcome. There are also some therapies directed specifically at tumors dependent on the presence of HER-2/nue. In order to guide treatment and offer some insight into prognosis, breast cancer is staged into five different groups. This staging is done in a limited fashion before surgery taking into account the size of the tumor on mammogram and any evidence of spread to other organs that is picked up with other imaging modalities; and it is done definitively after a surgical procedure that removes lymph nodes and allows a pathologist to examine them for signs of cancer. The staging system is somewhat complex, but here is a simplified version of it:Stage 0 (called carcinoma in situ) Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) refers to abnormal cells lining a gland in the breast. This is a risk factor for the future development of cancer, but this is not felt to represent a cancer itself. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) refers to abnormal cells lining a duct. Women with DCIS have an increased risk of getting invasive breast cancer in that breast. Treatment options are similar to patients with Stage I breast cancers. Stage I ? early stage breast cancer where the tumor is less that 2 cm across and hasn't spread beyond the breast Stage II - early stage breast cancer where the tumor is either less than 2 cm across and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm; or the tumor is between 2 and 5 cm (with or without spread to the lymph nodes under the arm); or the tumor is greater than 5 cm and hasn't spread outside the breast Stage III ? locally advanced breast cancer where the tumor is greater than 5 cm across and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm; or the cancer is extensive in the underarm lymph nodes; or the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone or to other tissues near the breast Stage IV ? metastatic breast cancer where the cancer has spread outside the breast to other organs in the body Depending on the stage of your cancer, your doctor may want additional tests to see if you have metastatic disease. If you have a stage III cancer, you will probably get a chest x-ray, CT scan and bone scan to look for metastases. Each patient is an individual and your doctors will decide what is necessary to adequately stage your cancer.

What are the treatments for breast cancer? Surgery Almost all women with breast cancer will have some type of surgery in the course of their treatment. The purpose of surgery is to remove as much of the cancer as possible, and there are many different ways that the surgery can be carried out. Some women will be candidates for what is called breast conservation therapy (BCT). In BCT, surgeons perform a lumpectomy which means they remove the tumor with a little bit of breast tissue around it but do not remove the entire breast. BCT always needs to be combined with radiation therapy to make it an option for treating breast cancer. At the time of the surgery, the surgeon may also dissect the lymph nodes under the arm so the pathologist can review them for signs of cancer. Some patients will have a sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure first to determine if a formal lymph node dissection is required. Sometimes, the surgeon will remove a larger part (but not the whole breast), and this is called a segmental or partial mastectomy. This needs to be combined with radiation therapy as well. In early stage cancers (like stage I and II), BCT is as effective as removal of the entire breast via mastectomy. Most patients with DCIS that have a lumpectomy are treated with radiation therapy to prevent the local recurrence of DCIS (although some of these DCIS patients may be candidates for close observation after surgery). The advantage of BCT is that the patient will not need a reconstruction or prosthesis to appear like she did before the procedure. More advanced breast cancers are usually treated with a modified radical mastectomy. Modified radical mastectomy means removing the entire breast and dissecting the lymph nodes under the arm. Patients with DCIS that have a mastectomy do not need to have the lymph nodes removed from under the arm. Some patients are candidates for BCT but choose modified radical mastectomy for personal reasons. Your surgeon can discuss your options and the pros and cons of either procedure. Most women who have modified radical mastectomies choose to undergo a reconstruction.
There are many different procedures for creating a new breast mound, and you should talk to your plastic surgeon before your surgery to discuss your options and decide on how you would like to proceed. For more information on breast reconstruction, see Breast Reconstructive Surgery Options. Chemotherapy Despite the fact that the tumors are removed by surgery, there is always a risk of recurrence because there may be microscopic cancer cells that have spread to distant sites in the body. In order to decrease a patient's risk of recurrence, many breast cancer patients are offered chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs that go throughout the entire body. The higher the stage of cancer you have, the more important it is that you receive chemotherapy; however, even stage I patients may benefit from chemotherapy in certain cases. In early stage patients, the risk of recurrence may be small, and thus the benefits of the chemotherapy are even smaller. However, the option to receive chemotherapy should be offered to most patients with breast cancer and they can decide if the potential benefits of chemotherapy outweigh its side effects in their own particular case. There are many different chemotherapy drugs, and they are usually given in combinations for 3 to 6 months after you receive your surgery. Depending on the type of chemotherapy regimen you receive, you may get medication every 3 or 4 weeks; and you may have to go to a clinic to get the chemotherapy because many of the drugs have to be given through a vein. Two of the most common regimens are AC (doxorubicin and cycolphosphamide) for 3 months or CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil) for 6 months. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of the different regimens that your medical oncologist will discuss with you. Based on your own health, your personal values and wishes, and side effects you may wish to avoid, you can work with your doctors to come up with the best regimen for your lifestyle. Sometimes patients have a recurrence of their cancer, or present in stage IV with disease outside of their breast. These patients will all need chemotherapy, and a variety of different agents may be tried until a response is achieved. Sometimes we give chemotherapy before surgery, and this is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This is usually reserved for very advanced cancers that need to be shrunken before they can be operated on. Radiotherapy Breast cancer commonly receives radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high energy rays (similar to x-rays) to kill cancer cells. It comes from an external source, and it requires patients to come in 5 days a week for up to 6 weeks to a radiation therapy treatment center. The treatment takes just a few minutes, and it is painless. Radiation therapy is used in all patients who receive breast conservation therapy (BCT). It is also recommended for patients after a mastectomy who had large tumors, lymph node involvement, or close/positive margins after the surgery. Radiation is important in reducing the risk of local recurrence and is often offered in more advanced cases to kill tumor cells that may be living in lymph nodes. Your radiation oncologist can answer questions about the utility, process, and side effects of radiation therapy in your particular case. Hormonal Therapy When the pathologist examines your tumor specimen, he or she finds out if the tumor is expressing estrogen and progesterone receptors. Patients whose tumors express estrogen receptors are candidates for therapy with an estrogen blocking drug called Tamoxifen. Tamoxifen is taken by pill form for 5 years after your surgery. This drug has been shown to drastically reduce your risk of recurrence if your tumor expresses estrogen receptors. However, there are side effects commonly associated with Tamoxifen including weight gain, hot flashes and vaginal discharge that patients may be bothered by. There are also very uncommon side effects like blood clots, strokes, or uterine cancer that may scare patients from choosing to take it. You need to remember that your chances of having a recurrence of your cancer are usually higher than your chances of having a serious problem with Tamoxifen, but the decision to undergo hormonal therapy is a personal one that you should make with your doctor. There are also newer drugs, called aromatase inhibitors that act by decreasing your body's supply of estrogen; these drugs are reserved for patients who have already gone through menopause. Talk to your doctors about these new therapies. Biologic Therapy The pathologist also examines your tumor for the presence of HER-2/neu overexpression. HER-2/neu is a receptor that some breast cancers express. If your cancer expresses it, you usually have a higher chance of having your tumor recur after surgery. A compound called Herceptin (or Trastuzumab) is a substance that blocks this receptor and helps stop the breast cancer from growing. Some patients are candidates for this medicine. Talk to your medical oncologist to see if Herceptin is right for you. Follow-up testing Once a patient has been treated for breast cancer, they need to be closely followed for a recurrence. At first, you will have follow-up visits every 3-4 months. The longer you are free of disease, the less often you will have to go for checkups. After 5 years, you could see your doctor once a year. You should have a mammogram of the treated and untreated breasts every year. Because having had breast cancer is a risk factor for getting it again, having your mammograms done every year is extremely important. If you are taking Tamoxifen, it is important that you get a pelvic exam each year and report any abnormal vaginal bleeding to your doctor. Clinical trials are extremely important in furthering our knowledge of this disease. It is though clinical trials that we know what we do today, and many exciting new therapies are currently being tested. Talk to your doctor about participating in clinical trials in your area. This article is meant to give you a better understanding of breast cancer.

2006-01-26T19:32:00.000Z

TECHNIQUES OF COPING WITH ARTHRITIS PAIN

Coping with the chronic pain of osteoarthritis can be difficult. If your pain is mild or moderate, you may find that it interferes only occasionally with your day-to-day life. Others find that there are times when pain or discomfort make them feel depressed, angry or isolated. Even mild pain can keep you from sleeping, making you feel tired and run down.
Many people with arthritis find that techniques like relaxation and distraction help them work through pain. Above all, don’t try to deny or ignore your pain. Reach out to your family, friends and doctors as you design your own plan for pain management.

Relaxation
There are many different techniques for relaxation. One of the most popular is progressive relaxation, in which you teach yourself to recognize areas of tension in your body. Lie on your back in a quiet place. Begin to concentrate on how your body feels, beginning with your toes. If you find any tension, try to let it go. Gradually move your focus up the length of your body, releasing tension as you go. Some people find this technique helpful for getting to sleep.

Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises are really just a specific, highly focused method of relaxation. Try concentrating on your breathing. Take long, slow breaths. Tell yourself to relax. Try focusing your breath at the back of your chest or on your painful joint. Keep your breathing slow to avoid hyperventilating.

Distraction
The human mind has trouble focusing on more than one thing at a time. You can use this to your advantage when you feel pain by redirecting your thoughts. Find an activity that holds your interest — it can be anything from walking to volunteer work — and take your mind away from the pain.

Self-Talk
We all talk to ourselves all the time. If you are coping with the pain of osteoarthritis, the pain can begin to dominate your internal dialogue. If you find yourself thinking things like, “If only…” and “I just don’t have the energy…” your internal scripts may benefit from some edits. Work on creating positive self-statements that accentuate the positive, the possible and the encouraging.

Stress Reduction
Many of the techniques described above are designed to help your body recover from day-to- day stress. Another approach involves trying to eliminate those situations that cause tense muscles, rapid breathing and negative thoughts. Is there a way that you can slow down a bit, pace yourself? When you have a busy day planned, build in time for rest and exercise. When a major deadline looms, break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. Try to simplify and try not to overcommit.

Tracking your Arthritis Pain

Tracking your pain is important, whether you suffer from hip joint pains, knee pains, osteoarthritis pain, rheumatoid arthritis, or something else. Tracking your daily pattern of aches and pains is a way to learn whether new medications, exercises or other treatments are improving your pain level.
Get a calendar with room to make notes for each day and track the following:
Location of pain.
How do you feel when you wake up?
What aggravates the pain?
When does pain start in the day?
What activities cause pain?
What is pain like at mid-day?
What is pain like in the evening?
What is pain like at night in bed?
Does pain wake you up?
Does pain come back before you take your medication?
How long does it take to get pain relief after you take your medication?
Does driving affect your pain?
What activities are you unable to do because of pain?
How does your job affect your condition?

It takes only a moment once a day to jot down some notes. Over time, you’ll develop a personal history of the way osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis affects you. You and your doctor can use this to pinpoint the variables that may add to your pain, and to identify the techniques and medicines that are most effective in helping you find relief.

2006-01-26T18:36:00.000Z

What is Arthritis?

Learn About the Disease that Afflicts One Out of Seven Americans

Arthritis is one of the most pervasive diseases in the United States and is the leading cause of disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention one out of every three Americans (an estimated 70 million people) is affected by one of the more than 100 types of arthritis.
For most people arthritis pain and inflammation cannot be avoided as the body ages. In fact, most people over the age of 50 show some signs of arthritis. Joints naturally degenerate over time. Fortunately, arthritis can be managed through a combination of medication, exercise, rest, weight-management, nutrition, and, in some cases, surgery. Your doctor can tell if you have arthritis through blood tests and x-rays. He or she will then be able to help you decide on the best treatment for your case.
Arthritis is a chronic disease that will be with you for a long time and possibly for the rest of your life. Your treatments will probably change over time and medication may be adjusted. Having a positive mental outlook and the support of family and friends will help you live with arthritis and be able to continue to perform your daily activities.

Signs and Symptoms of Arthritis
Arthritis is a term that includes a group of disorders that affect your joints and muscles. Arthritis symptoms include joint pain, inflammation and limited movement of joints. When a joint is inflamed it may be swollen, tender, warm to the touch or red. Surrounding each joint is a protective capsule holding a lubricating fluid to aid in motion. Cartilage, a slippery smooth substance, covers most joints to assure an even, fluid motion of the joint. With joint arthritis, the cartilage may be damaged, narrowed and lost by a degenerative process or by inflammation making movement painful.

There are many different signs and symptoms of arthritis. If you have experienced pain, stiffness, or swelling around a joint for more than two weeks, you should visit your physician. Only a physician can determine if you are suffering from symptoms of arthritis. You need to find out which type you have in order to start the best course of arthritis treatment. These arthritis symptoms may come up suddenly or slowly over time and may also include sleeplessness, fatigue, depression, and muscle aches.
Many people will experience some difficulty functioning at home, at work or at play because of joint pain, stiffness and loss of motion regardless of the type of arthritis they have. Getting out of bed in the morning, buttoning buttons, writing, sewing, meal preparation, dressing, sleeping, walking, climbing stairs, arising from a chair or a toilet seat and attending to matters of personal hygiene may all be impaired to some degree by arthritis pain and joint stiffness. A lot of people find that impairment of mobility is more distressing to them than arthritis pain.
By going to the doctor immediately, you can start a treatment plan that will help protect your joints and lessen the arthritis pain. You can start to protect your joints by avoiding excess stress and perhaps by using assistive devices to help you around the house. Staying at your ideal weight will also help relieve pressure on your hips and knees. A major goal of all arthritis treatment is the preservation or improvement of daily tasks.

TYPES OF ARTHRITIS
Anklyosing Spondylitis
Cervical Arthritis
Fibromyalgia
Gout
Infectious Arthritis
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Lumbosacral Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteonecrosis
Osteoporosis
Paget's Disease
Psoriatic Arthritis
Reiter's Syndrome
Rheumatic Diseases
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Foot and Ankle
Other Conditions:

Polyarteritis,

Marfan Syndrome,

Inflammatory BowelDisease,

Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis,

Wegener's Granulomatosis,

Sarcoidosis,

Still's Disease,

Pseudogout,

Osteogenesis Imperfecta,

Kawasaki Syndrome,

Behcet's Disease

2006-01-26T18:28:00.000Z

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DEATH IN WOMEN IS?

BREAST CANCER

What is the breast?
The breast is a collection of glands and fatty tissue that lies between the skin and the chest wall. The glands inside the breast produce milk after a woman has a baby. Each gland is also called a lobule, and many lobules make up a lobe. There are 15 to 20 lobes in each breast. The milk gets to the nipple from the glands by way of tubes called ducts. The glands and ducts get bigger when a breast is filled with milk, but the tissue that is most responsible for the size and shape the breast is the fatty tissue. There are also blood vessels and lymph vessels in the breast. Lymph is a clear liquid waste product that gets drained out of the breast into lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small, pea-sized pieces of tissue that filter and clean the lymph. Most lymph nodes that drain the breast are under the arm in what is called the axilla.

What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer happens when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control and can then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Large collections of this out of control tissue are called tumors. However, some tumors are not really cancer because they cannot spread or threaten someone's life. These are called benign tumors. The tumors that can spread throughout the body or invade nearby tissues are considered cancer and are called malignant tumors. Theoretically, any of the types of tissue in the breast can form a cancer, but usually it comes from either the ducts or the glands. Because it may take months to years for a tumor to get large enough to feel in the breast, we screen for tumors with mammograms, which can sometimes see disease before we can feel it.

You may ask "Am I at risk for breast cancer"?
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women in North America and Europe. Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. Close to 200,000 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2001. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American women behind lung cancer. The lifetime risk of any particular woman getting breast cancer is about 1 in 8 although the lifetime risk of dying from breast cancer is much lower at 1 in 28.

Risk factors for breast cancer can be divided into those that you cannot change and those that you can change. Some factors that increase your risk of breast cancer that you cannot alter include being a woman, getting older, having a family history (having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer doubles your risk), having a previous history of breast cancer, having had radiation therapy to the chest region, being Caucasian, getting your periods young (before 12 years old), having your menopause late (after 50 years old), never having children or having them when you are older than 30, and having a genetic mutation that increases your risk. Genetic mutations for breast cancer have become a hot topic of research lately. Between 3% to 10% of breast cancers may be related to changes in either the gene BRCA1 or the gene BRCA2. Women can inherit these mutations from their parents and it may be worth testing for either mutation if a woman has a particularly strong family history of breast cancer (meaning multiple relatives affected, especially if they are under 50 years old when they get the disease). If a woman is found to carry either mutation, she has a 50% chance of getting breast cancer before she is 70. Family members may elect to get tested to see if they carry the mutation as well. If a woman does have the mutation, she can get more rigorous screening or even undergo preventive (prophylactic) mastectomies to decrease her chances of contracting cancer. The decision to get tested is a highly personal one that should be discussed with a doctor who is trained in counseling patients about genetic testing.

Certain factors which increase a woman's risk of breast cancer can be altered including taking hormone replacement therapy (long term use of estrogens with progesterone for menopause symptoms slightly increases your risk), taking birth control pills (a very slight increased risk that disappears in women who have stopped them for over 10 years), not breastfeeding, drinking 2 to 5 alcoholic drinks a day, being overweight (especially after menopause), and not exercising. All of these modifiable risk factors are not nearly as important as gender, age, and family history, but they are things that a woman can control that may reduce her chances of developing a breast malignancy. Remember that all risk factors are based on probabilities, and even someone without any risk factors can still get breast cancer. Proper screening and early detection are our best weapons in reducing the mortality associated with this disease.

WELL THAT'S A BUNCH, TILL NEXT TIME.

2006-01-26T18:05:00.001Z

MYTHS AND TRUTHS ABOUT BREAST CANCER

MYTH: Finding a lump in your breast means you have breast cancer.

TRUTH: Eight out of ten lumps are benign, or not cancerous. If you discover a persistent lump in your breast or any changes in breast tissue, it is very important that you see a physician immediately. Many times fear keeps women from aggressive health care. Sometimes women stay away from medical care because they fear what they might find. Take charge of your own health by monthly self-exams, regular visits to the doctor, and regularly scheduled mammograms. Although somebreast skins may feel like lumps to the touch, they should not be cause for concern. However, only your doctor can diagnose these conditions and suggest treatment. The bottom line is, if you detect something out of the ordinary during your monthly breast self-exam, see your doctor immediately. Early detection always is the best form of prevention.

MYTH: Men do not get breast cancer.

TRUTH: Do you know that this year 211,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 will die; however, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die! While the percentage of men who are diagnosed with breast cancer is small, men should also give themselves monthly exams and note changes to their physicians.

MYTH: A mammogram can cause breast cancer to spread.

TRUTH: An x-ray of the breast is called a mammogram. The x-ray and the pressure on the breast from the x-ray machine cannot cause cancer to spread. Do not let tales of other people's experiences keep you from having a mammogram. Base your decision on your physician's recommendation and ask the physician any questions you may have about the mammogram.

2006-01-25T13:45:00.000Z

The Attacking Heart

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself -- the myocardium -- is severely reduced or stopped. The medical term for heart attack is myocardial infarction. The reduction or stoppage happens when one or more of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle is blocked.
This is usually caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances), a process called atherosclerosis. The plaque can eventually burst, tear or rupture, creating a "snag" where a blood clot forms and blocks the artery. This leads to a heart attack.

A heart attack is also sometimes called a coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion.

If the blood supply is cut off for more than a few minutes, muscle cells suffer permanent injury and die. This can kill or disable someone, depending on how much heart muscle is damaged.
Sometimes a coronary artery temporarily contracts or goes into spasm. When this happens the artery narrows and blood flow to part of the heart muscle decreases or stops.

A spasm can occur in normal-appearing blood vessels as well as in vessels partly blocked by atherosclerosis. A severe spasm can cause a heart attack.

The Causes of Heart Failure

All of us lose some blood-pumping ability in our hearts as we age. But the more se rious loss that we call heart failure results from the added stress of health conditions that either damage the heart or make it work too hard. In fact, all of the behaviors that you probably associate with heart disease or heart attack — such as having high blood pressure, smoking, being overweight, eating foods high in fat and cholesterol, not exercising and having diabetes — can also cause heart failure.

In some cases, though, behavior has absolutely nothing to do with heart failure. For instance, some people who develop heart failure were born with structural heart defects, while in others a virus damaged the heart muscle.If you have heart failure, chances are you have (or had) one or more of the following. Some of these can be present without you knowing it.

2006-01-24T17:41:00.000Z

THE "SILENT ASSASSIN"...........

A Silent killer is one that the victim knows nothing about until the "assassin" is about to commit the deed-which is to kill.....
We have a silent assassin among us that we have to be wary of so that we are not caught unawares,this assassin is called CANCER.
Cancer is a disease of cells in the body. The human body is made up of different cell and cancer arises from these different types of cells. Some cancers tend to be more severe than others,some have a better prognosis(outlook) than others, but this only occurs whether the cancer is diagnosed early or not.So, cancer is not just one condition.
In the normal body the cell have the funtion of multiplication and this occurs in all cells of the body with the exception of certain cells such as neurons(nerve cells), brain cells among a few. These mentioned cells mature once the individual matures and never grow again.
Normally your body only makes the right number of cells that are needed, but when due to certain factors the cells create more cells than is required(abnormal cell formation) thus an abnormal tissue is formed(becos cells form tissue, tissues form organs and rogans form what we know as systems) and this abnormal tissue formed is a tumour.

WHAT IS A TUMOUR?
A tumour is a growth or lump of tissue made up from abnormal cells.there are 2 types of tumours.
1) benign tumours
2) malignant tumours or cancer.

Cancer is a tumour which is malignant meaning it is deadly and it spreads very fast to other areas of the body within a short time.
Cancer was a common pathology or disease seen in the elderly but recent statistics show that ti is now occuring in the adolescent and the middle aged.This recent development is due to various factors,a few of which are listed-
a)Smoking
b)Excessive alcohol intake
c)Exposure to radiation and xrays
d)Exposure to chemicals which mostly occur at workplaces
e)Infections
e.t.c
These are the few written out of almost 2000 causes.

Let us take heed to avoid these "doors" which open the way to this silent killer, because most times, we never know when this "killer" is in our homes(body) till it has begun killing.

2006-01-21T08:01:00.000Z

This blog is focused on medical welfare, how to grow and stay healthy for as you know the saying goes"health is money". However let me introduce myself, my name is paul.I am a 400 level medical student of the College of Medicine, Idiaraba Lagos, Nigeria. Stick around.