Cancer Blog

Many people are wondering if there is a link between cancer and mangosteen. The question is, “Can mangosteen be used to treat cancer?” The answer to that question, as of right now, is unknown. Numerous people are seeking natural means of treating cancer, such as Noni, but it remains unclear if these natural treatments are anything more than wishful thinking. Is it a mangosteen scam or does the fruit of the mangosteen tree actually treat cancer? Here is all of the information you need to know about mangosteen and its relation to cancer.

Anti-Oxidants

It is believed that the anti-oxidants in mangosteen can aid in cancer treatment and potentially prevent individuals from developing cancer. However, there is also an unfortunate side effect to mangosteen in this particular context: it is believed that mangosteen can be so potent that it actually weakens the effectiveness of chemotherapy. This, then, raises the question, “are human beings worse off by consuming mangosteen to fight cancer?” There is a lot of speculation that supports both sides.

Consumption

Mangosteen is a tropical fruit that is grown in Africa, Asia, and other locations that are close to the equator. It is not feasible to grow it in the United States because the climate does not allow it and it is illegal to import fresh mangosteen. Therefore, in order to get the benefits of mangosteen, one must pursue other options.

One of the options available is ultra mangosteen, a compound that contains both mangosteen and goji. The other option is mangosteen puree, a juice made from the mangosteen fruit. The problem is that mangosteen rots very quickly, meaning that both of these products contain high amounts of preservatives to keep them fresh for shipping. It is these factors, the fact that you cannot get fresh mangosteen (as mangosteen products differ from consuming the fruit itself) and the preservatives that mangosteen products contain, that raise the speculation about its effectiveness as a cancer treatment.

How This All Relates to Cancer

Some people believe that the anti-oxidants in mangosteen products may be so powerful that they fight off chemo. Others believe that it could be the preservatives in these products that lessen the effectiveness of chemo. Finally, there are also people who believe that only eating the fruit itself will fight cancer, not products that contain its juices. Either way, no matter what testimonial or review you read on mangosteen, you should always discuss your use of mangosteen with you physician and never forgo your medication.

The best advice you can get about whether or not to purchase mangosteen is to consult your doctor and see what information they can provide you. Additionally, you should wait until more research and testing has been done on mangosteen before trying it for yourself. Though you may be depriving yourself of an excellent treatment option by stalling, you may also be saving yourself from gambling your life on an exotic fruit. You must decide for yourself what is right for you.

It was nearly midnight when I regained consciousness after the 13-hour surgery that had radically dissected my neck yet saved my life. A squamous cell carcinoma tumor had bloomed from my tonsil and threatened to choke the carotid artery that fed blood to my brain. Without surgery, a daring procedure, my death was inevitable.

As I awoke from anesthesia, I saw one of my surgeons standing at the foot of my bed and heard him say, “It went great. Just great.” Maybe for him, I thought. He was nattily dressed. Despite the late hour, he could walk out of there and get a hamburger slathered in mustard and relish and wash it down with a cold beer. Or, more likely, go home and kiss his newborn child goodnight.

I, on the other hand, was going nowhere. A bevy of nurses wiped me down, redressed my moist, limp body and then all but harnessed me to a bed in the hospital’s intensive care unit. My right arm was in a cast and immobile because an oval of skin and tissue had been cut from the underbelly of my forearm to reconstruct my throat, where the tumor had been gouged out. I was instructed to refrain from moving my right leg because skin had been removed from my thigh to cover the deficit in my forearm. My lower legs were rendered useless because both were wrapped in tight harnesses that deliberately inflated and deflated, a method of mechanical massage designed to stave off deadly blood clots.

And then, of course, there was my neck. A long surgical cut that scythed from behind my left ear to a point slightly above my Adam’s apple was stapled closed. That side of my neck swelled, making me look like a blowfish from the lab of Dr. Frankenstein. Since my throat was swollen tight from the surgery, I breathed through a tracheal tube that had the nauseating habit of clogging with thick, stubborn mucous. The same mucous that clung to my lungs, where pneumonia soon took up residence with a rude, piercing pain.

I lay there wondering: How will I survive this?

For five days, I stared at the ICU clock or watched the nurses pace and fret, because despite readily accessible meds I rarely slept for more than 45 minutes at a stretch. I was forced to be in the moment. Every moment. There was no escape. I was too weary to think of the past and knew nothing of the future. I didn’t know, for example, that my voice would be an earthy, inarticulate growl for months to come. Nor did I foresee that in barely more than a year, I would be physically stable but emotionally bankrupt.

Yet I soon learned an essential truth, one that all those suffering from a health trauma eventually embrace if they are to survive. The revelation occurred days later when finally I was transferred from ICU to a private room. I paced the hallways dragging my portable IV, peeked into the rooms of strangers, saw myself in their suffering, and realized: Others are in far worse shape than I.

It is now almost three years since my surgery. I have not had a relapse of cancer, my health is generally good to great, and once again I am a productive member of society (a nice way of saying I work for a living). Doctors measure cure in years. If there is no relapse within two years you have a 95% chance of going five years without relapse. If you make it to five years, consider yourself cured.

Sometimes it feels strange to be alive – a miracle, really, since the cancer had developed to the third of four stages. But life is a miracle regardless of cancer.

Sometimes I’ve afraid that I’m being stalked by the boogey man. I look over my shoulder often, and fear another health calamity dwells in every ache and pain. But we’re all being stalked by mortality.

I don’t know why I’m alive now. No one does, because there is no cure for cancer, or so they say. Even so, I know what has helped keep me alive, despite the stress and uncertainty, throughout these last three years.

I have awakened.

It’s hard to stay conscious throughout life. So many things can blind-side us, numb our senses, scare us into retreat, or cause simply what I call self-amnesia – we forget ourselves. Our better selves. When the self is neglected it creates a vacancy within. Guess what fills the void?

Cancer and other diseases can be a blessing if they wake up the sleeper. The awakening doesn’t guarantee a long life. Nor can it alone necessarily vanquish a deadly disease. It can, in my experience, make the remaining days and years vivid, lucid, and profoundly fulfilling.

But it takes courage. I began asking questions of myself. I didn’t always like the answers. I didn’t always have the strength to stare into the vacancy I had created and gather the malnourished pieces of me I had once appreciated.

Also, I am not done probing for answers and searching for deeper experiences of the awakened life, because the dawning must be perpetual if a life is to be long and worth living.

Copyright 2007

Tea drinkers will be happy to learn that they just might be protecting themselves against the risks of developing stomach and intestinal cancers. It appears that green tea can help fight gastrointestinal carcinogenesis. This is the process by which normal cells in the gastrointestinal tract can be transformed into cancer cells.

Green tea has been found to contain high levels of antioxidants which are considered very beneficial in the fight against cancer. Antioxidants are compounds that can oxidize very easily, or in other words sacrifice one of their molecules to carcinogens, which are compounds looking to steal molecules from normal, healthy cells. Carcinogens, or free radicals, in the body are considered cancer causing agents because they damage the body’s cells by stealing molecules. This can cause the cells to grow out of control, thus developing into cancer cells.

Green tea is thought to be extremely beneficial because the tea leaves are fresh and unfermented, thus preserving the antioxidants, called catechins, present in the leaves. The tea leaves come from the plant Camellia sinensis, which is the same plant that black tea comes from. The difference lies in how the leaves are treated. . The black tea leaves undergo the oxidation process, which oxidizes much of the specific antioxidants that are present in the green tea leaves. Of course, black teas have been found to contain many beneficial and unique antioxidants of their own, but do not contain the same amount of antioxidants as green tea.

These catechins found in green tea are considered better and stronger antioxidants than those found in black tea because they are water soluble and oxidize very easily, giving them a better chance of neutralizing free radicals before they have that chance to damage the body’s cells.

There are currently 30 epidemiological studies of green tea’s use in the prevention of cancer. However, there are very few studies on the treatment of preexisting cancers with green tea. A majority of the studies on green tea deal with whether the antioxidants present in the tea leaves help prevent gastrointestinal cancers.

One particular study on laboratory rats showed that 93.8% of a group of rats fed the extracted catechins from green tea survived after exposure to a strong mammary carcinogen (DMBA). This is compared to only 33.3% of the control group of rats not fed the protective catechins.

In another study was conducted on 1004 Chinese men: 190 of who had gastric cancer, 42 of whom had esophageal cancer, and 772 of whom were cancer free.

These men were studied over the course of 4 to 12 years. Those participants who were known to drink green tea on a regular basis showed a 50% lower risk of developing gastric and esophageal cancers. This is a significant difference. It basically means that 50% fewer participants in the tea drinker’s group developed cancer than of those in the group found not to drink tea on a regular basis.

There are a total of about eight studies that show drinking green tea on a regular basis can reduce the risk of stomach cancer. It’s possible that green tea is also more effective in the prevention of esophageal and stomach cancers because it moves through the intestinal tract and is in direct, prolonged contact with those tissues.

Many researchers are saying that it is still too early to state conclusively that green tea can help to protect its drinkers from developing gastrointestinal cancers or even help fight the cancer that has all ready developed. However, the current clinical studies look promising. Many tea drinkers claim the possible benefits of drinking green tea outweigh any small inconveniences.

Green tea has been used for hundreds of thousands of years in China and Japan. In fact, the numbers indicating the risks of developing gastrointestinal cancers in those two countries are among the lowest in the world

Not all green teas are the same. There is a wide variance among green teas concerning freshness, consistency, and concentration of the antioxidants in the teas. Information about the concentration of the antioxidants can sometimes be found on the packaging. It is best to find your preferred brand of green tea and stick to it, drinking the tea habitually.

Many side effects of chemotherapy treatments affect your skin and hair. Even the new “targeted” therapies can dry your skin as well as leave a wake of acne and a series of rashes anywhere on the body.

In my particular case the conventional treatment for colorectal cancer of Oxaliplatin or Campostar had mostly a drying effect on the skin. This was controlled with regular use of Sween Cream. With the newer drugs, the addition of the acne and rashes adds a new element in side-effects and in greatly increased attention.

TAKE YOUR SKIN SERIOUSLY!

My personal experience is that the rash and acne breakout can:

1. Occur anywhere on the body (I have had both of them on each heal).

2. Stay 3-4 weeks before moving to another area.

3. Return to a previously ravaged area.

4. Be symmetrical (if you get a breakout on your right side, you will most likely have a corresponding breakout on same part of your left side).

5. Itch.

6. Be sensitive to fragrances such as colognes & lotions.

7. Cause great discomfort with your antiperspirant or deodorant.

8. Cause some loss of hair as a result of severe acne breakout in the hair or a man’s beard or eyebrows.

Fortunately, these problems can be lessened through inexpensive and less time consuming methods, or the effects can be amplified with the addition of other more expensive products used with greater frequency.

The products I mentioned are not the only products that would provide the effective results. They just all have one thing in common—no irritating fragrances are added and they are very simple and pure products.

Another consideration that affects your results is if the climate in which you live has a lot of humidity. In Florida, the natural moisture would reduce the number of times a day you would need to use a moisturizer. One’s amount of natural skin oils can also affect the amount of extra care needed.

LOTIONS AND POTIONS

If you buy only one lotion or cream, buy Sween Cream by Coloplast Corporation product number 7069 www.us.coloplast.com/ECompany/USMed/Homepage.nsf/0/27289ee974cedd7685256f32006b91a7?OpenDocument. It can be found at most medical supply stores that sell ostomy supplies. Special order this if you must, because it is the most effective of the creams and is very reasonably priced. Sween Cream lasts through a number of light washings and would not require as many applications a day as some other products.

Moderately priced lotions and oils make from 100% Kukui Oil has been very effective in keeping my skin moist. The entire line of Kukui products is available at www.oilsofaloha.com Most of their products are fragrance free. The Kukui Moisturizing Cream has some fragrance and could be an issue for some individuals. However, both the Kukui Nut Oil and Moisturizing Lotion are fragrance free. It is available by Web purchase at the above address or toll-free at 800.367.6010. Delivery is prompt. I have not found this product on the mainland.

If you are able to spend more money and buy higher end skin care products, I can personally recommend Elemis products. Particularly effective is Skin Survival Cream, Absolute Eye Mask, S.O.S. Emergency Cream and Vitamin-Rich Body Lotion. Each individual is different in a different climate. So the frequency that one must apply a moisturizer each day will vary. Each product comes in very small quantities (you do not need much at all) and ranges in the $35-$50+ range each! It can be ordered at www.timetospa.com Time-To-Spa has packages that combine many of the products you’ll need into one convenient packet. Elemis has products for both women and men and hails from England. It is distributed through Steiner in Florida and delivery is prompt. Is it worth the extra money? Maybe not, but you are! So treat yourself!

DEFOLIATE

It may be necessary to defoliate your face every other day to get rid of the unsightly peeling of dead skin from your face. For that frequent of usage it is important to use a mild defoliate that will be gentle and doesn’t contain artificial fragrances. Skin Buff and Energizing Skin Scrub from Elemis are two such products. There are other products that may be just as effective for less money. Just remember not to remove your first and second layer of skin in one application and stay away from fragrances.

HEALING TAKES LONGER

Because your skin is dry it is going to be easily damaged, cut and irritated. I have cut my hand opening a plastic lid on a bottle with the small ridges meant to increase you grip. It has taken weeks to heal! Your hands are by far the hardest part of your body to maintain. Every time you wash your hands use a lotion or cream of choice to restore the moisture that was lost during washing. Wash your hands frequently! Use lotion or oil frequently! Don’t add an infection to your list of woes. Avoid hand sanitizers as they will burn all the sensitive areas and dry your skin. When going about your daily routine you will be amazed at how everyday tasks zap the moisture completely out of your hands. The solution is to moisturize your hands and wear latex (or similar) gloves when you are washing, dishes, gardening, dusting, cleaning and just about anything else you can think of. Every time you remove the gloves be sure to re-lube and put the gloves back on. Wear them while napping and sleeping at night. This will make the biggest difference, if you can stand it! About two hours into a good night’s sleep, I rip them off and look for them in the morning.

HAIR INFESTATION CAUSES SPECIAL TREATMENTS

If you are one of the lucky ones that develop acne or rash in your hair or in the case of facial hair in men it can be a very uncomfortable situation. First, don’t get the shears out and decide hairless is best. It doesn’t work and I have been told first hand that it can make it worse trying to shave the area. Try Paul Mitchell’s Tea Green Shampoo www.paulmitchell.com/intro.asp. It works wonders on controlling the itch and in my case stopped the spread and just plain felt great! Paul Mitchell also makes body soap and conditioners in the Tree Green Line. This is not an ordinary shampoo/soap and neither is the cool, almost chilling feeling it leaves as it absorbs into your hair or beard!

OUCH! MY DEODORANT FEELS MORE LIKE EASY OFF OVEN CLEANER!

All of a sudden my underarms started to burn a red rash formed in and around my armpit. After feeling the increase in pain when applying my antiperspirant I knew I had a problem. I now use Sween Cream (to increase sticky surface) and Johnson’s Baby Powder with Pure Cornstarch. This I apply with a cotton round sprinkled with the baby powder. So far, I have had no strange looks or wrinkled noses. It really works!

SUPER GLUE IS NOT JUST FOR PLASTIC REFRIGERATOR PARTS

I have not tried it, but it has been recommended to me to use super glue on those nasty and painful cuticle tears by the nail. I’m sure its application will test one’s spirituality (it has got to burn like #@!*), but it should hold it together until the tear can heal. We all know that stuff is more durable than granite.

NAIL HEALTH MUST BE MONITORED

Both foot and hand nails can be affected with grooves and white marks. There are two methods that really help and work exceptional well when used together. First, defoliate both the hands and feet, but be careful! Because it is designed for hands and feet it will be courser than what you would use on your face. This coarseness can aggravate already damaged skin. Use common sense and your feeling of pain when applying. It works exceptional well in the cuticle area to remove dead skin. This combined with emery boards can help smooth the surface of your nails.

Nail polisher such as clear base coats and clear finger nail polish can help hide badly damaged nails and go a long way to protecting them from further damage. Moreand more men are finding the benefits of manicures and pedicures. They’re not just for women any more!

RESULTS WILL COME, BUT NOT OVER NIGHT!

The chemo you are taking is nasty stuff. In order to keep it under control you will need to work at it on a regular basis. Even when you have optimized your results, you will not look 21 again with all blemishes gone. You will still have some acne, rashes and delayed healing. I just know how much worse I felt before I found the secret to lessen the damage caused by the chemotherapy, my climate and skin type.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

In general, your hair’s health is a direct result of the quality of shampoo you use, for your scalp and skin are the same. I was totally amazed at the difference of my hair’s texture, luster and overall appearance by switching to a pretty pricy shampoo at $15.95 for a small bottle. But after weighing the small amount necessary and the length of time the product lasted; it wasn’t as expensive as first thought. I am no longer averse to paying premium process for premium results.

REMEMBER, IF YOU LOOK GOOD YOU WILL FEEL GOOD.

I have no connection with any product in this article, except that as a customer. The opinions expressed here are my own based upon my personal experience. Everyone is different and your results may differ from these. — JC Yoder 05/05

Margaret Olszowka was diagnosed with lung cancer on New Year’s Eve, 2002. The prognosis was very grim: her disease had advanced to Stage 4 and was inoperable. Doctors at a very well known university hospital told her there was nothing they could do for her. They didn’t even offer chemotherapy as an option; she was told she had months to live. However, instead of giving up, she decided she was going to fight the disease, and ultimately found her way to cancer specialist, Keith Block, MD, where she received chronotherapy as part of her treatment plan. Today, she is doing very well and enjoying her two children and six grandchildren. She wants the world to know about the role chronotherapy played in her survival in the hopes of helping other cancer patients.

What is chronotherapy?

Chronotherapy takes into account how our body’s natural rhythms’ impact our ability to process medications. Patterns like sleeping, menstrual cycles, even our physical response to the changing seasons, are different for everyone. In the old days we called these biorhythms. Today, doctors are finding that understanding a patient’s biorhythms, and coordinating the timing of their medical treatments to these biorhythms, can profoundly affect the outcome of their treatments. This is called “chronotherapy.”

“Every drug has an optimal time when it is least toxic and most effective.” says Keith Block, MD, editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal Integrative Cancer Therapies, and Clinical Professor, Department of Medical Education, at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago (UIC), and at the Department of Pharmacology. For cancer treatment, this is determined by several factors, including the biological uniqueness of the particular drug being given, the time when the specific type of cancer cells divide the most, when the normal healthy cells of the patient generally divide the least, the patient’s circadian clock and individual rest-activity cycles, and even the time zone the person resides in.”

According to Dr. Michael Smolensky, co-author of the book The Body Clock Guide to Better Health, “When cancer medications are given in a chronobiological manner, patients may be able to tolerate higher, more potent doses than would be possible otherwise.”

“This method of administering chemotherapy is revolutionary and has demonstrated in large randomized trials its potential to improve survival,” states Dr. Block. ”We have found that often patients receiving chronotherapy reduce what would have been recurring side effects of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. This is important because the debilitation caused by chemo can cause patients to reduce or even stop treatments that could otherwise help them win their battle with cancer.”

Chronotherapy is being widely researched around the world:

There are over 62,000 references in PubMed (the National Institute of Health’s archive of biomedical and life sciences journal articles) about chronobiology (how biology is affected by timing) and over 500 scientific articles specifically about chronotherapy. The National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) devoted an entire web cast for doctors on chronotherapy.

So why isn’t chronotherapy used more widely?

One of the main problems has been logistics – figuring out how to deliver chemotherapy in exactly timed doses. “Portable infusion pumps may hold the answer,” explains Gerald Sokol, MD, an oncologist with the division of oncology in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Dr. Block has brought technology to the U.S. that administers chemotherapy via a pump designed to precisely time up to four channels of infusion simultaneously to the individual needs of a patient. Highly portable and small enough to fit in a fanny pack, patients are able to maintain full mobility, play sports, and enjoy a full night’s sleep – while receiving their specifically timed cancer therapy.

Asbestos attorneys help victims of asbestos-related ailments win multi-million dollar compensations. Over exposure to asbestos can result in life-threatening diseases. Medical expenses related to these diseases are often very high, and treatment may extend over a lifetime. Most of the victims are former construction workers. Very often, workers are not informed about the ill-effects of asbestos by their employers. Asbestos attorneys help these victims obtain damages from their former employers.

Asbestos lawsuits involve many complexities and usually take about six months to one year to resolve. These lawsuits require special knowledge and expertise. General practitioners would not suffice for such cases. Only attorneys who have ample experience in asbestos lawsuits can help you through the case. Asbestos attorneys have, therefore, emerged as a specialized lot. These attorneys can recover appropriate damages to cover medical expenses and rehabilitation costs for the victims. Asbestos attorneys usually charge their fees on a contingency basis, in which certain percentage of the compensation amount is given as fee. If the lawsuit fails, attorneys usually do not charge any fee.

A lot of asbestos attorneys have their own networks spanning over many states. Many of them even have their own websites, too. Most law firms specializing in asbestos lawsuits maintain a team of asbestos attorneys and investigators. This team is often backed by huge databases of records and depositions. Asbestos attorneys usually have to deal with all sorts of companies that do businesses involving asbestos in one form or other. Among the commonly litigated companies are mining companies, distributors, insulation contractors, brokers, and numerous other contractors where workers handle asbestos products. Contractors and site owners are held responsible for any lack of safety standards implemented for their workers.

Mesothelioma Cancer

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a serious malignant tumor that affects the torso of the human body. There is a strong link between mesothelioma and contact with asbestos particles via breathing or swallowing.

There are three common forms of mesothelioma:

1. Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common form of Mesothelioma. It starts in the chest cavity (after breathing the particles) before spreading to other areas.

2. Peritoneal Mesothelioma starts in the abdomen (after swallowing the particles) and accounts for about 10-20% of Mesothelioma patients.

3. Pericardial Mesothelioma is the rarest form of Mesothelioma. It starts in the cavity that surrounds the heart.

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose early on because the symptoms are often mistaken for those of other, less serious ailments. To make matters worse, it often takes many years for the symptoms to show up after the contact with asbestos takes place. Individuals with a history of extended asbestos exposure are at the highest risk for developing malignant mesothelioma. Even a small exposure to this cancer-causing material can result in malignant mesothelioma. However, mesothelioma has a latency of up to thirty-forty years, and many individuals previously exposed to asbestos are now displaying symptoms. This means the average age of mesothelioma patients is between 50 and 70 years. Men are typically affected more, because of the common presence of asbestos in industrial settings. There are three major types of malignant mesothelioma. Epithelial, sarcomatoid, and mixed. Epithelial mesothelioma is most common. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to respiratory distress, a lasting cough, and pneumonia. In addition, symptoms are often mistaken for less serious ailments, and many patients do not show any signs at all.

Individuals with pleural mesothelioma may amass some fluid between the lung lining and chest cavity. This can be detected through a chest x-ray, as well as CT scans.

Diagnosis of Mesothelioma is based on a biopsy. This exam will test a tissue sample for the presence of malignant and/or pleural mesothelioma.

Causes of Mesothelioma

Asbestos is the principal cause of Mesothelioma. Asbestos is a type of insulation material, which was commonly utilized in the past in the following industries:

Steel Workers

Brake Mechanics

Insulators

Boilermakers

Ship fitters

Maintenance Workers

Pipe Fitters

Construction industry

Shipbuilding industry

Automotive industry

Other manufacturing industries

Mesothelioma appears most often in people who worked in the above industries and were exposed to asbestos in their workplace. The utilization of asbestos was very prevalent after 1940’s. However it would take 10-40 years after the first exposure for the first symptoms of mesothelioma to become noticeable, which made it very difficult to diagnose. The peak in mesothelioma cases is projected to be reached near year 2010 according to studies. There are three frequently used types of asbestos: white, brown, and blue. Brown and blue asbestos are more frequently associated with mesothelioma. These types of asbestos have been restricted by most countries in the 1990s. A record of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases.

Asbestos is a very dangerous material and can cause serious damage to your health. It is made up of very minute fibers, which can find their way to pleura (outside lining of the lung) and damage the cells pleura are made of. These fibers can also be passed on to clothing, which makes them dangerous not only to the person exposed to asbestos, but to their family members as well.

Smoking

Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure drastically increases a person’s risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not materialize until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling because of a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, difficulty swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Once Mesothelioma is diagnosed, the likelihood of recovery varies according to several factors, including the size and location of the tumor, how much it has spread, and the age of the patient.

In general, the earlier that Mesothelioma is diagnosed, the greater the likelihood of survival. If you feel that you have experienced any of the typical Mesothelioma symptoms, pay a visit to your doctor for professional advice.

Mesothelioma diagnosis

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often complicated, because the symptoms are similar to those of several other conditions. Diagnosis begins with an assessment of the patient’s medical history, as well as any history of asbestos exposure. A physical examination may be performed, including x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI may also be useful. A CT scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.

A biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a surgeon or a medical oncologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer) removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is found. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lit tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples. If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a peritoneoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the doctor will want to learn the stage and extent of the disease. Staging involves more tests in a precise effort to find out whether the cancer has proliferated and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment. Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has extended beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

Mesothelioma treatment

Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s age and general well being. Typical treatment options consist of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.

Surgery is a frequent treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.

Radiation therapy involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from moving materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).

Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of applying chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).

To ease symptoms and control discomfort, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has accumulated in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for removing fluid from the chest is called thoracentesis. Removal of fluid from the abdomen is called paracentesis. Drugs may be administered through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be beneficial in alleviating symptoms.

Note of Urgency

Mesothelioma is a life-threatening disease and cannot be left untreated. The sooner it is diagnosed the better a patient’s chances are of fighting this deadly cancer. Please contact a qualified doctor immediately if you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

A hysterectomy is not often a procedure that needs to be performed urgently, except in the case of cancer. Therefore, a woman considering the procedure should take time to investigate all her options, including other possible treatments. There are now new treatments for conditions that previously would have required a hysterectomy. Women advised to have a hysterectomy for a non-cancerous condition before being offered more conservative treatments may find it beneficial to seek a second opinion.

Deciding whether to have a hysterectomy can be a difficult and emotional process. By becoming informed about the procedure, women can confidently discuss available options, concerns and wishes with their doctor, and make a decision that is right for them.

If you, too, have been questioning the necessity of a surgery for fibroids, prolapse, incontinence or any “cele” repairs, you will be reassured to know you have every right in doing so. The decision to undergo surgery of any kind is often difficult, so it is often useful to explore other alternatives before moving forward. Women, especially around the time of menopause, are too often advised to have major gynecological surgery for minor conditions that can be significantly improved with natural alternatives

Every 10 minutes, 12 hysterectomies are performed in the United States. That is over 600,000 per year, of which only 10% are due to cancer. This surgery most often does not correct the diagnosed problem and instead results in new afflictions. And, argues Dr. Stanley West, author of The Hysterectomy Hoax, nine out of ten hysterectomies are unnecessary.

We need to ask “How have these surgeries impacted the quality of life for women?” Nowhere in the gynecological literature did the study address the number of women for whom sex had become painful or impossible. Nowhere were there studies to track the number of marriages that failed or were severely compromised as a result of these post-surgical complications or alcoholism or drug addiction resulting from debilitating chronic pain.

Women who have been hysterectomized experience a myriad of negative side effects, including chronic pain and fatigue, depression, and pain during sex. These are only a fraction of the long list of unwanted symptoms reported by women after surgery.

So, if you decide, or have already decided, that surgery is not an option, you are probably asking yourself, “Now what?” I have asked myself this same question. But, I will tell you, there is no quick fix. As women we must understand our bodies to care for them in a positive way.

The more I review this subject the stronger I feel about informing women before they make this important decision. Prevention is the key and hormone balance is the answer.

For the most part those who are encouraged to have their uterus’s removed are likely suffering from estrogen excess which is explained well by Dr. John Lee.

Balancing hormones involves working on a few fronts using simple strategies.

1. Evaluate your hormones using a saliva test – determine what is happening in your body – ask your self the question – are you estrogen dominant? Use a saliva test to find the answer.

2. Optimize your diet by lowering your insulin levels. Over 2/3 of North Americans are overweight. This extra weight increases insulin levels causing estrogen dominance to increase. EAT 40/30/30

3. If the saliva test shows the need, use a natural progesterone cream in the process of rebalancing your hormonal system

4. Exercise to reduce excess estrogen and to eliminate toxins

5. Drink more water

6. Supplement with wisdom using our hormone balancing program of fiber, indoles, efa, multi – fruit & veggi essence, calcium

This Article Is Copywright 2006 Jackie L. Harvey & Saliva Testing com

Cancer of the ovary, a disease affecting one of both of the ovaries, is one of the most serious and under-recognized ailments affecting women. In United States, it is considered as the fifth among the most fatal gynecologic cancers (affecting the female reproductive organs). It is said that in every 57 women, one may be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and almost half of those women diagnosed with the said cancer may die in a span of five years.

Ovarian Cancer: Overview

Ovarian cancer is characterized by the malignant growth of one or of the two ovaries. The cells in the ovary multiply progressively and abnormally to the point that they can no longer be controlled. As a result, excessive tissues start to form tumors, which may be benign or malignant. The malignant ones are those that cause cancer.

The growth of the tumor may not necessarily start from the ovary or the ovaries, but may have spread to the ovary from other parts of the body, oftentimes the breast. The malignant tumor in the ovary may likewise spread to other parts of the body. The most common cases of ovarian cancer arise from epithelial cancer, which affect the epithelial cells (cells found in the tissues covering surfaces of the ovary).

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

It is important for women to be aware of the nature and symptoms of ovarian cancer as this deadly cancer can affect women of any age. However, women face higher risk of ovarian cancer as she gets older, particularly after she reaches the age of fifty.

Most of the time, the symptoms of ovarian cancer do not show up until the cancer is widespread or in its advanced stage. This makes a woman at higher risk since it can be too late before she may be able to detect symptoms of ovarian cancer. Moreover, there are only very few symptoms of the cancer, which may be mistaken as symptoms of other health conditions.

The very first symptom of ovarian cancer is vague abdominal discomfort and bloating, which is caused by the excess fluid in the abdominal cavity. One always feels full even when she has not eaten much. As time passes by the swelling of the abdomen intensifies that some of your clothes may no longer fit you. Usually, it is because of this unusual swelling (way different from a woman’s monthly water retention) that most women go to the doctor for check up.

Bloating is accompanied by digestive disturbances, unexplained changes in the bowel habits and urinary patterns. There are frequent trips to the bathroom even in the absence of a urinary tract infection or other health problems. One may feel nauseous, very tired and she may feel like vomiting at times. She may also feel discomfort and pain during an intercourse.

Pain and swelling in the pelvic area is also noticeable upon closer physical examination. This is due to the swelling in the pelvis. In very rare instances, a woman in her postmenopausal stage experiences abnormal bleeding.

Other vague and non-specific symptoms of ovarian cancer include back and leg pain, loss of appetite, undernourished appearance, weight gain or weigh loss, and unusual bleeding in the vagina (heavier and longer than the usual menstrual bleeding).

Detecting Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Screening is a way to detect the symptoms of ovarian cancer. The earlier the patient is screened, the better so as to decrease the mortality and morbidity of ovarian cancer. One of the most effective ways to detect the cancer in its early stage is through pelvic and rectal exam.

There are over $600 Million dollars for Federal Recoveries nationwide in the USA, that means all the mesothelioma lawyers want a mesothelioma patient and have a piece of the $600 million dollar. Deciding to file a lawsuit is a very big step for most of the mesothelioma patients, Most of the mesothelioma patient do not consult a lawyer to win their rights from the law and are afraid of the high costs of the juries if they ever lose a trial. The other difficult part is deciding a lawyer to fight your case, most of the lawyers think more about their own profit then their patients.

If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma and want to appeal for your damages, you have to consult a lawyer and have all the proof you need to win the case. Ask your friends, search the internet or look at your directory for a lawyer who you can be happy with and is easy to talk to, a lawyer with too much experience will often rip their clients and are experienced in benefiting more for themselves then the client. Choose a lawyer that you can trust and or have known for some time. Do not ever put a ad or contact a law firm about your need of a lawyer, you will be annoyed by the amount of calls you will get trying to get you as a customer and you might make a mistake by choosing the wrong person. When you choose a lawyer that you can trust and you feel good with then you can go ahead to your next step and find all the information about your past that you can. Find a old friend from your old workplace, where you got the disease from. Contact your manager, your old company and inform them about your situation.

Make sure you have all the medical reports and results you need to proof that you are diagnosed with mesothelioma. Keep in touch with your doctor once in a while, because you might need him in the jury and always keep two copies of your medical documents for the court. Make sure the dates and signatures in your documents are Accurate, because even a small mistake could go against you. Contact as many mesothelioma specialists as you can as a backup for your case, in case you needed more people to proof your disease.

On the jury day, Make sure you arrive at your trial early and have your family and friends with you to support you. Support is the most important factor in a trial or you will feel nervous and make mistakes during your case. Always listen carefully to what the judge and other lawyers are saying. NEVER say yes/no to a question until you understand it carefully. Think about 10 seconds before answering any questions.

Some of the points that you have to proof in your Mesothelioma case are:

• The Fact: You have to prove you got the disease from your work or it some how made its way to your home.
• You have to prove you were never told about this during your work.
• You were not educated about Mesothelioma prevention before or during your job.
• Mesothelioma is a term you never heard before.
• You have Medical papers proving you are diagnosed with Mesothelioma.
• You did not take any medication or lived near a industrial area or worked in a location where asbestos was exposed to the breathing air.
• You can provide accurate information of your relationship with your employer from the term you started working there until you quit for what ever reason.

Most of the mesothelioma cases are won in a federal trial, if the person has proof of the mesothelioma diseases inside his body; so most of the mesothelioma patients have been successful in last few years. It’s your right, so take the step.