Peritoneal Mesothelioma Surgical Procedures

Posted on August 10, 2010 by

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Surgical Procedures

Peritoneal Mesothelioma is considerably rare, accounting for only between 10% and 20% of all Mesothelioma cases. Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by asbestos exposure that affects the abdominal tissue, more specifically the lining in the abdominal wall. Peritoneal Mesothelioma is most often deadly, although treatment options are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and the survival rate is ever so slowly creeping upward.


Surgical options for a patient that has been diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma include a procedure known as paracentesis and a procedure called peritonectomy. A paracentesis is a procedure that removes the fluid build up from between the lining of the abdominal cavity and the abdomen.


A paracentesis is usually opted for prior to a peritonectomy. A paracentesis may relieve the fluid pressure for awhile, although some patients get lucky and the fluid does not return to the extent of having to perform the procedure again. However, if a paracentesis is done and the fluid quickly returns, a peritonectomy is typically recommended. This means the removal of the abdominal wall lining, which will prevent future build up of fluid permanently.


Because surgical procedures are stressful even on a healthy body, some patients opt for a peritonectomy immediately and skip the more conservative procedure, the paracentesis. This means one surgery that is guaranteed to prevent the future build up of fluid, however there are risk factors with a peritonectomy.


The risk of infection in the post operative period is quite high, as the body is already in a weakened state from the cancer. Most physicians will perform a peritonectomy with the intention of making the patient more comfortable, as most cases of peritoneal mesothelioma are diagnosed well past the point that the cancer can be surgically removed. A paracentesis or a peritonectomy are purely for the sake of making the patient comfortable.


However, some patients opt for procedures like a paracentesis or a peritonectomy in the hopes of gaining a chance on the slim possibility of a cure. Peritoneal mesothelioma has a very low survival rate, and patients find themselves in the unenviable position of having to choose between procedures that will make them most comfortable and procedures that may extend their life and offer them a small chance at being cured. This of course is a very difficult place to be after being diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma.


The physician that a patient chooses after being diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma is likely to direct their course of treatment. Some physicians opt for surgical procedures like a paracentesis or a peritonectomy while other physicians do not feel the trade off and side effects of surgery are optimal in the face of a disease like peritoneal mesothelioma.


Treatment options such as a paracentesis or a peritonectomy are intrusive procedures that will weaken the body even more. However, a paracentesis or a peritonectomy often provide relief from the painful pressure of fluid build up that prevents patients with peritoneal mesothelioma from being able to participate in life. Each case is different and each case can only be evaluated on its individual merits.


There is of course no easy answer, and a patient with peritoneal mesothelioma will require a great amount of care to retain any amount of quality of life, and the decisions regarding surgical procedures such as paracentesis and peritonectomy are not easy decisions to make. Peritoneal mesothelioma patients face many decisions along the way, and unfortunately none of them ultimately leads to a cure.


Patients of peritoneal mesothelioma do fair better when they enter cancer programs that have a mesothelioma specialty as well as an entire approach to medicine, including nutritional therapies and emotional therapies.


There are no easy answers when faced with the decision to have a paracentesis performed or the option of peritonectomy, or the alternative option of foregoing surgical procedures altogether. Of course, the stronger and more informed a peritoneal mesothelioma patient’s support system, the more equipped he or she will be to make these difficult decisions.


Unfortunately, treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma, including procedures such as peritonectomies and paracentesis are relatively expensive, and factoring the cost of the more conservative approaches to treating this form of cancer such as radiation, chemotherapy, and other therapies, treating peritoneal mesothelioma can be outrageous even with medical insurance.


There is help for those who need it, and patients and family members can be proactive in finding the help they need and deserve. This may mean asking a lot of questions until the right person for the question is found, but there is no reason for a victim of peritoneal mesothelioma or their family members to have to face this disease alone.

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Symptoms of Breast Cancer ? Who is at the Risk?

Posted on August 10, 2010 by

Symptoms of Breast Cancer ? Who is at the Risk?

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. While the majority of new breast cancers are diagnosed as a result of an abnormality seen on a mammogram, a lump or change in consistency of the breast tissue can also be a warning sign of the disease.

There are two main types of breast cancer:

•Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.

Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

So what are the symptoms of breast cancer? At first, you may notice no symptoms of breast cancer at all. Once the cancer begins to grow, it can be detected in several ways. Check for lumps or thickening near the breast and underarms. A change in the size or shape of your breast may be symptom of breast cancer. If you notice a discharge from you nipple, please consult your physician. This too can by a symptom of breast cancer. Anything else abnormal such as a change in color or feel should be mentioned to your physician. It may not be breast cancer, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Breast cancers in their early stages are usually painless. Often the first symptom is the discovery of a hard lump. Fifty percent of such masses are found in the upper outer quarter of the breast. The lump may make the affected breast appear elevated or asymmetric. The nipple may be retracted or scaly. Sometimes the skin of the breast is dimpled like the skin of an orange. In some cases there is a bloody or clear discharge from the nipple. Many cancers, however, produce no symptoms and cannot be felt on examination. They can be detected only with a mammogram.

An early diagnosis of breast cancer is associated with a higher survival rate. Therefore, it is vital to be able to recognize the signs of breast cancer. Symptoms of breast cancer can include:

Clear or bloody liquid discharge from nipple

Nipple retraction or indentation

Change in size and shape of breasts

A flattening or indentation on the skin of the breast indicating a change in the underlying tissue.

A change in the look or feel of the skin of the breast, areola or nipple such as warmth, swelling, redness or scaliness

Redness or scaling of the breast’s skin.

Unusual dimpling in the breast.

Discharge from the nipple. This can be dark and bloody or clear in nature.

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Five Easy Steps to Charitable Car Donations

Posted on August 10, 2010 by

Five Easy Steps to Charitable Car Donations

 

Are you tired of using your old car but can’t seem to find the time to replace it? We all know that buying a new car doesn’t take a lot of time but it is getting rid of the old car that does.  If you opt to sell your old car, this would mean taking time off from work to refurbish your car, advertise, entertain possible buyers and do the necessary paperwork.  Fortunately, you can avoid all these with charitable car donations.

Through charitable car donations, you are guaranteed a fast and convenient way to dispose your old car.  Charitable car donations are executed by simply transferring or donating your car to a car donations services who act as intermediaries for charitable institutions who are involved in specific or varied causes.  The causes that these institutions may support are: helping disabled people, homeless individuals, cancer patients, or battered individuals.  So, charitable car donations not only provide you with a fast and convenient option of getting rid of an old car but a way of helping the needy as well.

Moreover, the federal government rewards you for your charitable car donations with tax deductions.  According to the federal tax legislation governing car donations, the gross sales amount or the fair market value is an allowable deduction to tax payable.

If you want to get rid of your old car through charitable car donations but don’t know how, here are the steps that you should take.

1.  Prepare the car’s title.  Car donations services only accept cars with titles.  So when you decide to donate your old car to charitable car donations, make sure you have your car’s title on hand.

2.  Search for a reputable car donations services.  The whole process of donating your car is convenient and fast, and so is looking for a car donations services.  You can do this at the comfort of your own home by surfing online.  However, do not just choose the first car donations services that you come across.  Always look for a 501(c) (3) charity organization classification.  This is to ensure that the legal personality of the car donations services.  If you still doubt the car donations service’s 501(c) (3) classification claim, you may also verify with the IRS Tax Exempt and Government Entities Department.

3.  Call the toll-free number and fill out the application form.  Online car donations services have toll-free numbers that you can call.  Some information, such as the paperwork and car pick-up process, may not be available on the website and you may want to verify this.  Aside from the phone call, car donations services may require you to fill-out an application form.  This will not be a hassle for you since this application form is available online and submitting entails clicking the submit button.

4.  Wait for the car pick-up.  The car donations services lives up to their convenience and speedy feature with immediate car pick-ups, which is usually within 24 to 48 hours.  When your car is picked up, it is important to ask for a document acknowledging the receipt of your car.  This document however, may not be the document required for your tax deduction.

5.  Wait for your tax deduction paper requirements.  To claim your tax deductions, you will be required to submit an acknowledgment receipt containing the details of your charitable car donations.  Car donations services prepare this paperwork but may take a maximum of 30 days.  After picking up your car, the car donations services may need time to refurbish or fix the car.

 

 

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Is Buying Organic Raw Foods a Waste? (Part II)

Posted on August 7, 2010 by

Is Buying Organic Raw Foods a Waste? (Part II)

As promised, here is Part II of Monday’s article on organic foods. I examined an episode of Penn & Teller’s: Bulls**t in which they called “BS!” on the whole organic food craze based on these five factors:

Environment
Pesticides
Nutrition
Taste
Small Business Farmers

Today I will be discussing nutrition, taste, benefits for the small farmer and conclude with the absolute best option when purchasing raw produce.

*Better Nutrition*

One reason people cite for choosing organically grown food is because it has a higher level of nutrition than conventionally grown produce.

Penn and Teller

The show quotes a 2009 LA Times’ article quoting (I know, a lot of quotes) a study conducted by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in which they concluded that there was no significant difference in nutritional quality between organic and conventional food.

From the LA Times article:

Surveying 50,000 studies conducted over 50 years, the authors focused on 55 that met their standards of scientific rigor. The studies that led to the group’s controversial conclusions covered a wide range of crops and livestock that are raised and marketed under organic standards.

For 10 out of 13 food crops studied, the researchers found no significant differences. Where they did find differences, those were attributed to differences in fertilizer use (say, the use of nitrogen vs. phosphorus) and the ripeness level at which the crops were harvested. The authors judged the differences observed “unlikely” to “provide any health benefit” to consumers.

My Comments

While the study draws an interesting conclusion, the results really depend upon the farm and the farming methods, whether organic or not (e.g. the soil quality, when the fruit is picked, etc.)

That’s why I highlighted the portion of the quote regarding ripeness; I believe the ripeness level of the food to be the real key. The closer the food is to being allowed to tree-ripen, the more nutritious it will be.

This is especially important for fruits that do not continue to ripen after being picked.  It’s also one reason your best option is to eat locally sourced produce, but we’ll get to that a bit later.

For now, let’s take a look at the fourth criterion.

*Better Taste*

I’m sure you know this one!  How many times have you been told (or maybe told others) how AMAZING organic produce tastes compared to conventional?

Penn and Teller

For this portion, the show conducted a blind taste test for which they had multiple people tasting two different unlabeled plates of food (conventional and organic apples, tomatoes, and bananas) and then asking them which one was organic.

In each test, the majority of the people chose the conventional fruit because it was tastier and so they figured it was organic!

My Comments

The last test was my favorite part of the show. A girl (a raw vegan, actually!) was given half of an organic banana and half of a non-organic banana and asked which one tasted better.

She was very enthusiastic about the organic half, exclaiming that it tasted more like a banana than the conventional banana. In actuality, both halves came from the same conventionally grown banana! It was just one banana!!!

I know, pretty mean, but she was a good sport.

When it comes to fruit, I have to agree with the taste testers.  Organic fruit is typically less tasty than conventional.  And while the quality has definitely been improving over the years and I’ve had some tasty organic fruit, it still isn’t miles and away better than any conventionally grown fruits I’ve ever had.

Greens, on the other hand, are another story. Organic greens are almost always tastier than their conventional counterparts. I’ve also had bitter organic greens – in that case I throw them out – but usually the quality is very good.

*Benefits for the Small Business Farmer*

Lastly, many people interested in eating organic do so because they believe that they are lining the pockets of small business farmers.

Penn and Teller

According to Penn and Teller, this is BS. Now that the organic food movement is such a profitable industry, most (if not all) of the organic farms are owned by large companies.

My Comments

While it is definitely true that the organic foods you find in your local grocery store mostly come from corporations, you can still support small businesses by purchasing produce from local farms at farmers markets (or from the farms directly) in your area.

Which brings me to…

*The Best Option*

By far the best choice for fresh, tasty, nutritious, environmentally friendly produce is to buy locally.

Why?

The closer the produce is to where you live, the less distance it will have to travel to get to you (environment). Also, the fresher and higher-quality it will be because the farmer will not have to worry about the food decomposing on the way and will be able to pick as close to ripe as possible (nutrition).

As far as pesticides go, each farm is different. However, it has been my experience that while many of the farms at the farmers markets are not USDA certified organic, they practice many sustainable methods (i.e. no sewage sludge, no genetically modified seeds, and no irradiation) and use as little harmful pesticides (or even none!) as possible.

There actually IS a certified organic farm at one of my markets, but the prices are ridiculous and the fruit tastes no different than what is offered at the other farms.

Oh, and taste! Fresh, ripe fruit is always tastier than fruit that was picked early to ship, wait in a warehouse, sit on the store shelves, and finally find its way into your kitchen.

The absolute BEST tomatoes, peaches, cantaloupes, watermelons, and blueberries I have ever tasted were not certified organic, but were grown just a few miles (in many cases, less than 30) from where I live.

The best part about buying local produce? You actually get to communicate with the people growing your food and buy directly from them! You can ask them all about what produce they grow, their prices, their farming methods, etc.

To find farms and farmers markets in your area, check out www.pickyourown.org and www.localharvest.org

*Final Words*

Bruce Ames, famous biochemist and creator of the Ames Test (a test that screens chemicals to see if they cause cancer) quoted in this NY Times article:

Everything you eat in the supermarket is absolutely chock full of carcinogens…But most cancers are not due to parts per billion of pesticides. They’re due to causes like smoking, bad diets and, obesity.

And here again in a Reason Magazine interview:

I just think all this business of organic food is nonsense basically. We should be eating more fruits and vegetables, so the main way to do that is to make them cheaper. Anything that makes fruits and vegetables more expensive may increase cancer.

In other words…

Stop obsessing over organic and EAT MORE FRUIT!!! :D

UPDATE: Judy brought up an excellent point on my blog: home growing!  Growing your food yourself is even better than sourcing locally grown produce, for obvious reasons: you have complete control over the seeds you buy, the composting you use, the soil, pesticide management, etc.

Thanks, Judy! :)

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

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Peritoneal Mesothelioma – Cancer in Abdominal Lining

Posted on August 7, 2010 by

Peritoneal Mesothelioma – Cancer in Abdominal Lining

There is a particular type of cancer that affects the abdominal lining called peritoneal mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos and asbestos products is the source of this cancer.


Because it is known to affect the lining of the abdomen called the peritoneal, there are issues related to how well the abdomen is able to protect the organs in the region and how well it is lubricated which enables the organs to shift around and function correctly.


Peritoneal mesothelioma is occasionally known as diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma, which means that the cancer has expanded to surrounding organs. This type of mesothelioma is given credit for approximately ten percent of mesothelioma and is the second most common form of asbestos related mesothelioma. The most common form is called pleural mesothelioma.


Mesothelioma is notorious for having a long latency period where it is silently growing but, not affecting health and functioning. In fact, more often than not, symptoms go decades before they become obvious and this unfortunately means that the disease is in an advanced stage before the symptoms start to appear. Many times this delay in diagnosis negatively impacts the prognosis for the patient.


Sometimes there is an additional interval between symptoms and diagnosis because the first symptoms are so non-specific and so much like other diseases and ailments. More than likely a physician is going to look for less serious causes for symptoms and then by ruling these out, the peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosis in ruled in.


Because mesothelioma is rare, a doctor is not likely to think about it unless somewhere in the medical history taking process there has been mention of working in a field associated with asbestos. Thus, it is imperative to inform a doctor about all possible events that might have led to exposure to asbestos.


As with all cancers, there are a variety of symptoms that are particular to the disease, after the general nonspecific early symptoms evolve. The most common symptoms of this cancer are: abdominal pain, frailness or weakness; loss of weight; nausea and vomiting; loss off appetite; abdominal swelling; and bowel obstruction.


There can be a variety of additional symptoms depending on the location of the tumor. These other symptoms can include: breathing difficulties and extreme pain.

There is an assortment of treatment options with more being developed and tested each day.


Thus, the rate of mortality is getting less each year. Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. When the diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma is final, a physician or team will recommend options for the patient.


These options will be founded on variables like: the magnitude of the disease and its’ stage of advancement; the general health condition of the patient will be taken into consideration; the patient’s medical history; and age.


As mentioned earlier, there are a range of treatment options and one of them is surgery. If surgery is the treatment of choice, the goal will be to focus on removing enough of the peritoneal lining and diseased tissue from the abdomen so the tumor can be removed. The decision to conduct surgery is based on how far advanced the cancer is, how far it has expanded, and the size of the tumor.


How much tissue is to be removed will be determined by how much spreading has occurred. If the cancer has spread to the diaphragm, parts of that may be removed as well as the tumor.


Another form of treatment is radiation therapy which is a process of targeting the part of the body where the tumor resides and trying to annihilate the cancer cells by blasting it with high energy x-rays. Radiation therapy is typically delivered in one of two ways: externally or insertion.


When external radiation is the course of treatment, a machine is aimed at the tumor and radiation is emitted through the body at the tumor. When internal radiation is the course of treatment, plastic tubes carry the radiation to the affected region of the body. It is also possible that a physician may also place drugs into the body through the inserted tubes.


A final type of treatment is chemotherapy which is a process of using a drug or combination of drugs to destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs, in the form of pills, are taken by mouth.


There may be times when chemotherapy is best delivered intravenously into a muscle or a vein with a needle. With this approach, the cancer drug will penetrate the blood stream and permeate through the body.

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Introduction to Breast Cancer

Posted on August 7, 2010 by

Introduction to Breast Cancer

Breast menaced is the most ordinary letters of melanoma among women in the United States (other than skin scourge). Each year, in the United States isolated, about 220,000 women are told they have breast canker. On hearing this unexpected and overwhelming newscast, a lady is faced with having to make healing choices within a very sharp time of time. While curable if detected early, breast pest is the principal root of collapse for women ages 35 to 54.

Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. Cancer occurs when, for anonymous reasons, cells become abnormal and multiply lacking restraint or order. All parts of the body are made up of cells that typically gulf to emit more cells only when the body requests them. When bane occurs, cells keep isolating even when new cells are not desired.

There are some types of breast scourge. The most familiar is ductal carcinoma, which begins in the lining of the milk ducts within the breast. Another typeface, lobular carcinoma, begins in the lobules where breast milk is produced. If a cancerous growth invades near bandanna, it is called insidious pest.

Cancer cells may smear afar the breast to other lymph nodes, or the bones, liver or lungs. When breast menaced spreads, it is called metastatic breast melanoma even although it is found in another part of the body. For example, breast plague that has daub to the liver is called metastatic breast canker, not liver sarcoma.

Doctors cannot always explicate why one someone gets menace and another does not. Medical researchers are, however, skill about what happens inside cells that may affect canker. They have identified changes in certain genes within breast cells that can be related to an advanced danger for breast menace.

Genetic changes may be inherited from a mother or may accumulate throughout a character’s duration. Breast menaced usually begins with a distinct cabal that transforms from normal to nasty over an episode of time. Presently, however, no one can predict precisely when menace will happen or how it will proceed.

Every woman has some casual of developing breast evil during her time. As women get older, those chances intensify. Overall, a woman’s luck of being diagnosed with breast pest is 1 out of 8. Even however breast sarcoma is more common in older women, it also occurs in younger women and even in a small number of men (1,300 gear per year in the U.S.).

While there is yet no preventive to sojourn breast menace, early detection is necessary to ongoing the disease. There are three things women can, and should do. Get an annual mammogram (singular X-ray program) after the age of 50; recurrent (yearly) breast examination by a surgeon; and breast character-examination (BSE) at slightest once a month.

If breast melanoma is detected, it is important to remember there is no only remedy that is “right” for all women. As with most medical conditions, there is no “one-volume-fits-all” healing or therapy. And all breast cancers are not alike. Breast menace is a neurosis disease. Once breast pest has been found, more tests will be done to find the detailed chart of your particular plague. This is an important measure called staging.

Knowing the take juncture of your disease will help your physician sketch your course of healing. Your surgeon will want to know: the extent of the tumor; if the tumor has extended within your breast; if canker display in your underarm lymph nodes; if scourge submit in other parts of your body.

There are many options available and you can always ask more than one surgeon about your diagnosis and treatment strategy. Your best launch is to reward as much knowledge about the disease and the treatments as probable. Find answers for your questions and grow assistance in your skirmish against a terrifying opponent. Remember, there are no “dumb” questions when you are faced with cancer.

Most women who are treated for early breast cancer go onto live healthy, active, productive lives. The best option of survival is early detection, so plan for mammograms, have yearly visits with your doctor, and use self-examination frequently. Best desires for years of good shape!

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American Cancer Society Car Donation – A Tremendous Way To Give Charity

Posted on August 7, 2010 by

American Cancer Society Car Donation – A Tremendous Way To Give Charity

Finding a place to donate your car to aid other individuals isn’t that simple. There are piles of charities that you can extend but the truth is that you only have one car. You should choose the exact one which you believe is worthy of your assistance and the American Cancer Society is one of those great charities that genuinely are serving people out of your car donation.

You are even advised about the beneficiary of your automobile so you are sure that it will be of right usage. In order to be definite of the total value of your donation, you should deal directly to the American Cancer organization and not on some third party associations. There are other charities that demand they are rendering every penny they picked up to the poverty-stricken but this affirmation is barely unimaginable as each foundation involves operating costs to be occupied.

Each society like this is straightforward and can be assured over your State Attorney General’s agency. They can render the exact share of their expenses and the sum they are contributing to the benefactive roles. Among these institutions in the United States, the American Cancer Society is one of those few that abides by the federal regulations of this kind of charity that deals with automobile contributions.

As being noted, your conclusion of giving your automobile in the first place is the easiest part while deciding where to give it is difficult. You are entirely donating a motorcar and what’s essential is the feeling of comfort that you have imparted it to the right organization.

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Last Dance with Death

Posted on August 4, 2010 by

Last Dance with Death

The announcement of Patrick Swayze’s cancer diagnosis in January 2008 followed by his demise on September 15, 2009, only 20 months later, was both tragic and a reminder that we have a long way to go in cancer treatment.

Patrick Swayze was only 57 years old when he lost his struggle to cancer. His memorable roles in Ghost and Dirty Dancing made him one of Hollywood’s great. And while we may glamorize the life of the stars, we know that money cannot buy health or even guarantee a cure to cancer.

Cancer

More than 11 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year and the numbers keep on growing. Cancer causes seven million deaths every year or 12.5 percent of deaths worldwide.

It doesn’t matter if you’re rich, poor, young or old. Every person on the planet is at risk of cancer. Famous actors like Robert DeNiro, Diahann Carroll and Christina Applegate, singers like Sheryl Crow and Kylie Minogue have all suffered from cancer.

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of cells that may affect almost any tissue of the body. Lung, colorectal and stomach cancer affect both men and women, while prostate cancer only occurs in men and cervical cancer only occurs in women. Breast cancer more commonly affects women, but can also affect men.

Pancreatic Cancer

Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008. This is cancer which originates from the pancreas – a hormonal organ found tucked away behind the intestines in the abdomen. The ‘hidden’ location of the pancreas means that symptoms of cancer are often subtle. There is also no screening test to check for pancreatic cancer making it difficult to detect.

Pancreatic cancer is not the most common type of cancer but it is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. For most people the diagnosis is only made very late in the course of the illness. Swayze already had stage IV pancreatic cancer at the time of diagnosis. This means the cancer had already spread to other organs in the body, in his case, the liver.

In general, the larger a cancer is and the further it has spread at the time of diagnosis, the worse the outlook for the sufferer is. Despite his advanced disease Patrick completed his work on his television show The Beast, conducted several interviews and campaigned for cancer research during his final months.

What causes pancreatic cancer?

Nobody is certain as to what causes pancreatic cancer. Like so many other cancers most experts believe it is a combination of both your genetics and lifestyle which triggers the disease.

We know the following factors will increase your risk of developing pancreatic cancer:

Smoking cigarettes increases your chances of developing many cancers, including pancreatic cancer.

Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) over a number of years can increase your risk of cancer.

Male. Men are 1.3 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than women. Age. The average age at which pancreatic cancer develops is 65. This means, the older you get the higher your risk of developing this cancer is. Diabetes. This medical condition has been linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer in later life. Family risk. Having a first-degree family member with pancreatic cancer triples your risk of the disease.

While Swayze had his smoking habit and gender stacked up against him, he didn’t have any of the other risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Like all other cancer sufferers, Swayze must have wondered why he developed this cancer. When it comes to cancer, we just don’t have enough answers

What would be the signs and symptoms?

As previously mentioned, pancreatic cancer most often grows and spreads without detection, in 50 percent of all sufferers the cancer has spread to other organs by the time obvious symptoms develop. The symptoms and signs which pancreatic cancer may cause depend on the size and location of the cancer in the pancreas.

Jaundice. In a small number of people pancreatic cancer can present as yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes and darkening of the urine. Pain. Typically lower back pain which is only relieved by heat or bending forward is a sign of pancreatic cancer. The problem is that there are many other much more common causes of back pain.

Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss. Cancer puts the body into a ‘breaking down’ state. Someone with cancer not only won’t feel like eating, but will burn more kilojoules as their body focuses its resources on fighting the disease. Someone with cancer can lose up to several kilograms a week.

Nausea and vomiting. While it’s not very specific, someone with pancreatic cancer will frequently complain of feeling bilious, especially after eating fatty meals.

What are the chances of survival?

Pancreatic cancer generally has a poor outlook. For those with advanced disease most will not survive one year after diagnosis. For those with early disease which can be operated on, one-in-four will still be alive after five years. Despite his late stage diagnosis and grim initial reports, Swayze survived another 20 months after his diagnosis. Cancer experts would consider this better than anyone can hope for. It makes us all feel like we are living on borrowed time.

What treatment is there?

For about 20 percent of pancreatic cancer patients the tumor is still located in the pancreas and can be removed. The surgery is technically very tricky and highly specialized, taking on average six to eight hours. Surgery offers the best chance of survival for any sufferer.

Chemotherapy also forms a vital part of the treatment. For those with late disease, chemotherapy can slow down the rate of spread of the cancer and give the person a few more months of life. In those with early disease, surgery is first done followed by chemotherapy to kill off cancer cells which may have microscopically spread around the body.

Chemotherapy is sadly, not a perfect science. While pharmaceutical companies pour billions of dollars into researching new cancer-fighting chemicals, there is no such thing as ‘a cure for cancer’. Not everyone or every tumor responds the same way to a chemotherapy drug.

Treatment, as with Patrick Swayze, may even be experimental. The drugs are often toxic and may have horrible side-effects. But they may also work. Unless people are brave enough to try these treatments, we will never really progress in finding the treatments which work best.

Those who blame chemotherapy for Swayze’s death have lost sight of the fact that cancer kills people, and that chemotherapy has saved many lives. There is no treatment – alternative or mainstream – which can guarantee success. But every person who has chemotherapy provides us with an answer that slowly navigates us towards success.

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Information On Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Posted on August 4, 2010 by

Information On Peritoneal Mesothelioma

The kind of mesothelioma that is found in the peritonium region is named peritoneal mesothelioma. The peritonium is a membrane that lines the abdominal region of our body. Peritoneal mesothelioma represents a small number of all mesothelioma cases at about 30%. Patients that suffer from peritoneal mesothelioma are commonly found to have been exposed to asbestos over a period of time in the past.

The duration of exposure necessary needed for peritoneal mesothelioma to result is unknown.  Abdominal pain, swelling and lumps in the abdominal as well as anemia are just a quantity of of the symptoms of this kind of cancer. Almost all patients suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma will lose their lives to it in the end.

A cure has not been found and efforts are regularly made in the region of lengthening life expectancy. The way asbestos affects the peritonium is how the cells of the membrane react to the fibers themselves. The cells begin to divide at a very high rate causing the membrane to thicken.

Fluids start to build up in the abdominal area. Treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma includes draining of the fluid in the abdomen, Cytoreductive surgery which is an attempt at removing as much discernible tumors as possible. This is then combined with chemotherapy and radiation if the situation warrants it.

The radiation and chemotherapy is used to quickly kill the dividing cells. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy is also an option where the chemicals are delivered directly into the peritonium.

The majority of patients however, are mostly too far along for radiation and chemotherapy to be effective. In such situations, the physician in charge will normally attempt to improve the quality of the patients remaining lifespan.

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Should You Have a Mastectomy to Prevent Breast Cancer?

Posted on August 4, 2010 by

Should You Have a Mastectomy to Prevent Breast Cancer?

Should You Have a Mastectomy to Prevent Breast Cancer?

Modern women always have a fear of breast cancer. Whilst average woman has around 12% risk of getting affected with breast cancer, others have 85% chance of getting their life troubled with this menace. For women with high risk of breast cancer, fear is very much real, and most of them look to ways for lowering its risk.

An option, which some high-risk women considers for treating breast cancer, is prophylactic or preventive mastectomy. You may consider it, if you:

1-Are having cancers in one of your breasts and looking forward to remove the healthy breast for avoiding it to get affected too.

2-Are at high risk of breast cancer and looking forward to remove both breasts before it develops to advance and untreatable stage.

Mastectomy is a surgical procedure done for removing nearly all the tissues of your breast, where cancer may grow. This is, in no mean, a guarantee that you will not have breast cancer, as it’s impossible for taking out every bit of the tissue. However, experts have estimated that mastectomy can reduce the risk by almost 90%.

Some women find losing their breast for reducing risks of cancer to be beneficial. However, their choice cannot be clear cut. Various factors, which include women’s personal risk and their own feelings on the same, can affect the application of Mastectomy on their breasts.

Who Can Opt For Preventive Mastectomy?

You should opt for preventive mastectomy, if you know that you’re at high risk of breast cancer. You might be at high risks if:

1-You are sure that you have BRCA (breast cancer) gene change. You can find about BRCA by having a gene testing. Gene testing is generally done on women having a history of ovarian or/and breast cancer in their family.

2-You are having a history of breast cancers in your family. If any (or more than one) of your close family member (mother or sister) had breast cancer before, you are said to have a strong history. Risks are also considered high, if you are having both ovarian and breast cancer on any side of your family.

3-You are already having cancers in your breast. This means that there is a possibility of getting it on the other breast.

4-You have already been diagnosed with LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma in Situ). LCIS means that you are having abnormal cells in lobules (milk glands) of your breast. Experts classify it to be a pre-cancer or stage ‘0’ cancer. It might be increasing your risks of breast cancer. However, figures suggest that most women, who have been diagnosed with LCIS, do not get breast cancer.

5-Your chest has been exposed to radiation therapy before you were 30.

How Can I Make A Decision On Preventive Mastectomy?

Decision for having mastectomy to prevent cancer is a very personal one. To make the decision easy and right, it might help if you:

1-Consult your doctor or genetic counselors for getting a better idea of the risk involved.

2-Give consideration to your feelings. Some of us cannot imagine the thought of giving up our breasts, whereas others feel greater peace of mind covers up the loss.

3-Discuss this decision with the one, who are close to you. Suggestions from them can go a long way in helping you to decide.

However, you should always remember that it’s your body and it will always be your decision.

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