Bad Credit Home Equity Loan

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" Bad Credit Home Equity Loans "

Do you have less than stellar credit? Maybe you’ve run into some of life’s challenges like suffering at the altar of high medical costs or soaring college tuition fees for your children. A situation where you have bad credit is only temporary; it can be fixed. If you own your home or other property, a home equity loan may be your path to good credit and fewer credit headaches.

This kind of mortgage is officially known as a HELOC or Home Equity Line of Credit and, as the name implies, that’s exactly what it is. A home equity mortgage is a line of credit using the value of your home or other real estate as security that the loan will be repaid. This credit system works exactly like a credit card with the only difference being you secure the line of credit with property you already own. It’s an excellent tool for repairing bad credit.

The interest on a home equity loan may be set at either a fixed or an adjustable rate. The exact details will, of course, have to be worked out with your lender, but for getting a handle on your bad credit situation, a home equity loan offers a number of benefits. Check this out: one major benefit of these loans is that the interest is usually tax deductible. Bonus!

To secure a home equity loan with bad credit, you will probably have to jump through some administrative hoops. One is that you will probably have to have your home (or other property) appraised. This will determine how much your home is worth and how much you still owe on the property. The difference between how much you owe and how much it is worth will be the primary determining factor as to how much you will be allowed to borrow.

Unlike a complete refinance of your primary mortgage or taking out a second mortgage, you will probably not have to pay any points on this type of loan. Points are lender fees often charged on real estate loans. One point is equal to one percent of the loan amount. If you are charged one point on a $100,000 loan, you pay $1,000, and so on.

It’s probably a good idea when going after a home equity loan with bad credit to talk to your banker and the lender who holds the first mortgage. This is to just get an idea of what’s available, do not sign any papers at this time. Once you have this information, go online to see how their rates compare.

There are many avenues to rebuilding bad credit, but if you own property – especially your own home – you probably will qualify to take advantage of a home equity loan.

by startremodeling.com

Cancer Theraphy

Investigators have found that injecting standard chemotherapy into the abdominal cavity—instead of intravenously alone—increases survival with advanced ovarian cancer by, on average, a remarkable 16 months.

What did the experiment test, and how credible are the results? The study, published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, was a rigorous trial of 429 women who had Stage 3 ovarian cancer and were randomly assigned to receive chemotherapy either intravenously or through both the bloodstream and the abdomen (via a catheter).

What was the treatment like? Patients first underwent surgery to clear the abdominal area—including around the liver, spleen and under the diaphragm—of as much cancer as possible, followed by 18 weeks of chemo.

Why does where you give the chemotherapy make such a difference? Ovarian cancer is unusual in that it often spreads throughout the abdomen but not into the lymph nodes, so it is possible to focus treatment on just one part of the body.

How toxic are the drugs? Patients in both groups lost their hair and were at risk of developing fatal infections as well as nerve and kidney damage. The intra-abdominal-therapy patients became sicker midway through treatment and felt worse for as long as a year afterward. But even those who could tolerate the therapy for only a short time derived some benefit.

Is this the cure for ovarian cancer? No. As of November, more than 200 study participants had suffered a recurrence of their cancer and died. But the median survival rate was better than five years for the group that received intravenous and intra-abdominal chemotherapy, compared with a little more than four years for the intravenous-only group. That's a big gain when you realize success in cancer studies is usually measured in months, not years.

(time magazine).

Cancer Triggering Substances in Food

Where do the carcinogenic food substances locate ? As mentioned before, it should be noted that carcinornatosis is caused by the complex combination of many factors with culture of life, environment and so on. Therefore, not all such food will yield carcinomatosis.

They should thus be regarded as "major suspects".Such carcinogenic substances may be classified into several groups:

1. Those directly contained in the ingredient materials:
Cyclic hydrocarbon, butakiroside, cycasin (the fruit of cycas revoluta) commonly found in the astringent taste romaine lettuce

The isocyclic amine generated from burnt fish meat, alpha licarubolin contained in burnt peas, etc.

2. Substances derived from a heating process:
Nitrosamine given out on the surface when dried cuttlefish, dried fish are roasted in fire.

3. Food additives:
The coloring agent for sausages, ham, dried meat (substances represented by nitrosamine are given out
by nitrite during food processing)
Color stuffs, artificial seasoning, preservatives, anti-
bacteria and bleaching agents etc

4 Molds

Molds of peanuts, aflatoxin B 1.
Molds of rice, flavone, molds of pickled food.
Molds of biscuits, He toxin etc.

5. Substances given out in the body in the process of food
digestion

This occurs when the salty food hurts against the inner walls of the stomach, and similarly for very hot
porridge and rice, or taking excessively stimulating food.
Some of such food very often does not possess carcinogenic characteristics at all, depending of the
way of cooking and amount taken. What is most important to note in your eating habits is on control of
certain food, by not having "too much, too frequently".

(stay health everyone!).
by prevencancer.info

The Cancer Causes part 2

The Worrisome Causes:

• Pesticides

  Everyone knows that pesticides are not good for you and can be poisonous. But what you didn't know is the extent of impact researchers are finding on pesticides and cancer. Pesticide "Bombs" in the home, termite control products, flea collars on pets, insecticides in the garden or orchard and herbicides for week control have all been proven to have direct impact on cancers, especially childhood cancers. The risk of leukemia increases by FOUR TO SEVEN times for children 10 or under whose parents use home or garden pesticides. Use of any of the aforementioned products can also be directly linked to increased risk for childhood brain cancer.

• Lanolin

  Lanolin is a harmless product normally used on a baby's skin. The problem is that studies have found contaminates in Lanolin including carcinogenic pesticides and DDT. Make sure any Lanolin product is proven to be rid of these contaminants.

• Cosmetics

  There is no startling evidence to say that cosmetic use will give you cancer. But the worrisome aspect of cosmetics is three fold. First, cosmetics are not regulated strongly by the FDA. The FDA only comes after a cosmetic after it has entered the market and generated complaints. They also do not require pre-market safety testing or FDA approval. Secondly, the human skin is extremely permeable. This means that things you put on it soak into your body and into your bloodstream including your cosmetic products which were not meant to be in your blood. Thirdly, many studies have found contaminants in a wide array of beauty products, and althought we could not find any direct studies that linked cosmetic products other than hair dye and talc containing products to cancer, we believe the risk is there.
  

• X-Rays and Gamma Rays

  Exposure to these two types have radiation have been proven to be carcinogenic. The cancers they have been linked to include leukemia and cancers of the lung, breast, thyroid, salivary glands, stomach, colon, bladder, ovaries, central nervous system and skin. Childhood exposure to these two types of radiation seems to be more potent and more likely to develop leukemia and thyroid cancer in children. 55% of X-radiation exposure in humans is classified as medical or dental X-Rays, while the other 45% is from natural sources such as radon. While x-rays may be a necessity in certain medical situations, avoid them if at all possible. Also ensure that your home is tested for radon.

The "Should Be" Obvious Causes:

• Tobacco

  We categorize this as the most obvious carcinogen on the planet. Hopefully you have been educated enough to this point to know that all tobacco use, including smoke, chewing, and second hand smoke all cause various types of cancer and other diseases. The main purpose of this site is to let you know that there are other lifestyle choices and things in your daily life that cause cancer that aren't so obvious. But for those of you who haven't gotten the point, tobacco can cause: Lung Cancer, Laryngeal (Voice Box) Cancer, Oral and Esophageal Cancer, Stomach Cancer, and a whole slew of non-cancerous health problems. If you haven't gotten the point yet, don't use tobacco.

• Unhealthy Diet

  Yes, a healthy diet can do a long way towards avoiding preventable cancer. Not only does a poor diet lead to heart disease, but many studies show a spike in cancers in the overweight and obese. You don't have to be a diet "nut" or be super skinny to qualify for having a healthy diet. We recommend ensuring your intake of vitamins and minerals through fruits, vegetables and a multivitamin. Obviously if you struggle with weight you know it's a battle, but hopefully now we can add a motivation for you, that obesity not only leads to heart disease and diabetes, it can lead to cancer.

• Excess Sunlight

  This is probably the most widely known carcinogen next to tobacco. Sun exposure and sunburns have been proven time and time again to lead directly to skin cancer. Skin cancers are most common in light-skinned people, although they also occur in people with darker skin as well. Recent studies suggest that children and young adults are most likely to contract cancers from sun exposure, so it's up to you parents to keep your kids educated and protected against sun exposure. Remember people, sunblock is your friend!

• Alcohol

  Not as widely known as a carcinogen, many studies have linked alcohol drinking and the risk factor for a number of cancers. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, and liver in men and women, and of breast cancer in women. Studies have shown that risk factors begin to increase after consumption of 1-2 drinks per day, and grow as the number of drinks per day increase. Moderate alcohol consumption should still be considered a healthy activity, but bulk consumption and daily consumption of more than 1-2 drinks should be considered a serious health risk.

• Asbestos

  "Asbestos" is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally as bundles of fibers. While this is a very broad classification, it is fitting since asbestos are found in such a large amount of materials. The building and construction industry uses asbestos regularly. Over 5,000 products contain asbestos. Asbestos can be directly linked to lung, larynx, oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, and kidney cancer, as well as Mesothelioma�a relatively rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen. Nearly every American will become exposed to asbestos at some point in their life, but similar to cigarettes, daily exposure is usually to blame for these cancers. If you work in the field of shipbuilding, asbestos mining, brake repair, demolition, drywall removal, and firefighting you are more likely to be exposed to asbestos. If so, when you are doing so it is best to wear a protective mask, and then immediately shower and clean your clothes after such exposure. It is up to the government to remove asbestos from things that may exposure humans and they have done a good job.

The Questionable Causes:

• Cell Phones

  There has been debate since the inception of cell phones about their possible link to brain cancer and tumors. There have been some studies that have attempted to link cell phone use to brain cancer, but the bigger, more recent, and more credible studies have all found no link. Conspiracy theorists argue that the cell phone companies are fueling many studies attempting to prove cell phones to be completely safe, but right now it seems that different researchers are debating this fact, with the current edge going to NOT causing cancer.

• Artificial Sweeteners

  Since the introduction of artificial sweeteners there has been much debate on their impact on health. While lowering your sugar intake can undoubtedly be proven to be healthy for most consumers, the debate over the safety of their alternatives is in question. While studies on animals have linked a number of animal cancers to "old generation" sweeteners (saccharin, cyclamate and aspartame), there are no definitive reports linking any human cancers to use of artificial sweeteners. For "new generation" artificial sweeteners "acesulfame-K, sucralose, alitame and neotame", there hasn't been anyway near the amount of studies and inquiries made to provide any definitive answer. Until further notice, we can only wonder about the carcinogenic effects of certain artificial sweeteners. In the meantime, we suggest using artificial sweeteners in moderation and abiding by the old adage that "too much of anything is bad for you".

• Caffeine

  Caffeine is a very tricky drug to diagnose in respect to carcinogenic characteristics. Some researchers attempt to link heavy caffeine intake via coffee to bladder cancer, and cell mutation associated with spreading of cancers (via caffeine's inhibiting of the protein kinases used in the body to "fix" damaged dna) , but no definitive studies have proven any of this. More studies have shown positive anticancer effects in relation to caffeine intake. Until a definitive study comes out, we cannot fully pass judgment on caffeine, but of course, in regards to any drug/chemical you intake, its always best to practice moderation.

• Water Flouridation

  The CDC estimates that over 66% of US households receive fluoridated water in their homes. While dentists praise the healthy effects this has on teeth, skeptics have questioned the health risks of fluoride since it was introduced in the US, over 60 years ago. Since then a number of studies have attempted to link the fluoride in water to cancers, specifically osteosarcoma (a fairly rare bone cancer). For the most parts studies have been extremely inconclusive, mostly struggling due to the lack of ability to run an accurate test experiment. As it stands, it is proven that fluoride is crucial to a child�s tooth development and helps prevent tooth decay, but its links to cancer are inconclusive. Regulating your fluoride intake with bottled water or by contacting your local water company and making sure their level of fluoride is moderate is recommended.

article by canceriq.org

Possible Causes of Cancer

Based on scientific studies and governmental reports, we have been able to compile this list of possible causes of cancer. Some are obvious, some are shocking, and some are myths that are exposed. Regardless, this is something you need to know. This is something your loved ones need to know. We will update this page anytime new data is present

The Shocking Causes:

• Microwaved Food

  Simple logic makes you think that heating something with a microwave is just like heating something normally. It is not. A perfect example of this is human blood. Before human blood can be transfused, it must be warmed. If this is done in a microwave, it will KILL the patient. Microwaving is not an ideal form of heating something, and we recommend using other types of heating to warm food. But we understand the microwave is almost a necessity in this day and age, so if you have to use if, you must understand the dangers.
  
  The most striking issue is the use of plastics in a microwave. Studies are finding all kinds of potent carcinogens in microwaved plastic, which can seep into your food. If you need to microwave anything, even prepared TV dinners, take them out of their container and use a microwave safe plate or ceramic dish. No plastic, and especially no plastic wraps! Also do not warm a baby's bottle in a microwave. We have not been able to find any direct studies linking specific cancers to microwave use, but the proof of carcinogens being formed in food by microwaves, especially when plastics are involved, exists.

• Hair Dyes

  It is becoming more and more clear that hair dyes are not very safe. Chemicals such as diaminoanisole and FD&C Red 33 are found in hair dyes, and scientists have directly classified both of these as carcinogens. This evidence is also supported by separate studies that link hair dyes to such rare cancers as: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and multiple myeloma. Another study claims that at least 20% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma found in women is caused by use of hair dyes.
  
  We do not have extensive detail on specifically what is bad about hair dyes, but experts have estimated that 20% of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases found in women may have been cause by use of hair dye. Until more studies are done on this, or a hair dye proves itself to be safe, use hair dyes as sparingly as possible.

• Talc

  Talk is a mineral that is mined and used in many household and cosmetic products. When talc is processed a minute fiber that is very similar to asbestos is not removed, and ends up in the products you take home. Talc is in many things in small quantities, but poses the biggest threat in powder form such as baby powder, medicated powers, perfumed powders and designer perfumed body powders. Inhalation of these powders has been linked to lung cancer, while ovarian cancer has been directly linked to women who use these powders in their lower region. Numerous other cancers may be linked to talcum powder use, but there isn't enough evidence to support it.

• Meats and Eggs Cooked at High Temperatures

  When foods such as meats and eggs are cooked at high temperatures, heterocyclic amine compounds are formed inside the food. The compounds that are formed are also found in cigarette smoke. In-depth studies of this are very recent, but scientific testing on animals suggested a link between these compounds and cancer of the stomach, colon, liver, oral cavity, mammary gland, skin, and cecum. Older studies conducted on fried foods suggest a link between these compounds to breast and colorectal cancer. This whole topic is very new, and quite shocking. Fried meats are not good for you anyway, so removing them from your diet is going to be a health improvement for multiple reasons. But grilling and other types of cooking may also be hazardous, so please stay educated on this topic and be careful not to cook at temperatures that are extreme.

News by canceriq.org

ORAL CANCER

What is Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer is a type of malignancy that begins in the oral cavity, which includes the lips, the inside of the lips and cheek, teeth and gums, the front portion of the tongue, the floor and roof of the mouth below the tongue, the bony roof of the mouth (hard palate), and the area behind the wisdom teeth.

Throat cancer (also called oropharyngeal cancer), develops in the area behind the mouth called the oropharynz. Often oral and throat cancer are discussed together because both the oral cavity and throat are involved in both breathing and eating. Saliva glands in both the mouth and throat help us digest the food we eat.

Types of Oral Cancer

Both cancers of the mouth (oral cancer) and throat (oropharyngeal cancer) can derive from different tissues that contain different types of cells in both the mouth and throat. These cell types can affect treatment and recovery.

Squamous cell carcinomas account for 90 percent of all oral and oropharyngeal cancers. Squamous cells make up the epithelium or lining of the mouth and throat. These cancers can spread beyond the top layer of epithelial tissue to become an invasive cancer. About 5 percent of squamous cell carcinomas of the mouth and throat are called verrucous cancer and rarely spread or metastasize beyond the original tumor site.

Cancer of salivary glands and lymph nodes of the mouth and throat and not included in oral cancers and are treated differently.

Statistics

• Approximately 34,360 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer (including pharyngeal) cancer in 2007, and 7,550 are estimated to die from the diseases.
• The five-year survival rate is 60 percent for those with oral cancer, though it rises to 84 percent when detected early enough.
• The incidence of oral and oropharyngeal cancer has dropped 5 percent in each of the last two years.
• Men are twice as likely to suffer from oral cancer as women.

Prevention

You can lower you risk of getting oral cancer by making certain lifestyle choices. The steps outlines below can serve as a guide to healthy living that may aid in preventing several cancers, including oral cancer.

• Avoid any type of tobacco. About 90 percent of people with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer have used tobacco.
• Avoid excessive alcohol use or the combination of tobacco and alcohol. Oral cancer is about six times more common in drinkers than in non-drinkers. And the combination of the two habits increased risk significantly.
• Avoid being outdoors during the middle of the day, when the sun's ultraviolet rays are strongest. Use lip balms containing a sunscreen of SPF 15 or more to protect against sunlight.
• Increase dietary intake of fruits and vegetables and whole grain foods.
• Have an annual oral cancer screening by your dentist or health care professional.

Risks

You are at greater risk if you:

• Chew and/or smoke tobacco: About 90 percent of people with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer use tobacco. The risk of developing these cancers increases exponentially with the amount of tobacco smoked or chewed and also with the length people have used tobacco. Smokers are six times more likely than nonsmokers to develop these cancers.
• Abuse alcohol: About 75 to 80 percent of all patients with oral cancer drink a lot of alcohol. These cancers are about six times more common in drinkers than in nondrinkers.
• Are age 40 and older: Half of all patients are over age 65.
• Are a man: Oral and oropharyngeal cancer is twice as common in men as in women. This may be because men are more likely to use tobacco and alcohol.
• Are an African-American man .
• Are exposed to sunlight for long periods of time: More than 30 percent of patients with cancers of the lip have outdoor occupations associated with prolonged exposure to sunlight.
• Maintain a diet low in fruits and vegetables.
• Have human papillomavirus (HPV): The types of HPV found in cervical cancer are found in about 20 to 30 percent of oral cancers, but are also found in just a little more than 10 percent of samples of normal oral tissue. People with oral cancer associated with HPV infection have a better outlook than those without HPV. They are also less likely to be smokers and drinkers.
• Have a vitamin A deficiency

Symptoms

In the early stages of oral cancer, there are usually no symptoms. Others may experience any of the following symptoms:

• A white or red lesion on the gum, tongue or mouth lining
• A lump or mass, which can be felt inside the mouth or neck
• Pain or difficulty chewing, swallowing or speaking
• Hoarseness lasting for a long time
• Numbness of the tongue or other areas of the mouth
• Swelling of the jaw
• Loosening of the teeth
• Pain in the mouth that doesn't go away
• Persistent bad breath
• Weight loss

Early Detection

To help detect oral cancer in its earliest stages conduct a monthly self-examination by looking in a mirror to check for any of the symptoms. Have regular dental checkups that include an examination of the entire mouth. And a sk your primary health care professional to examine your mouth and throat as part of a routine cancer-related checkup.

A thorough oral examination should include looking at the roof and floor of the mouth, back of the throat and insides of the cheeks and lips. Your tongue should be pulled gently out and your health care professional should check both the sides and underneath of the tongue. All lymph nodes in your neck should also be checked.

If an exam shows an abnormal area, a biopsy will be performed in which a small sample of tissue is and examined for cancer cells.

New early detection tools are being studied, including the use of fiber optics and dietary compounds from black raspberries.

Treatment

Several types of surgery are used to treat oral cancer. The type of procedure depends on the location and stage of the cancer. Oral cancer is characterized in stages from Stage 1 (the cancer is no more than 2 cm and has not spread to lymph nodes) through Stage IV (the cancer has spread to tissues around the lip and oral cavity and/or has spread to lymph nodes on one or both sides of the neck).

There are several types of surgical procedures used – surgery aims to remove as much of the cancer as possible and help restore the appearance and function of the tissues affected by the cancer. A primary tumor resection removes the tumor and surrounding tissue to prevent cancer cells from remaining. Other procedures include a full or partial mandible resection in which part of the jaw bone is removed when cancer is present, a maxillectomy, which involves removal of part of the roof of the mouth, or Moh's surgery, which is used on cancers of the lip to remove the tumor in thin slices. Other procedures are performed if the cancer has moved to the larynx or to lymph nodes in the neck.

External radiation (high energy x-rays kill cancer cells when aimed on the outside of the body) or internal radiation (use of a radioactive materials put directly on or near the cancerous tissue) and chemotherapy alone or in combination may follow surgery. Frequently plastic surgery is performed to restore speech and the ability to eat more normally.

Content from http://www.preventcancer.info

Basic Knowledge On Cancer and Tumors

What are cancerous tumors ?

Cells make up organs in our body. So long as they live on, they are in the process of splitting, forming new cells.

Apart from the exceptional cranial nerves cells that stop growing since the day of birth, without undergoing any splitting, cells of all other organs have varying life-spans during which they split.

Cells such as white blood cells only survive for 1 or 2 days, whereas, muscular cells live on for several months. The time required for splitting of the cells is usually 6 to 8 hours which are not related to their life-spans. Thus, no matter at any time, there is repeated and continual splitting of cells in the body, cell splitting under present discussion, or growth, is to maintain a stable condition for all organs and tissues and is a physiological phenomenon under . precise control which makes the body healthy and stable. For instance, when part of the liver is incised in a operation, the remaining cells of the liver will steadily grow under cerebral signals within a
time-span to restore to normal size before the operation. This is one of the most important and major functions of cells.

Then what happens if the cells, which resemble a precision computer inside the body, suddenly lose their normal functions and are out of control ? The cells will fail to receive the command to stop growth, and will repeatedly grow without a limit.

Perhaps, someone may think:

"Will it be nice to keep on generating new cells all the time ?„

However, the cells, which continuously grow before the end of their life, may exceed the capacity of the tissue and form into an abnormal stiff lump, which may possibly damage the organs and tissues from within.

Usually, we call this stiff lump "tumor", of which those affecting life to a lesser extent are known as "benign tumors" whereas those being dangerous and likely to cause death are known as "malignant tumors" The so-called "cancerous tumor" is a disease of malignant tumor.

Features of malignant tumors

Why may malignant tumors in a carcinomatosis endanger life ? We are going to explain the features and functions of malignant tumors.

When the malignant tumor expands, it presses against the surrounding cells and tissues, showing its invasive nature (invading the outlying tissues) and metastasis nature (being implanted on other organs through body liquid and cavity and grow there).

It is commonly recognized that these malignant tumors are caused by damaged DNA, which lost control in the formation of cells, which merely multiply by repeated growth. The cells grow uncontrollably by unlimited splitting, and when they expand to the adjacent tissues, they
tend to destroy the normal cells and tissues.

What is even more worrying is the human body is filled with blood vessels and lymphatic glands, which may carry the abnormal cells from one tissue to another, where they start to split and grow. These are special features of cancerous tumors -- invasion and metastasis.

Causes of having cancerous tumors

The cancerous cells which undergo repeated invasion and metastasis are originally formed by splitting from one cell. Even though the benign tumor, which slowly grows in a place, does not endanger life, yet only one cell of the malignant tumor, which consistently invade and migrate, is
sufficient to cause death. Such cancerous cells grow at different pace from several weeks to several tens of years depending on the different types of carcinomatosis. Generally speaking, they undergo several stages of change repeatedly within the period of 10 to 20 years. A cancerous cell grows to roughly 1 gm by 30 splitting and to 1 kg by 40 splitting. The period between the
30 to 40 times is the most important one to fight against the carcinomatosis.

When the cells split to 30 times, the cancerous tumor is no larger than the tip of a finger, which is difficult to be noticed with human eyes for the irregularity. However, in just a short time later, it grows to the size of a fist when the cells split by 40 times. Human beings are at the moment
unable to do anything about such cancerous tumors. During the period from early to final stage of cancer development, that is, when the cells repeatedly split by 30 times to 40 times, it is most essential to keep the cancerous tumor under control howsoever.

What then are the reasons for causing abnormal splitting of cells which gives rise to a cancerous tumor ?

As I have just mentioned, if the gene - DNA, which forms up the cell, is damaged, it will lose control. Next, I am going to explain why the damaged DNA will give rise to tumor.

The human body has basic instinct to relieve toxic. For instance, it may distinguish any intruding chemical or other abnormal substances that are "harmful to the body" and excrete them out of the body as excretions. If a carcinogenic substance, on disrupting the toxic-relief protection of the
body and accumulates in it, the DNA in the cell will suffer harm abnormally. As you may know, DNA is like a plan of genes. Due to the said harm the design plan is marked with incorrect lines and diagrams.

In this way, the normal tissue will undergo sudden structural change to generate gene of invasive and malignant nature. The malignant genes disperse in the cell in a continuous and abnormal way. The abnormal phenomenon, which adversely affects the functions of the cells, causing them to
grow in such a rapid pace, in line with the increase in the number of cells, as to form into a cancerous tumor with invasive and metastasis characteristics

Normal cells and cancerous cells

By reference to: “Medical encyclopedia for family” ( Bulletin of Housewife and Living)

Article reproduced from http://www.aboutcancer.info/

Milk: America’s Health Problem

Why is American Milk Banned in Europe?

• American dairy milk is genetically-modified unless it’s labeled “NO rBGH”
• Genetically-engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in milk increases cancer risks.

American dairy farmers inject rBGH to dairy cows to increase milk production.

European nations and Canada have banned rBGH to protect citizens from IGF-1 hazards.

Monsanto Co., the manufacturer of rBGH, has influenced U. S. product safety laws permitting the sale of unlabeled rBGH milk. (Monsanto would lose billions of dollars if rBGH were banned in America.)

Q. Is there any milk not contaminated with rBGH and IGF-1?
A. Yes. Milk that is clearly labeled “NO rBGH” is free of rBGH and does not contain excess levels of IGF-1.

Q. What about cheeses?
A. American-made cheeses are contaminated with rBGH and excess levels of IGF-1 unless they’re labeled “NO rBGH”. Imported European cheeses are safe since Europe has banned rBGH.

IGF-1 and Milk: Q&A

Q. What is IGF-1?
A. Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)is a normal growth factor. Excess levels have been increasingly linked by modern research to human cancer development and growth.

Q. How does IGF-1 get into milk?
A. In 1994, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). According to rBGH manufacturers, injections of rBGH causes cows to produce up to 20 percent more milk. The growth hormone also stimulates the liver to increase IGF-1 levels in the milk of those cows. Recently, Eli Lilly & Co., a manufacturer of rBGH, reported a ten-fold increase in IGF-1 levels in milk of cows receiving the hormone. IGF-1 is the same in humans and cows, and is not destroyed by pasteurization. In fact, the pasteurization process actually increases IGF-1 levels in milk.

Q. How does rBGH milk containing IGF-1, affect, humans?
A. After the rBGH milk is consumed, IGF-1 is not destroyed by human digestion. Instead, IGF-1 is readily absorbed across the intestinal wall. Additional research has shown that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream where it can effect other hormones.

Q. Is IGF-1 likely to increase the risk of specific kinds of cancer?
A. It is highly likely that IGF-1 promotes transformation of normal breast cells to breast cancers. In addition, IGF-1 maintains the malignancy of human breast cancer cells, including their invasiveness and ability to spread to distant organs. (Increased levels of IGF-1 have similarly been associated with colon and prostate cancers.) The prenatal and infant breast is particularly susceptible to hormonal influences. Such imprinting by IGF-1 may increase future breast cancer risks, and may also increase the sensitivity of the breast to subsequent unrelated risks such as mammography and the carcinogenic and estrogen-like effects of pesticide residues in food, particularly in pre-menopausal women.

Q. Are cows adversely affected by elevated IGF-1 levels?
A. Cows injected with rBGH show heavy localization of IGF-1 in breast (udder) epithelial cells. This does not occur in untreated cows. Cows are also affected in other ways by rBGH, through increased rates of mastitis, an udder infection. Industry data show up to an 80 percent incidence of mastitis in hormone-treated cattle, resulting in the contamination of milk with significant levels of pus. Mastitis requires the use of antibiotics to treat, which leaves residues to pass on through the milk for human consumption.

Q. What does the FDA say about IGF-1?
A. The FDA has trivialized evidence for increased levels in rBGH milk and insist that any such increases in IGF-1 are not dangerous, and do not pose a health risk. However, a 1990 study by Monsanto, the leading maker of rBGH, explicitly revealed statistically significant evidence of growth promoting effects. Feeding relatively low doses of IGF-1 to mature rats for only two weeks resulted in statistically significant and biologically highly significant systemic effects: increased body weight; increased liver weight; increased bone length; and decreased epiphyseal width. The FDA has failed to investigate the effects of long-term feeding of IGF-1 and treated milk on growth. Furthermore, the FDA has been hostile to the labeling of rBGH milk. The agency has prohibited dairy producers and retailers from labeling their milk as "hormone-free," The FDA states that such labeling could be "false or misleading" under federal law. Monsanto is suing several milk producers for using the label.

Q. What have other scientists said about IGF-1?
A. Concerns about increased levels of IGF-1 in milk from cows treated with rBGH are not new. In 1990, the National Institutes of Health Consensus panel on rBGH expressed concerns about adverse health effects of IGF-1 in rBGH milk, calling for further study on health impacts, particularly infants. In 1991, the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association stated:" Further studies will be required to determine whether the ingestion of higher than normal concentrations of bovine insulin-like growth factor is safe for children, adolescents and adults." Unfortunately, these studies were never done,

HERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Do not buy milk from cows treated with rBGH. Unless the milk-label states “NO rBGH”, you can assume the milk is contaminated. rBGH has become so widely used by dairy farmers. Most health food stores sell rBGH-free milk.

2. Contact your local supermarket and find out if they have a policy regarding rBGH and milk. Make clear that you would like rBGH-free milk.

3. Write to the FDA and express your concern that they are restricting the labeling of rBGH-free milk.

References:

Epstein, S. S. Potential public health hazards of biosynthetic milk
hormones. International Journal of Health Services, 20:73-84, 1990.

Epstein, S. S. Unlabeled milk from cows treated with biosynthetic
growth hormones: A case of regulatory abdication. International Journal of Health Services, 26(1):173-185, 1996.

CONTACT:

Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., Chairman

Cancer Prevention Coalition
2121 West Taylor Street, M/C 922

Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 996-2297

Black Raspberries May Thwart Colon Cancer

There is a potentially powerful biological weapon for health -- a mix of compounds suspected of thwarting colon cancer -- hiding deep inside the juicy sweetness of a black raspberry.

And if it can be harnessed, it could play a major role in preventing the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

In a recent study, rats that were injected with a cancer-causing agent and then fed a berry-rich diet had 80 percent fewer malignant tumors compared to rats that had no berries in their diet.

For years, scientists have touted the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables.

They're only now starting to gain an understanding of what compounds give certain foods a healthful edge.

Black raspberries are rich in several substances thought to have cancer-preventing properties, said Gary Stoner, a study co-author and a professor of public health at Ohio State University. Stoner is also a researcher at the university's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Such substances are called antioxidants. The researchers also compared the antioxidant activity of black raspberries to that of blueberries and strawberries, two fruits with suspected chemopreventive effects.

Black raspberries prevailed in the comparison by as much as 40 percent.

"We were surprised by how much difference there was between the antioxidant activity of the raspberries vs. the other fruits," Stoner said.

The research appears in the current issue of the journal Nutrition and Cancer.

Rats were injected with azoxymethane (AOM), a carcinogen that causes colon tumors.

After two weeks of exposure to AOM, the animals were placed into four groups and fed diets mixed with 0, 2.5, 5 or 10 percent freeze-dried black raspberries.

Two additional groups of rats, which did not receive AOM, served as controls. The two latter groups were fed a diet containing 0 or 5 percent freeze-dried black raspberries, respectively.

Nine weeks after the final injection of AOM, researchers looked for the development of tiny lesions in the colon called aberrant crypt foci (ACF).

Although ACF rarely occur in humans, the lesions can develop into polyps in rats. In humans, polyps are benign masses of tissue which, if left untreated, could develop into malignant tumors.

Every rat injected with the carcinogen AOM developed the ACF lesions. While most of these lesions go away on their own, Stoner said, some may eventually develop into malignant tumors.

In rats fed diets supplemented with black raspberries, the number of malignant tumors seemed to correspond with the amount of freeze-dried berries fed to a rat -- the more berries a rat ate, the fewer tumors it had.

At the end of the study, the prevalence of adenocarcinomas -- or malignant tumors -- was reduced by 80 percent in the rats that ate the most black raspberries in their diets.

"That's a much higher reduction than I thought we'd see," Stoner said.

Adenocarcinomas were reduced by 28 and 35 percent, respectively, in the groups eating diets of 2.5 and 5 percent black raspberries.

This reduction is based on the average number of tumors found in rats that had been injected with AOM and fed a berry-free diet.

The tumors were smaller in the rats that ate freeze-dried berries -- diets of 2.5, 5 and 10 percent yielded reductions in tumor size of 28, 42 and 75 percent, respectively, when compared to the animals not fed the berries.

The researchers also measured urinary levels of 8-OHdG -- a compound that is related to the degree of oxidative damage in the body. The process of oxidation produces free radicals, which can damage cells as well as genetic material. Free radicals are thought to play a role in the onset of cancer.

Berries reduced the level of 8-OHdG in the urine by 73, 81 and 83 percent in the 2.5, 5 and 10 percent berry diets, respectively.

"This suggests that berries bind up a good portion of free radicals, preventing them from causing damage in the body," Stoner said.

In addition to measuring the levels of some of these chemopreventive compounds, Stoner and his colleagues compared the antioxidant activity of the black raspberries to that of strawberries and blueberries.

Previous studies suggested that these two fruits had antioxidant activity superior to that of other fruits commonly eaten in the United States, but researchers had not studied black raspberries.

Using a device that measured each fruit's ability to absorb free radicals, the researchers found that black raspberries topped the charts: these berries exhibited 11 percent more antioxidant activity than did blueberries and 40 percent more than strawberries.

One reason for the raspberries' seemingly stellar health advantage may be their richness in compounds such as anthocyanins, which give berries their almost-black pigment; phenols, such as ellagic, coumaric and ferulic acid; calcium; and vitamins such as A, C, E and folic acid.

All of these substances are known chemopreventive agents, Stoner said.

Fresh black raspberries are undoubtedly beneficial, but they are also expensive and can be hard to come by. Freeze-dried berries have as much nutritional content as fresh berries do, but the freeze-dried version isn't readily available to consumers, Stoner said. He tells people to hold off on getting discouraged, though.

"The results of this study would translate in humans to eating two large bowls -- or four cups -- of fresh black raspberries each day," he said.

"That may seem a bit extreme. People need to know that these animals are given whopping doses of a carcinogen. It's conceivable that a much lower dose would be effective in humans."

It's also good to keep in mind that the National Cancer Institute continues to recommend four to six helpings of fruits and vegetables each day. "We're just suggesting that people make one of those helpings berries," Stoner said.

The research was supported in part by a grant from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Stoner conducted the research with Ashok Gupta, Ronald Nines, Laura Kresty, Wendy Frankel, Suzy Habib, Krista La Perle and professor of food science and nutrition Steven Schwartz, all with Ohio State; Gabriel Harris of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown, W. Va.; and Daniel Gallaher of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

May 2, 2002

Reprinted from:
http://www.altmedicine.com/Article.asp?ID=3341

Thirty Things You Can Do To Avoid Cancer

1. Make sure you have a pure source of foodstuffs. Obtain fresh, organic produce regularly by joining a vegetable box scheme

2. Eliminate plastic storage containers from your kitchen and do not buy or store food in plastic or clingfilm

3. Try not to cook the life out of food. Steam vegetables such as brocolli or cauliflower to maintain their integrity and nutritional value

4. Eat wide from many sources for a balanced diet. Include nuts, herbs, lentils and fresh, organic, locally grown produce

5. Find different ways to give yourself a regular, yearly detox

6. Think about and act on your health in a preventative way. Try out some alternative therapies to help you switch on a health sense

7. Test your bodies PH rating. Cancer loves sugar and readily available proteins in an acid environment. Quit taking sugar as much as you can and eat foods that balance your PH

8. Throw your microwave away. Recent tests show 97% of flavonoids lost in brocolli by microwaving

9. Do a toxin stocktake on your household products and food sources. Throw away any harmful chemicals you are persuaded to put into your environment or yourself by advertisers

10. Make sure that your air and water supplies are as pure as possible. Exercise in a healthy, non-toxic environment

11. Find out more about your immune system and how to support it in thought, word and deed

12. Avoid known stressors such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, extreme conditions and so on, as much as possible

13. Check your home and work for sources of harmful radiation

14. Avoid using deodorants and sun screens containing parabens

15. Avoid factory farmed products such as milk, eggs, fish or cheese. Animals are often fed large amounts of antibiotics as a precaution and live in very stressful conditions

16. Avoid genetically modified food (GMO)

17. Eat slowly and chew food properly. Enjoy eating as a special moment when you ingest new energy for your being

18. Avoid vexatious media intrusions. Just because they thrive on a diet of drama, conflict and spectacle, it doesn't mean you have to

19. Adapt a lifestyle that is in tune with what is around you. Find time to enjoy life and do things that you love

20. Get out into the countryside regularly

21. Carry out your own 'genetic counselling'. Write down the ailments suffered by your ancestors and look for genetic weaknesses in your physiology. Act to compensate for perceived weaknesses

22. Think about your health at physical, intellectual, emotional and energetic levels

23. Look out for ways to experience 'healing moments' in your everyday existance

24. Inform yourself about your medical condition and explore alternatives if you are prescribed medical drugs. All medical drugs have side effects

25. Practice creative visualisation and other methods of positive thinking

26. Find constructive outlets for negative energy

27. Do things that give your life personal meaning for you

28. Get a hair analysis done to see if you are missing any minerals in your diet. The human body needs: 90 nutrients, 60 minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 essential amino acids, 3 essential fatty acids - check them out !

29. Read the labels on food. Avoid trans fats (Hydrogenated Vegetable oils) in biscuits and cakes. Make your own - its fun !

30. Do things that make you laugh

About The Author

Simon Mitchell

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Mitchell

Breast and Prostate Cancer Risks from rBGH Milk

American Dairy Farmers are using Monsanto hormone, rBGH

• rBGH-milk causes cancer
• No rBGH labeling required on milk containers

Monsanto's Hormonal Milk Poses Serious Risks of Colon Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Breast Cancer, Warns Professor of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.

As reported in a May 9 article in The Lancet, women with a relatively small increase in blood levels of the naturally occurring growth hormone Insulin-like Growth Factor I (IGF-1) are up to seven times more likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer than women with lower levels. Based on those results, the report concluded that the risks of elevated IGF-1 blood levels are among the leading known risk factors for breast cancer, and are exceeded only by a strong family history or unusual mammographic abnormalities. Apart from breast cancer, an accompanying editorial warned that elevated IGF-1 levels are also associated with greater than any known risk factors for other major cancers, particularly colon and prostate.

This latest evidence is not unexpected. Higher rates of breast and colon cancer have been reported in patients with gigantism (acromegaly) who have high IGF-1 blood levels. Other studies have also shown that administration of IGF-1 to elderly female primates causes marked breast enlargement and proliferation of breast tissue, that IGF-1 is a potent stimulator of human breast cells in tissue culture, that it blocks the programmed self-destruction of breast cancer cells, and enhances their growth and invasiveness.
These various reports, however, appear surprisingly unaware of the fact that the entire U.S. population is now exposed to high levels of IGF-1 in dairy products. In February 1995, the Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of unlabelled milk from cows injected with Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, rBGH, to increase milk production. As detailed in a January 1996 report in the prestigious International Journal of Health Services, rBGH milk differs from natural milk chemically, nutritionally, pharmacologically and immunologically, besides being contaminated with pus and antibiotics resulting from mastitis induced by the biotech hormone. More critically, rBGH milk is supercharged with high levels of abnormally potent IGF-1, up 10 times the levels in natural milk and over 10 times more potent. IGF-1 resists pasteurization, digestion by stomach enzymes, and is well absorbed across the intestinal wall. Still unpublished
1987 Monsanto tests, disclosed by FDA in summary form in 1990, revealed that statistically significant growth stimulating effects were induced in organs of adult rats by feeding IGF-1 at low dose levels for only two weeks. Drinking rBGH milk would thus be expected to significantly increase IGF-1 blood levels and consequently to increase risks of developing breast cancer and promoting its invasiveness.

Faced with escalating rates of breast, colon, prostate and other avoidable cancers, FDA should withdraw its approval of rBGH milk, whose sale benefits only Monsanto while posing major public health risks for the entire U.S. population. A Congressional
investigation of FDA's abdication of responsibility is well overdue.

SOURCE: Press Release: July 8, 1998 by the Cancer Prevention Coalition

CONTACT: Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., Professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, 312-996-2297; epstein@uic.edu

Smoker Should Pay More for Health Insurance

(NewsTarget.com) A new survey published this week indicates that most Americans believe smokers and the obese should pay more for health insurance. However, those surveyed were unsure how to assist the millions of citizens who currently have no health insurance.

More than 1,500 people were surveyed for the study, and of that number, 80 percent believe that the health care system in the U.S. needs to be fixed. It is estimated that approximately 46 million Americans currently have no health insurance. The study also indicated that 60 percent of those surveyed indicated favoring higher insurance premiums for smokers while 30 percent favored higher premiums for the obese.

The report stated "When it comes to personal responsibility, consumers increasingly support making people pay more for unhealthy behavior." The survey was released a week after Democrats -- who are generally in favor of more government intervention into the lives of uninsured citizens -- won control of both houses of the U.S. Congress.

The health insurance industry unexpectedly began to support a plan for universal health insurance for American citizens earlier this week. With nearly 16 percent of Americans now uninsured, the rate has been rising for years as prices for prescription drugs and hospital care have escalated.

Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, said that about 20 percent of large employers already give insurance discounts to non-smoking workers, and that this stance is rapidly growing in popularity -- with Darling indicating that it will continue to grow faster.

Darling added that, in regards to obesity, "I think it will be a while before we get to the point where people begin tying a financial discount to something like BMI (body mass index)." When asked about the government's role in a type of universal health insurance, Darling added that "Our view is that it has to be shared responsibility; the government is going to have to pay" with the other half of the responsibility going to taxpayers, according to Darling.

Pesticides Increase Breast Cancer Risk

Pesticides Increase Breast Cancer Risk

Exposure to certain pesticides, known as organochlorines, may increase the risk of breast cancer in women. Organochlorines, which are found in agricultural and industrial products, have a weak estrogen-like effect, and play a role in the development of breast cancer. After taking into account other known risk factors for breast cancer, the researchers write that the risk of breast cancer was twice as high in women with the highest (blood) concentrations of dieldrin (an organochlorine) as that in women with the lowest concentrations.

The Lancet 1998;352;1816-1820.

Reprinted from:
thelancet.com

Exercise reduces cancer risk

Exercise reduces cancer risk

Susan Aldridge, PhD

A new analysis shows that physical activity may reduce the risk of several types of cancer.
The leading charity Cancer Research UK announces that University of Bristol researchers have uncovered a link between exercise and reduced cancer risk. In 37 out of 51 studied reviewed, regular exercise can cut the risk of colon (but not rectal) cancer by 40 to 50 per cent. There is a 30 per cent reduction in breast cancer risk with physical exercise - the benefits being greater for post-menopausal women. Lung cancer risk may be reduced by 40 per cent and there are smaller risk reductions for both endometrial and prostate cancer.

The researchers say that moderate exercise for 30 minutes on three or more days a week could, on this evidence, substantially reduce the risk of cancer. There is also evidence that exercise can help people recover from cancer - reducing fatigue and improving mood. The team will shortly start a new study to find out more about the impact of exercise on people who already have cancer.


Source
Cancer Research UK 11th October 2002

Reprinted from:
healthandage.com

Breast Cancer News

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Black women with advanced breast cancer are faring no better now than they were two decades ago despite improved survival by white women - and the gap appears to be widening, U.S. researchers said Sunday.

Dr. Sharon Giordano of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center studied breast cancer survival in women between 1988 and 2003.

She found that, in general, women with advanced breast cancer were living longer.

"But when we looked separately by race, we found the improvement seemed be to limited to white patients and the survival for black patients had remained flat over time," Giordano said in an interview.

"What is really concerning to me is that the difference is getting bigger."

She and colleagues identified 15,438 patients from a National Cancer Institute database. They had a median age of 62 and were diagnosed with advanced breast cancer between 1988 and 2003.

They divided the groups into three time periods.

From 1988 to 1993, breast cancer survival was fairly close between whites and blacks, with a median survival of 20 months for white women versus 17 months in blacks.

Between 1994 and 1998, the median survival was 22 months for white women and 16 months for black women.

From 1999 to 2003, the median survival rate for white women jumped to 27 months, versus a stagnant 17 months for black women.

"The study didn't look at any of the factors that could be causing it," said Giordano, who presented her study at the scientific meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES?

Some researchers have suggested that biological differences may make breast cancer more deadly for black women.

A study last fall of 2,000 women by Dr. Wendy Woodward, also of the University of Texas, compared the records of black, Hispanic and white breast-cancer patients.

They found the black women overall had more aggressive tumors and were more likely to die than the Hispanic and white women.

But Giordano was skeptical of the link to biological differences.

"I don't really think it is any inherent difference in biology of people by race. It is more likely related to socioeconomic factors," Giordano said.

"I think you could also hypothesize it could be related to access to care - potentially differences in access to new treatment," she added.

Giordano said the next step is to determine the reasons for this increasing disparity. "Once you know the reasons, you can intervene to correct the problem."

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, cautioned that biological differences should not be used to dismiss other contributing factors.

"My personal view is the majority of this (disparity) is related to access ... to the ability to get adequate care in a timely fashion, and perhaps some of it is related to biology," he said.

"We in this country need to do a better job of making sure that all women have better access to mammography and better access to care."

Breast cancer kills 500,000 people a year globally, according to the World Health Organization, and 1.2 million men and women are diagnosed with it annually.

It is the second most common cause of cancer death in U.S. women after lung cancer, and the No. 1 killer of women aged 45 to 55. It kills 40,000 men and women a year in the United States.

Smoking and Lung Cancer

An estimated 146,000 Americans died of lung cancer in 1992, and 90 percent of these deaths were caused by cigarette smoking. Smoking is responsible for about 30 percent of all cancer deaths annually in the United States more than 155,000 each year. If smoking-related cancers could be eliminated from our society, we would see a significant decline in the annual cancer death rate instead of small but steady increases.

Since 1964, the year of the Surgeon General's first report on the health risks of cigarette smoking, strong evidence of the association between smoking and cancer has accumulated. Countless studies have proved that smoking causes lung cancer, and we now know that it substantially increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the larynx, pharynx, oral cavity, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas. Additional studies suggest a strong association between smoking and cancer of the cervix.

The risk of developing lung and other smoking-associated cancers is related to total lifetime exposure to cigarette smoke, as measured by the number of cigarettes smoked each day, the age at which smoking began, and the number of years a person has smoked. Likewise, the risk of developing other smoking- related diseases, including chronic lung diseases and coronary heart disease, also increases with the amount of smoking a person has done.

The health risks associated with cigarette smoke are not limited to smokers: exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) significantly increases a nonsmoker's risk of developing lung cancer. (ETS is the smoke that nonsmokers are exposed to when they share air space with someone who is smoking.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a risk assessment report in December 1992, in which ETS was classified as a Group A (known human) carcinogen a category reserved for only the most dangerous cancer-causing agents. The EPA report estimates that ETS is responsible for several thousand lung cancers in nonsmokers each year and, perhaps equally important, links ETS exposure with severe respiratory problems in infants and young children.

The good news is that a smoker's risk of developing lung and other cancers can be reduced by quitting. The risk begins to decrease immediately after quitting and continues to decline gradually each year. Another benefit is that the risk of developing other cancers and chronic diseases associated with smoking is also reduced. The risk of coronary heart disease, for example, declines substantially within only a few short years following cessation. Women who quit smoking during the first trimester (3 months) of pregnancy substantially reduce the risk of such adverse pregnancy outcomes as low birth weight or stillbirth. (meds dot com)

General Information About Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer

Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the lining of the chest or abdomen.

Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which malignant,cancer )cells are found in the pleura (the thin layer of tissue that lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs) or the peritoneum (the thin layer of tissue that lines the abdomen and covers most of the organs in the abdomen). This summary is about malignant mesothelioma of the pleura.

Anatomy of the respiratory system, showing the trachea and both lungs and their lobes and airways. Lymph nodes and the diaphragm are also shown. Oxygen is inhaled into the lungs and passes through the thin membranes of the alveoli and into the bloodstream (see inset).

Being exposed to asbestos can affect the risk of developing malignant mesothelioma.

Many people with malignant mesothelioma have worked or lived in places where inhaled or swallowed asbestos. After being exposed to asbestos, it usually takes a long time for malignant mesothelioma to occur. Other risk factors for malignant mesothelioma include the following:

• Living with a person who works near asbestos.
• Being exposed to a certain virus.

Possible signs of malignant mesothelioma include shortness of breath and pain under the rib cage.

Sometimes the cancer causes fluid to collect around the lung or in the abdomen. These symptoms may be caused by the fluid or malignant mesothelioma. Other conditions may cause the same symptoms. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:

• Trouble breathing.
• Pain under the rib cage.
• Pain or swelling in the abdomen.
• Lumps in the abdomen.
• Weight loss for no known reason.

Tests that examine the inside of the chest and abdomen are used to detect (find) and diagnose malignant mesothelioma.

Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer. The following tests and procedures may be used:

• Physical exam and history: An exam of the body to check general signs of health, including checking for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual. A history of the patient’s health habits, exposure to asbestos, past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.
• Chest x-ray: An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.

  X-ray of the chest. X-rays are used to take pictures of organs and bones of the chest. X-rays pass through the patient onto film.

• Complete blood count (CBC): A procedure in which a sample of blood is drawn and checked for the following:
  • The number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
  • The amount of hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen) in the red blood cells.
  • The portion of the blood sample made up of red blood cells.
• Sedimentation rate: A procedure in which a sample of blood is drawn and checked for the rate at which the red blood cells settle to the bottom of the test tube.
• Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues from the pleura or peritoneum so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer. Procedures used to collect the cells or tissues include the following:
  • Fine-needle aspiration biopsy: The removal of part of a lump, suspicious tissue, or fluid, using a thin needle. This procedure is also called a needle biopsy.
  • Thoracoscopy: An incision (cut) is made between two ribs and a thoracoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted into the chest.
  • Peritoneoscopy: An incision (cut) is made in the abdominal wall and a peritoneoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted into the abdomen.
  • Laparotomy: An incision (cut) is made in the wall of the abdomen to check the inside of the abdomen for signs of disease.
  • Thoracotomy: An incision (cut) is made between two ribs to check inside the chest for signs of disease.
• Bronchoscopy: A procedure to look inside the trachea and large airways in the lung for abnormal areas. A bronchoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted through the nose or mouth into the trachea and lungs. Tissue samples may be taken for biopsy.

  Enlarge

  Bronchoscopy. A bronchoscope is inserted through the mouth, trachea, and major bronchi into the lung, to look for abnormal areas. A bronchoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. It may also have a cutting tool. Tissue samples may be taken to be checked under a microscope for signs of disease.

• Cytologic exam: An exam of cells under a microscope (by a pathologist) to check for anything abnormal. For mesothelioma, fluid is taken from around the lungs or from the abdomen. A pathologist checks the cells in the fluid.

Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.

The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the following:

• The stage of the cancer ( The extent of a cancer in the body. Staging is usually based on the size of the tumor, whether lymph nodes contain cancer, and whether the cancer has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.).
• The size of the tumor [ tumor (TOO-mer) : An abnormal mass of tissue that results when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should. Tumors may be benign (not cancerous), or malignant (cancerous). Also called neoplasm.].
• Whether the tumor can be removed completely by surgery.
• The amount of fluid in the chest or abdomen.
• The patient's age and general health, including lung and heart health.
• The type of mesothelioma cancer cells and how they look under a microscope.
• Whether the cancer has just been diagnosed or has recurred (come back).

Thanks to Cancer Gov

Can Prostate Cancer Be Prevented?

Because the exact cause of prostate cancer is not known, at this time it is not possible to prevent most cases of the disease. Many risk factors such as age, race, and family history cannot be controlled.

Current information on prostate cancer risk factors, however, suggests that some cases might be prevented.

Diet

You may be able to reduce your risk of prostate cancer by changing the way you eat.

The American Cancer Society recommends eating a variety of healthful foods, with an emphasis on plant sources, and limiting your intake of red meats, especially high-fat or processed meats. Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Bread, cereals, grain products, rice, pasta, and beans are also recommended. These guidelines on nutrition may also lower the risk for some other types of cancer, as well as other health problems.

Tomatoes (raw, cooked, or in tomato products such as sauces or ketchup), pink grapefruit, and watermelon are rich in lycopenes. These vitamin-like substances are antioxidants that help prevent damage to DNA and may help lower prostate cancer risk.

Taking vitamin or mineral supplements may affect your prostate cancer risk, but this is not yet clear. Some studies suggest that taking 50 milligrams (or 400 International Units) of vitamin E daily can lower risk. But other studies have found that vitamin E supplements have no impact on cancer risk and may increase risk for some kinds of heart diseases. Selenium, a mineral, may also lower risk. On the other hand, vitamin A supplements may actually raise prostate cancer risk. Taking any supplements can have risks and benefits. Before starting vitamins or other supplements, you should talk with your doctor.

The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) is a large clinical trial designed to find out whether either selenium or vitamin E supplements (or both) can help protect against prostate cancer. The study opened in 2001 and has enrolled more than 32,000 men. The results of the study will probably not be available for several years.

Medications

Some drugs may also help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Researchers have been interested in finding out whether a drug called finasteride (Proscar), which is already used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), can reduce prostate cancer risk. Finasteride prevents the body from making a certain potent androgen (male hormone).

The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) was a study that enrolled more than 18,000 men to learn whether finasteride reduced the risk of prostate cancer. Each man in the study was randomly assigned to take either finasteride or a placebo (sugar pill) each day for 7 years. The men didn’t know which pill they were taking.

At the end of the study, the men taking finasteride were about 25% less likely to have developed prostate cancer than those getting the placebo. But the cancers that did develop in the men taking finasteride looked like they were more likely to grow and spread. The reason for this is not known. Researchers are continuing to watch these men to see if these cancers really do grow and spread more quickly.

The men taking finasteride were more likely to have sexual side effects such as lowered sexual desire and episodes of impotence than those taking placebo. But they were less likely to have urinary problems such as trouble urinating and leaking urine (incontinence).

At this time, it is not clear whether taking finasteride to prevent prostate cancer is a good thing. Men thinking about this should discuss it with their doctors. The results of the PCPT will become clearer over the next few years.

Study: Hair Relaxers Not Linked to Breast Cancer

Study: Hair Relaxers Not Linked to Breast Cancer
Likely Not a Factor in Black-White Breast Cancer Gap
Article patientINFORM

Summary: Using hair relaxers, even over a period of many years, does not appear to raise a woman's risk of breast cancer, according to a large study of African-American women. Researchers were looking at the possibility that exposure to chemicals in these widely used hair-straightening products might explain why young black women have higher rates of breast cancer than young white women do.

Why it's important: When looking at all age groups, breast cancer is more common in white women than in blacks. But African-American women are more likely to develop the disease at a young age (under 40) and are more likely to die from it. Researchers are trying to understand what is behind this difference.

What's already known: Social and economic factors play a role in some of the differences. For instance, African Americans tend to have lower incomes and less health insurance than whites and may therefore be less likely to get regular mammogram screenings that can catch cancer early when it is most treatable. Scientists are searching for more clues to these differences so they can try to lessen their impact.

How this study was done: Because use of hair relaxers is very common among African-American women, especially younger ones, but not common at all among white women, researchers from Boston University and Howard University decided to investigate the possible relation of these products to breast cancer risk specifically in black women. They used data from the Black Women's Health Study, a large, ongoing study of lifestyle and disease involving tens of thousands of African-American women in the US. Since 1995, participants have answered periodic questionnaires about their health and habits like smoking, exercise, and diet.

What was found: The research team had information on the use of hair relaxers for more than 48,000 women in the study. Between 1997 and 2003, 574 of these women developed breast cancer. But the researchers did not find any link to hair relaxer use. Basically, women who had never used hair relaxers were found to have the same risk for breast cancer as those who had used the products for many years (even 20 or more), those who used them multiple times each year (even 7 times or more), those who began using them at a young age (under age 10), or those who had been burned by the products multiple times when using them. The type of product (with lye or without lye) also had no effect on breast cancer risk. The findings are published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.

The bottom line: Because the study was so large, the findings offer strong evidence that hair relaxers are probably not contributing to the breast cancer gap between African-American women and white women, and they are not likely to be a cause for concern among the women who use them.