Proactol In Store

Homeopathy – can it improve your health?

2011-12-13T19:57:00.002+08:00

In 2009 leading pharmacy Boots revealed that they didn’t believe homeopathic medicine works. However, despite this discovery and repeated clinical trials which prove that homeopathy achieves the same results achieved in placebo tests, the National Health Service still managed to spendmore than £4 million in 2009developing homeopathic remedies.

Overwhelmed by the NHS’s and Boot's ‘no harm’ perception to homeopathy, more than 300 protestors are now planning to take part in a mass homeopathic overdose to help raise awarenessabout the fact that homepathy is ineffectual.

During this revoltwhich is set to occur on the 30th January 2010, all three hundred protestors will openly swallow in public an entire bottle of 90 homeopathic pills to demonstrate that they are nothing more than sugar pills as well as hopefully prompt pharmacies to stop selling them.

What is Homeopathy?

Described by many as 'herbal medicine' most of the ingredients found within this commonly accepted complementary medicine are so dilute that there is nothing left to them.

However further background checks into the birth of homeopathy has unveiled that there is nothing proven about it, but that it is purely based on 3 ideas discovered in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann. Threebeliefs which are still used today:

- The Law of Similars the theory where the cause of your illness can also cause them i.e. taking caffeine to solve sleep deprevation

- The Law of Infinitesimals where the more diluted the remedy is from water, the more strong it will be

- The Law of Succession where intense mixing of a homeopathic solution would enhance its potency

Analysingthis historical background, it is completely understandable why sceptics are asking the government to order the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to evaluate whether it is appropriate for the National Health Service to pay for homeopathy. Providing limited if any positive results, all scientific studies have the same conclusion that they will not help your well-being.

Why Are Fad Diets So Popular?

2011-12-13T19:31:00.003+08:00

With the obesity epidemic believed to ffect over 50% of the planets population, the time of ‘fad diets’ and ‘fast weight loss progammes’ has become more popular than ever before. From the cabbage diet to the Hollywood 24 to the 7 day Elimination diet, every single one of these diet programmesall claim to promote immediate weight loss and increased energy.

Can they help you to lose weight?

Sometimes… Apart from helping you to witness instant water weight loss of 1-2lbs, mostslimmer’s have reported minimal weight loss of just one to four pounds before plateauing after a few weeks.

More disappointingly, once dieters stopped following these said diets they soon regained all excess lbs lost.

What are the long term health risks of these diets?

Whilst can help slimmers to benefit from instant weight losses, many are not safe for long term use…

Depriving your body of nutrients required to ensure your organs is working at optimum capacity, many involve lowering your calorie content to less than 1,000 calories a day– more than half your recommended intake.

Accompanied by countless hours in the gym and unrelenting calorie counting, many of these said dietary fads do run the danger of making you feel weak, tired, unable to focus and more worryingly stop you from functioning properly - None of which are good for your long term health and ultimately your future ability to lose weight.

How can you recognise a fad diet?

Fad diets are quite easy to spot.Promoting a immediate solution to your weight loss concerns, you can easily recognise a celebrity diet by their:

• Too good to be true claims

• Lack of clinical trials

• Removal of one if not more of the five food groups

• Recommendations from trials without reviews from other researchers

When picking a dietary fad or slimming pill, it is imperative to thoroughly study their studies first before including them into your weight loss programme. If there is no medical evidencethat they can produce quality weight loss results, then more often than not they are too good to be true.

Why Are Fad Diets So Popular?

With the obesity epidemic expected to affect over 50% of the planets population, the reign of ‘fad diets’ and ‘quick fix weight loss schemes’ has become more popular than ever predicted. From the cabbage soup dietto the Zone Diet to the 48 Hour Miracle diet, every single one of these dietary programmesall claim to promote immediate weight loss and experience increased metabolic activity.

How do they work?

No… Apart from helping you to witness immediate water weight loss, the vast majority of slimmer’s have reported little weight losses of just 1-2lbs before hitting a plateau.

More disappointingly, once slimmers stopped eating these celebrity fad meals they quickly regained all the weight they lost.

What are the long term complications of these programmes?

Whilst manydietary fads can help dieters to witness quick weight losses, most cannot be used for more than a week

Limiting the amount ofkeynutrients required to ensure your metabolism is working at optimum capacity, many involve cutting your calorie content to below 1,000 calories a day - if not less – over half your recommended daily allowance.

Supported by heavy sessions in the gym and gruelling calorie checking, most of these diets run the danger of causing you to feel quezy, tired, unable to concentrate and more worryingly stop you from functioning properly - All of which are good for your long term health and ultimately your future ability to lose weight.

How can you spot a Fad diet?

Fad diets are easier to spot than you imagine. Promoting a ‘quick fix’ solution to your body concerns, you can easily spot a fad diet by their:

• Too good to be true claims

• Minimal of clinical casestudies

• Deletionof one if not more of the five food groups

• Recommendations from studies without reviews from other researchers

When a weight loss programme or weight loss supplement, it is imperative to thoroughly research their benefits first before adding them into your weight loss programme. If there is no medical evidencethat they can achieve quality weight loss results, then more often than not they are too good to be true.

Leading Dieting Myths

2010-12-23T18:48:00.007+08:00

There are numerous myths around what can and cannot help you to lose excess body fat, but how can you tell which work?

To help you differentiate and ensure your dietary plan is a success, we have identified 5 of the top weight loss myths that are currently populating the market.

Myth 1: Ingesting fat free meals can help you lose excess lbs

Although following a low fat diet can help you to shift those excess lbs, dieticians advise against eliminating fat out of your diet totally as it can actually lead to obesity and diabetes.

Alongside being essential for your health (ensuring that your brain, heart and other major organs are functioning at optimum capacity); ingesting some fat can also be helpful for dieting as it suppresses the hormone in your body that makes you feel hunger, whilst also creating peptides that make you feel satisfied.

Myth 2: Dietary drinks, smoothies and juice detoxes are helpful for weight loss

Scientists have revealed that sodas, juices and smoothies (especially those which have sugar) can actually contribute to weight gain as they deceive your body into thinking it has consumed less calories than it actually has.

In addition diet drinks can also trigger weight gain as the artificial sweeteners they include can enhance cravings for high calorie snacks.

Myth 3: Energy snacks can help you lose weight

Energy snacks are basically processed foods that are quickly absorbed into the body. As a result they don’t require as much energy as raw foods to be absorbed, making them a poor substitute for whole foods.

Myth 4: Snacking on food all day will enhance your metabolism and prompt weight loss

Although you should not go too long without eating, especially if you are wanting to diet, nibbling all day can be equally damaging.

The complication with nibbling is that it messes up the body’s internal eating clock making it hard to tap into hunger cues. In addition by snacking, even on the right foods, there is a danger that you’ll eat more than your recommended calorie intake.

Myth 5: You can ingest whatever you crave as long as you workout

Exercise is a key part to shifting extra body fat; however if you are eating a lot of calorie dense foods, then this can counteract the number of calories you burned whilst training. The key to dieting successfully is to manage your portion sizes and train daily. Training can help to reduce your appetite and keep your weight under control.

For natural risk free weight loss, it is always recommended that you incorporate consistent exercise with a nutritious dietary plan; however if you are finding it difficult to boost your weight loss, then trying a quality dietary capsule can help.

Scientifically tested and proven during 6 clinical studies to: make up to 28% of your dietary fat intake, decrease your appetite, lower LDL cholesterol and boost your energy levels, Proactol can provide you with the helping hand you need to trigger your dietary plan and lose weight 100% safely and naturally.

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Could The Correct Sandwich Assist You To Get In Shape?

2010-12-06T09:14:00.003+08:00

It would appear so. Whilst sandwiches have earned a bad opinion in the market for being laden with too many calories, made the correct combo and sandwiches can supply you with a low calorie, nutritious meal of less than 500 calories.

To create the ideal sandwich you need to consider the following options:
Carbs
Picking 1 or 2 of the following foods, each should only contain between 80 to 100 calories: whole wheat bread, rye, thin white bread, white wheat bread, small bagel (100 calorie bagel), English muffins, pita bread, corn made tortillas and wheat tortillas.

Protein

Depending on your calorie necessities, exercise levels and chosen fat loss target select between 85g and 170g of the following: low fat sandwich meat (for example chicken, turkey, roast beef or ham); grilled chicken, pork fillet, steak or fish, canned tuna and salmon.

Fat

Allowing yourself cut off point of between 5g-15g of fat, include one of the following in your sandwich: ¼ avocado, 2tbsp of hummus, Laughing Cow cheese spread, cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheese you can select from a variety, 1tbsp of spreadable cheese spread, olive spread, nut butter (almond, peanut) and sour cream.

Vegetables

As long as you are careful with these you can try: lettuce, spinach, roasted bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, sprouts, grilled eggplant, cucumber, cabbage etc. The list is endless

Free Foods

These can include adding pickles, relish, mustard, spicy mustard, low sugar fruit spread and banana peppers.

Other fat loss paths

If you seriously want to get in shape, then change your eating habits isn’t the only solution you can try.

By adding a clinically trialed dietary capsule such as Proactol into your weight loss program and working out daily, you can benefit from extra dietary losses of 1-2lbs per week.

Medically tested during 6 trials, Proactol has been discovered to reduce up to 28% of your dietary fat intake|make up to 28% of fat molecules too big to digest, decrease your hunger, decrease blood cholesterol, reduce calorie content by 150 calories per meal and appease aches and discomfort.

Can Pre-made Meal Replacements Trigger Fat Loss?

2010-12-03T09:41:00.004+08:00

Keeping to a low calorie diet can certainly support you to lose those excess lbs and witness the benefits of extra fat loss – yet how much can they help?

Studies

There have been little studies to date into weight loss programmes that give pre-made calorie controlled meals, yet 2 new trials have helped researchers to gain a clearer picture.

Study 1:

performed on a group of 130 overweight women for 1 year, each was given 2 calorie controlled replacement meals and liquids every day for the first 12 weeks, before swopping down to 1 meal every day from months 3 to 6. When combined with 1 hours daily work out they benefited from average fat losses of 10kg in 1 year.

Study 2:

conducted on a group of 442 obese women with BMIs of more than 25, during this 2 year trial they were tested to see which was better – calorie controlled meals or support from a nutritionist…

After 2 years it was revealed that those supplied with calorie controlled meal lost 3 times more body fat than those receiving dietary advice: calorie controlled meals (average weight losses 6-7kg), nutritional advice (average weight losses of 2kg).
Is this research reliable?

Although both trials clearly demonstrate the bonuses of getting dietary support, the second study is the more reliable of the 2 as researchers were able to assess replacement meals against nutritional advice.

Yet even with these figures, these results should be taken with caution…

Given these meals for 1-2 years for free, it is difficult to workout if these figures would have been as successful if individuals had had to invest in these meals themselves or if they had received less assistance.

What else can I do?

There is no overlooking the fact that improving your meals, cutting out fatty foods and exercising regularly can greatly benefit your fat loss. However, if like so many dieters you are finding it difficult to jumpstart your diet, the assistance of a quality herbal tablet such as Proactol can help.

Clinically tested and proven through 6 medical studies to: bind up to 28% of your dietary fat content, reduce your appetite, improve LDL cholesterol, double energy levels and reduce calorie intake by 450 calories a day, when ingested as part of a healthy diet Proactol can assist you to witness bonus fat losses of 4-8lbs per month, 100% safely and organically.

See Proactol Compared with other Product

Proactol and Clinicallix – Which is The Best Dietary Pill?

2010-11-15T12:57:00.003+08:00

In an age where 29 new herbal tablets enter onto the market every year; deciding which are the real deal and which are bogus is important. In this review we have reviewed 2 top herbal tablets that are clinically proven to trigger weight loss: Proactol and Clinicallix.

How does Proactol work?

Naturally created from the prickly pear Opuntia ficus-indica, Proactol is 100% natural, side effect free and clinically proven during 6 scientific trials to:

• Make up to 28% of your dietary fat indigestible
• Suppress your hunger
• Improve blood cholesterol
• Decrease calorie intake by 150 calories per meal
• Boost energy levels
• Lower aches and discomfort
• Increase joint mobility

And supported by the MDD 93/42/EEC, Proactol is free from additives, fillers and artificial ingredients and has been revealed to help individuals to benefit from increased weight losses of 1-2lbs a week.

What is Clinicallix?

Formulated from Guarana, Yerba Mate, Damiana, Glucomanna, Garcinia Cambogia, Gymnema Sylvestre and Chromium Polynicotinate, during 3 separate scientific tests on its ingredients, Clinicallix was revealed to:

• Cause average weight losses of 11.2lbs in over 6 weeks
• Halt gastric emptying
• Improve blood cholesterol
• Boost fat burn

Proactol and Clinicallix
Comparing both of these tablets and their many scientific trials, Proactol and Clinicallix can definitely offer slimmers the opportunity to significantly boost their fat loss.

However after further examination into their ingredients, we found some startling differences.

Noted as a ‘high caffeine slimming supplement’, many health officials recommend that those who are sensitive to caffeine and other stimulants to not use Clinicallix as they might experience side effects of irritability, nervousness and sleep deprivation.

Now whilst these are not the worst negative effects you can suffer from whilst using a herbal capsule, the fact that you can take herbal tablets like Proactol that are 100% danger free makes Clinicallix a less efficient pill.

Also after further study, we found that although the ‘3 compounds’ within Clinicallix have each been clinically trialled separately, Clinicallix as a whole has not been studies, meaning it is difficult to decide if these 3 compounds work well together or if there is a chance of negative effects.

Proactol on the other hand is completely created from Opuntia ficus-indica that has been clinically studied 6 times to review its effectiveness on fat loss. And revealed to be 100% side effect free and safe for continuous use, Proactol can confidently trigger average weight losses of 1-2lbs a week.

This of course is not to discredit Clinicallix’s many health benefits of improved cholesterol, fat burn and weight losses of 11.2lbs in over 6 weeks. However, when you add to the equation the fact that as a whole pill Clinicallix is not clinically tested and has been revealed to encourage negative effects, Proactol is by far a much safer option…

As a result, if you are genuine about losing weight we advise trying Proactol. 100% side effect free and backed by 6 scientific trials and the MDD 93/42/EEC you can safely take Proactol for as long as you require.

Can Knowing Your ‘Dosha’ Help You To Lose Weight?

2010-11-10T13:59:00.003+08:00

Similar to the ancient theory of humors: of stabilising the 4 substances in your body to help you stay well; dosha focuses on balancing the natural forces of air, water, fire, earth and spirit.

By knowing which element you belong to, you can prevent instabilities in your body and mind that can encourage illness as well as weight gain.

Kinds of Dosha

There are 3 different dosha’s:

• Vata – if you are a vata, you are considered skinny and find it difficult to gain weight. This means you get tired easily and are advised not to over exercise

Meals you can have: rice, wheat, cooked oats, avocado, banana, berry, cherry, grape, mango, melon, orange, peaches, plum, pineapple, asparagus, carrot, green beans, okra, sweet potato, almonds, red lentils, tofu, chicken, turkey and seafood

• Pitta – if you are a pitta you are usually medium build and healthy, have a strong digestive system and should not have lots of liquid lunches.

Meals you can have: dairy products, coconut, soy, barley, oats, wheat, white rice, apple, avocado, cherry, figs, mango, melon, pear, pomegranates, prunes, raisins, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, green bean, peas, potatoes, sprouts, squash, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chicken, egg whites, turkey and shrimp

• Kapha – usually stout with a big frame, strong physical power and performance levels, kapha’s can be slow eaters and have slow digestion

Meals you can have: honey, almonds, corn, sunflower oil, barley, millet, rye, apple, apricot, cranberry, dried fruits, pears, pomegranate, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, poultry and all fish excluding shellfish

There are numerous quizzes you can go on on the internet which can help you to define which dosha you belong to. Yet if this kind of dietary plan doesn’t interest you and you are more interested in looking for a healthy, quality solution for losing body fat then incorporating a weight loss supplement into your dietary plan can help.

Clinically studied and revealed during the course of 6 clinical tests to: cut up to 28% of your dietary fat content, decrease your cravings, improve blood cholesterol, reduce calorie consumption by 150 calories per meal and increase your energy levels; Proactol can confidently be added into your dietary regime and provide you with the jumpstart you need to get rid of weight.

Proactol Medically Proven Natural Fat Binder

2010-06-18T05:36:00.003+08:00

Medically proven through 6 extensive clinical trials to help individuals to cut up to 28% of their dietary fat content, dietary supplement Proactol is the perfect weight loss aid for helping you to lose those excess lbs, slim down and become happier.

To date hundreds of dieters have benefited from Proactol’s standing as a 100% naturally compsed, side effect free weight loss capsule and with the clinical approval of the Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC, you can feel happy that your diet is in proven hands.

Just take up to 3 of Proactol’s weight loss pills before each main meal, and in one easy step this to easy to swallow organic weight loss supplement can help you to reduce your excess body fat, curb your cravings, decrease your LDL blood cholesterol, decrease your nutrient content and help you to lead a healthier , carefree diet.

Why use Proactol?

Approved by world renowned Doctors, dieticians, herbalists and nutritionists from all over the globe, Proactol is rated #1 amongst experts for its aptitude to offer speedy, risk free and long term weight loss.
In one easy step, dieters can benefit from:

• Loads of free bonuses valued at RRP $312*
• Immediate free subscription to home-weightloss.com
• Free aerobic fitness videos, nutritional eBooks and 60 delicious recipes
• Free shipping on all packages 2 months and above
• 24 hour support via phone and email
• Certified 6 month guarantee

Their guarantee is very straight forward. Try Proactol for over 120 days, and should you find that you have lost no weight; Proactol will give you your money back. No strings. No hidden clauses. If you don’t witness the weight loss you are hoping for, they’ll refund you the full difference, so you won’t waste a single penny.

The science

Made solely from the cactus opuntia ficus-indica, the two complex fibers within Proactol perform 2 roles:

Soluble: when this natural fiber comes encounters bile acids they join to form an incredibly viscous gel which slows down digestion and the fusion of glucose into your blood stream. Once in your stomach this gel is complicated to break down meaning you feel increased satiety.

Non-soluble: when this complex fiber encounters fat molecules they efficiently bind to form a thick gel that makes these fats too large to be taken into your system, instead passing through your body naturally.

Proactol does not allege to be a ‘miracle pill’, but when taken as part of a balanced weight loss regime, consumers have claimed weight losses of 6-8lbs a month, and continued weight loss success once they attained their weight loss ambitions.

Click here to discover more about Proactol and how it can promote immediate, simple, risk free weight loss

Proactol – 100% Natural Fat Binder

2010-06-18T05:25:00.004+08:00

This 100% natural fat binder is perfect if your dishes are enriched in unsaturated fat. Simply ingest as part of a healthy and wholesome diet and Proactol can support you to: convert up to 28 percent of your daily dietary fat consumption indigestible, curb your appetite, decrease your bad blood cholesterol levels and help you to get rid of 1-2lbs a week.

But this is not all, when you reach your ideal clothes size, you can safely continue to utilise Proactol for the long term, as it contains only the extracts of the Opuntia ficus-indica. No other ingredients! This capsule is free from allergens, fillers or preservatives, making it 100% side effect free.
Proactol in the news

Proactol supplies more than your average fat finder in relation to its long term health perks. Over the course of 6 extensive medical studies, Proactol was also reputed to encourage increased joint flexibility, appease aches and pains and help your overall feeling of health, making it a quality weight loss support program for all to use.
Over the last 3-5 years, news of Proactol’s ability to trigger natural, safe weight loss has procured it numerous acknowledgement in magazines from all over the world. From Florida Style Magazine to You and Your Wedding, the Telegraph to the Daily Express, the Sun to the New York Times, Proactol has proven itself countless times to be a natural alternative to weight loss procedures.

How does Proactol work?

Made of 2 complex fibers – 1 soluble, 1 non-soluble – each performs a vital role in supporting you to reduce your fat content and experience safe appetite suppression:

Soluble: when this complex fiber meets bile acids during digestion they bond to form an incredibly viscous fluid that has been proven to slows down digestion (leaving you feeling full until your next meal), and also hinders the inclusion of glucose into your blood stream (stopping hunger and cravings throughout the day).

Non-soluble: once this complex fiber comes across dietary fats they bond immediately to form a complex fluid solution which is too huge to be absorbed into your blood stream. Alternatively up to 28 percent of your every day dietary fat consumption is forced to pass naturally out of your body, assisting you to lose those excess lbs.

Proactol Benefits

Backed by the Medical Device Directive (93/42/EEC); a 6 month money back guarantee, medical recognition, bonuses and 24 hour customer assistance, slimmers can feel 100% rest assured that their health is in safe hands…

Examining Proactol’s 6 month money back guarantee alone, should dieters find after 120 days of trying this product that they lost no weight, they can take utilise this guarantee and get a 100% refund. No queries. No hidden clauses. If you are not happy you can get your investment back.

Yet after utilising this capsule ourselves we highly doubt you’ll be unimpressed by Proactol’s extensive support and capacity to prompt long term weight loss.

Supplying:

• 1 year’s free online membership to Home-Weightloss.com
• 60 nutritious low fat meals
• Free online aerobics demonstrations
• Extensive health facts and tricks, and
• A unique weight loss eBook

Proactol seriously is worth experimenting with if you need help taking control of your weight loss and beginning a path to a healthier, happier lifestyle.

“Right from its natural, organic composition to its novel mode of action of binding (instead burning) with fat efficiently, Proactol™ comes with innovative fitness and weight loss benefits.” – Dr Ikram Abidi

Bad Food

2009-10-12T15:43:00.001+08:00

by Michael Messner

In this day and age of heart disease, we all need to be careful. Did you know that 50% of men will die from heart disease? It is sad, but true. It is important that you watch what you eat. Not only if you are a body builder, but even if you aren't one. All of us should be concerned about our diet and our health. Take some notes and make sure that you pay attention. I'm sure there will be a few items on this list that you never dreamed were bad for you.. Solid oils. You know what these are. Stuff like Crisco and other shortening.

I think that some people use them in place of lard and actually think it is better for them. If you are making a pie crust or something, skip the shortening and use the lard. Actually, the lard is better for you. People tend to use this kind of fat because it has a long shelf life. This stuff will stay good for ever. Personally, I hate the stuff. I can't see why anyone would like it. I think it tastes awful and it feels awful in my mouth.
Deep fried foods. You should avoid these like the plague. It is said that when something is deep fried, its DNA changes. I don't know how true this is. I do know that deep fried foods have been linked to cancer.

Refined flour and store bought flour. This has been bleached and everything under the sun done to it. When this happens, all the good stuff from it is taken away. The reason why you are eating is, is been stolen from you. Stick with good whole wheat. That is what is best for you.

White rice. I would piss off most of the world if I said that you should never ever eat this stuff. Though, I have to say that brown rice is better for you. Brown rice has all the stuff white does and more. You can mix brown with white if you still aren't used to eating the brown rice.

Sugar. This is a no brainer really. You should try to consume as little as you possibly have to. Also, fructose is a building block for cholesterol. Keep that in mind when you have your next can of soda.

Canned soups. These are almost always loaded with salt. If you want to buy these, make sure you get ones that are low in salt. If you have a craving for soup, see if your local deli makes soup. It will be lower in salt. That will make your heart happy.

Alfredo sauces. Don't buy items with already made Alfredo sauce. Usally they are loaded with butter and salt. You don't want any of that.

Processed meats. These tend to be high in fat and high in salt. They are a heart attack in a can.

Hydrogenated palm oils. Avoid anything that is made with these. These will give you a heart attack faster than eating a bucket of lard.

Lunchables and other items like them. They are loaded with salt and fat. I can't believe any parent would give this junk to their kids.

What comes in, must come out. That is true with the food we eat. This might sound like a disgusting topic, but it is something that we should talk about. You can tell if your diet is high in fat by the stool you produce. If it sinks straight to the bottom, you are eating too much fat. You would think that fat would float, but it doesn't when it is coming out.
Your stool should float in the toilet bowl. If it does, it is a hint that you have a good diet. If it doesn't, then you need to change what you are eating.

To remember this, I try to make up a little rhyme like what was heard during the final moments of the OJ trial. If it doesn't float, you need to get off of the boat. Meaning, if it doesn't float, you need to change your diet.

Are There Some Diets that Will Never Work?

2009-10-08T21:11:00.001+08:00

There are diets that work for certain people, there are diets that do not work for certain people and then there are diets that never really work for anybody at all. Dieting is the most popular past time in the Western world and, makes no mistake that this is not a women-only issue. If you are a man and want a lot of women around you, then you have to stay fit.

Pessimists would say that a diet is a bunch of foods we don't like, in too tiny portions for our appetites and we must eat all that at specific times of the day. As nobody really eats this way, nobody can successfully diet and change their life style. I would say that dieting is, more than anything else, finding a structure.

It's been said that people cannot eat healthy with so many temptations around them and this is why diets don't really work, but the truth is that way too few diets offer a healthy structure that is both easy to follow and tasty. We cannot eat bland food all our lives and we can only drink this much grapefruit juice before we decide enough it's enough.

Add to that all the scientific discoveries that stress out the importance of our genes to our overall body type and the naysayer do seem to make a valid point when they argue that diets never work. The fact is that, as one medical study showed, 80% of the children who have two obese parents are at risk of growing into obese adults themselves and only 15% of the children who have two normal-weight parents are at risk of growing into obese adults.

So genes do play an important role, but so do your environment and your life style. It doesn't matter how skinny your mother and father are if you drink a gallon of high sugar fizzy drinks a day and eat only the greasiest burgers with XXL portions of fries.

We are all at risk of being involved in a car accident, whether we drive or not, but very few of us would ever have a car accident and even fewer will cause one to happen. Not drinking alcohol prior to driving and not being too tired to stay focused really does help.

And the same case can be made for dieting. Dieting is more than something you try for a couple of weeks every now and then. Dieting is changing the perspective you have on food. For example there is no such a thing as good foods and bad foods, but there is something that is called moderation. And it means that if you know you should cut out sugar and fat, and then avoid eating huge portions of anything that contains a lot of refined sugar and a high amount of fat.

It won't get you very far to start on a frustration diet that demonizes chocolate and burgers! You should be able to adjust to a healthier burger, though. Like not buying a burger, but trying to make your own, buying a lean cut of beef and having the butcher grinding it for you. Dieting and healthy life style is not as much about giving up on foods we love, but on making choices that are sustainable for long term – for a life time actually!

To learn more about visit Proactol.com

'Natural' Products are Not Always Safe

2009-09-24T09:08:00.000+08:00

Many herbs have a long history of use and of claimed health benefits. An herb, or botanical, is a plant or part of a plant that is used for its scent, flavor, and/or therapeutic properties. Although they are so-called ‘natural’, herbal products are not necessarily safe or without harmful effects. They may come from plants, but many plants are considered harmful and poisonous.

Unlike prescription medicines, herbal products are not tested to certify their safety and efficacy before their marketing. Active ingredients in many herbal medicines and supplements are still unknown. Some have been found contaminated with metals, unlabeled prescription drugs, microorganisms or other substances.

Since herbal products are not tested, they may cause certain health problems/complications. It may not be wise to take herbal products if you have any of these medical problems/conditions:

• High blood pressure
• Thyroid problems
• Parkinson’s disease
• Blood-clotting problems
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Epilepsy
• Depression or psychiatric problems
• Liver problems
• Enlarged prostrate gland
• Glaucoma
• History of stroke or organ transplant

Women who are pregnant or nursing should be especially cautious about using herbal products, as well as with people who are about to have surgery. Always check with your health care provider.

It is likewise important to consult with your doctor before using herbal products if you are taking any medications (whether prescription or over-the-counter). Some herbal products are known to interact with medications in ways that may pose risks to your health.

Weight loss with Fat Binders

2009-09-14T15:01:00.000+08:00

If you - like many of us - looking for a natural way to lose excess weight and healthier, happier body gain, and fat binders, the answer you want.

100% natural and traditionally made from plant extracts, fat binders can provide the perfect stone to achieving a step by step easy weight loss without the health risks that may come with a number of chemically induced weight loss supplements.

So what exactly fat binders?

In simple terms, a fatty binder is one element that unites and brings the molecules of fat.

So let's say for example that you eat a double hamburger with cheese.

Once your hamburger is broken down into your stomach, it will move in your intestines, where the binder fat mouth before you meet. From this point you can start linking fat binder fat molecules making them too large to be incorporated back into your body.

But not all fat binders can do.

Together with their natural capacity to your daily intake of fat, fat binders known to reduce effective appetite inhibitor, which allows users to share meals to reduce weight loss without starving.

And the good thing is, once you've taken the fatty binder, will begin work to link your fat and you deliver results on the first day.

How fat binders better than most diet pills suppress appetite?

When you take a traditional appetite suppressant, helping them to reduce the appetite by making your brains thinking that your body is full when it is not. They were essentially a direct impact on your central nervous system, changing your hunger signals and when they are released.

Fat Binders work on the other hand in your digestive tract to help engage your molecules of fat and lose weight. Other than that, fat binders do not affect others within your organization.

Why choose a fat tire?

Compared with most supplements, weight loss, fat binders provide healthy weight loss without any risk.

You see one of the most recurrent, you will also find the weight loss supplements is the most popular of their side effects. Chemically modified / created, some are able to provide consumers a steady weight loss over time offer, but this new consumer benefits of weight loss will also be able to some unpleasant side effects, which are not only annoying but dangerous to your health too.

For example, many supplements for weight loss you have seen in the media are recommended as a way to lose weight along with other dietary changes and exercise?

The answer is not much. But add a natural fat binder to the equation, and you will see the media in a completely different experience.

Consider the natural fat binder Proactol. Medically supported and clinically proven to work, Proactol for 2 consecutive years was voted by both locals and Slim both nutritionists as one of the top 5 ways to lose weight naturally in 2008.

Combined in their top 5 tips: eat 6 times a day, have a healthy breakfast, surround yourself with the support and the institution itself a realistic exercise plan, the Telegraph placed natural fat binder, Proactol as their second Top Tip.

Yet compared with most Proactol fat binders can offer consumers a range of natural health benefits as:

• Lower blood cholesterol
• More flexible joints and energy levels
• Less popular
• A reduction of 450 calories a day
• No known side effects

And with the medical support of the medical device Directive 93/42 EEC can take Proactol consumer confidence in the knowledge that, with its advantages of natural fat binder in hand, they begin a steady 1 to 2 pounds a week with a loss Minimum Exercise.

So give your body a natural solution for healthy weight loss and experience the joys of a healthy body

Weight loss diet pill guarantees – what do they really offer?

2009-09-09T17:22:00.000+08:00

You could argue that a guarantee is a guarantee. That it doesn’t matter as long as the weight loss supplement works.

But here is the thing.

Which diet pill would you feel more confident in? The one that can offer you a 180 day money back guarantee (Proactol™) or one that only lasts 2 weeks (Hoodia Gordonii Diet Pills)?

If we’re honest, the one that offers a 180 day money back guarantee looks the most appealing. Why? Because it gives you chance to truly test the effectiveness of the product; to see if it does actually work for you in the long term and not for just a few weeks. Plus you can use it safe in the knowledge that if it doesn’t work you can get a full refund.

A 2 week guarantee on the other hand, screams unreliable.

Yes, you could say the reason it is only 2 weeks is because the manufacturers are so confident in their product. But think about it a moment. How much weight can you really lose in just 2 weeks?

For real long term weight loss that lasts dieticians recommend losing 1-2lbs a week. But if you – like we all do at first – stick to a strict diet and exercise regularly, you could easily lose this amount naturally without the help of a supplement.

The real proof over whether or not a weight loss supplement works becomes apparent during the long term; when it continues to help you to consistently lose weight, even when your confidence ebbs.

Take this scenario.

Proactol™ have recently teams up with UK bridal magazine YouAndYourWedding to offer brides the chance to lose weight and win a free getaway.

On top of their competition offer that gives winners an all inclusive pamper treatment at Champney Spa, Proactol™ are also offering winners a prize of a year’s free supply Proactol™.

Now whilst you could say in this scenario their 180 money back guarantee doesn’t count as it was given away freely, the guarantee does still work in promoting confidence. In proving to customers that it is a great prize to win.

Yes, all brides want to get away from the stresses of their wedding, but even the most toned of us, wants to lose a few lbs before we get married.

And Proactol™ can offer you just that.

A guarantee that their natural herbal supplement will work to help you lose those extra lbs, get in shape and help you to maintain it.

So a guarantee is more than a guarantee.

It is a symbol of confidence that give you the reassurance to lose weight before your wedding; to enter a competition with the hopes of winning a prize as well as help and the satisfaction of knowing you are making a sound investment.

For more information on Proactol™’s guarantee or their recent Champney Spa campaign, visit www.proactol.co.uk

Which weight loss supplements would you put your trust in?

2009-09-07T12:47:00.000+08:00

All weight loss pills work under the same slogan of ‘we can help you to lose weight’, but here is the thing - what actually separates the good from the bad? The weak from the strong? The reputable from the bogus? What is the decision maker?

One key definer are their side effects.

No slimmer wants to experience them. No matter how strong their desire is to lose those excess lbs. Yet time and time again you read reports and blogs from slimmer’s who have experienced just that.

And the reason? For many it is misguidance. Surfers who have been misled by all the diet pill hype and have invested without thoroughly researching these pills first.

Now one good thing that has come out of this scenario is the coverage. Yes these bogus weight loss pills may once have been the ‘latest dietary craze’ but all these blogs and articles have gone on to set the record straight. To increase consumers awareness on which dietary supplements do work.

But we are straying from the point. What we are trying to prove here is how impacting these side effects can be against a weight loss supplements success.

Take the following supplements:

Adipex: confusions, hallucinations, aggression, nausea, diarrhoea, palpitations, tremors, convulsions
Alli: gas, incontinence, oily spotting, muscle cramps, gall bladder problems
Ephedra: severe skin reactions, insomnia, nausea, diarrhoea, seizures, hyperthermia, strokes
Meridia: nausea, constipation, menstrual cramps, headaches, seizures, abnormal bruising/bleeding, jaundice, chest pains
Reductil: abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, palpitations, hypertension, impotence, seizures, tachycardia, kidney disorders.

See what we mean? How willing would you be to invest in their offers and competitions, when their weight loss diet pill can cause all these.

Luckily there are a range of weight loss supplements that can offer you successful weight loss with none of the risks of the above diet pills: Proactol™, UniqueHoodia, LIPObind and many others.

And the strength of their position in the weight loss market as a successful weight loss supplement can be seen in the variety of their campaigns and competitions.

Take natural fat binder Proactol™.

They have recently teamed up with YouAndYourWedding to offer brides the chance of winning a free spa day at Champney. A luxurious spa franchise that is scattered across the UK, and is reputed for offering a range of pampering treatments.

But this is not all they are offering in this competition. Proactol™ is also offering the lucky winner a year’s free supply of Proactol™.

Now to a surfer who is aware of Proactol™’s reputation for being a 100% organic, side effect free fat binder, this competition is a dream come true.

In one competition brides can accomplish their dreams of getting in shape for their wedding, whilst also winning a day that is dedicated to pampering them.

Now if you tried to offer this same competition with any of the above weight loss pills who cause side effects, the number of consumers who would be interested in winning a year’s free supply of it would be limited.

Why would they want a year’s worth of a diet pill that can do all that?

So offer your body the security of a weight loss supplement that is committed to your health and weight loss goals, and put all the other bogus ones behind you.

Interested in finding out more about Proactol™ or its Champney competition? Visit www.proactol.co.uk for more details

Weight loss supplements – what other benefits have they got to offer?

2009-08-28T16:07:00.000+08:00

All reputable weight loss products can offer you successful weight loss. After all, isn’t that what they are made for? But how many can offer you all over body results?

Now we are not talking about a flatter stomach or thinner thighs. They too are a given, especially if consumers have also incorporated regular exercise into their weight loss management plan.

What we are asking is what other natural health benefits/ support has your dietary supplement got to offer?

The break down

Most diet pills like to project themselves as a particular type of weight loss supplement: Proactol™ as a natural fat binder, UniqueHoodia as an effective appetite suppressant, and so on and so forth.

Now whilst on the one hand you have got weight loss supplements whose only benefits are these key attributes, there are others that can offer a consumer more.

Take the following. Each of these are proven natural weight loss supplements that have been medically proven to work.

Proactol™:
- binds your dietary fat intake and reduces it by 28%
- cut your calories consumption by 450 calories a day
- curbs your appetite whilst lowering your food cravings
- boost your energy levels
- improves joint mobility and flexibility
- lowers blood cholesterol
- appeases aches and pains

LIPObind:
- reduces your fat absorption by 27%
- decreases your food cravings
- suppresses your appetite

UniqueHoodia:
- suppresses your appetite (proven to be 10,000 times more effective that glucose)
- reduces your calorie consumption by 2,000 calories a day

Now bypassing all the calorie and appetite reductions that will come as a given with these supplements, what else can these 3 natural weight loss supplements offer?

Well Proactol™ can offer a diversity of other health benefits. Benefits that other weight loss pills can cause problems with, such as blood cholesterol.

Instead of negatively affecting consumer’s blood cholesterol levels, Proactol™ does the exact opposite by enabling consumers to lower it.

Then there is its ability to help users to experience fewer aches and pains, and increased joint flexibility. A benefit which is particularly effective for their older clientele.

Now this is not to dispute the credibility of the other 2 supplements, but Proactol™ by far appears to offer their customers the most in benefits.

Even their competitions are highly competitive.

Offering consumers spa days within their own weight loss products, Proactol™ has in fact gone one step further in their campaign. They have gone and teamed up with reputable wedding magazine YouAndYourWedding to make their offering all the more tempting and credible.

In this competition Proactol™ are offering their customers the chance to win an all inclusive spa day at Champney Spa, plus a year’s free supply of Proactol™.

And we have to admit that Proactol™’s competition, on top of all their many natural health benefits, makes it all the more an enticing product.

For more information on Proactol™ and all its forth coming campaigns, visit Order Proactol Today

Top 3 natural weight loss supplements on the market

2009-08-24T09:17:00.000+08:00

Search the internet for the weight loss markets most popularly sold natural weight loss products and you’ll soon find a few common winners: Proactol™, LIPObind and Hoodia.

So what makes these 3 supplements different from all the other weight loss pills on the market? The first thing is that they are all made for 100% natural ingredients and are side effect free. And as a result consumers can take these supplements, safe in the knowledge that their bodies are at no risk.

Now everyone has got their own preferences between the 3. After all they are all natural appetite suppressants, but if you look a little closer, even these have got their own differences.

The biggest being in the number of other health benefits they offer:

Proactol™:
- can reduce your dietary fat intake by 28%
- lower blood cholesterol
- cut your calories by 150 calories per meal
- suppress your appetite
- boost your energy levels
- increase joint flexibility
- ease aches and pains

LIPObind:
- removes 27% of undigested fats
- reduced food cravings
- suppresses diet

Hoodia:
- is 10,000 times more powerful than glucose at suppressing your appetite
- reduces your calorie intake by 2,000 calories a day

Now as you compare these 3, the one that looks the most appealing at first is Hoodia. Naturally suppressing and reducing your appetite by 2,000 calories a day it is the perfect stepping stone for those who have struggled to lose weight in the past.

But look again.

Of these natural appetite suppressants which can offer you the most effective route to weight loss whilst benefiting your body as a whole?

The answer to this one is simple. Proactol™ 100%.

Alongside its ability to help you lose weight, Proactol™ can help improve your health through and through, leaving you feeling fulfilled, happy and healthy.

And their consciousness towards their customer’s health can also be seen in their campaigns. Especially their most recent competition with YouAndYourWedding.

Teaming up with this well known bridal magazine, Proactol™ are offering their customers a chance to get away from their wedding day stresses and offer their body a day of rest, relaxation and comfort at Champney spa.

And this is just one of Proactol™’s many campaigns to help their customers to effectively lose weight and take care of their bodies at the same time.

Now this is not to dispute the effectiveness of LIPObind and Hoodia, but if you are looking for a whole body lift on top of your weight loss, Proactol™ is by far the more superior in the market.

It covers everything.

So offer your body a natural solution to healthy weight loss and the experience the joys of a healthier happier body.

Visit Proactol.co.uk today

Weight loss surgeries vs. diet pills – which are safer?

2009-08-20T19:13:00.001+08:00

When it comes to successful weight loss you want to follow a route that is stress free and painless, which is why being able to find a weight loss supplement that can offer you long term weight loss results is so important.

Especially when the other common alternative is surgery.

Look on the web and you will commonly find 4 types of weight loss surgery. Each of them risky and painful.

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) – here the stomach is stapled into 2 parts, with the upper part being made smaller to reduce space for food.

Once the food arrives it is passed into the lower pouch through a small opening. To prevent the hole from expanding, a band is put in place to stop it stretching.

RISKS: the band is prone to wearing; the staple line can breakdown and in some cases stomach juices have leaked into the abdomen causing infection and even death.

Laparoscopic Gastric Banding (Lap-Band) – intended only for people who are 100lbs overweight, this device works by placing an inflatable band around the upper part of the stomach.

The band itself can be altered in size by changing the amount of salt there is in the saline solution in the band, but overall this band is intended to be permanent.

RISKS: can lead to nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal pain, band slippage and pouch enlargement.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB) – during this surgery, the surgeon makes the stomach smaller by stapling it and creating a smaller pouch. This pouch is then attached to the middle past of the small intestine.

The reason they do this is to one, limit how much you eat and two, to reduce the number of nutrients that are absorbed into the small intestine.

RISKS: offers the risk of ‘dumping syndrome’ where food moves too rapidly through the small intestine. Other side effects include – nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, diarrhoea, infection, leaking, pulmonary embolism, gall stones and nutritional deficiency.

Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD) – this is a highly risky surgery that is rarely used. Here surgeons remove a large part of the stomach, limiting food and stomach acid production. This small pouch is then connected to the final segment of the small intestine. A common channel is kept to allow bile and pancreatic digestive juices to mix with the food before it enters the intestine.

RISKS: nutritional deficiencies.

As you can see each of these surgeries comes with risks. Risks that are impossible to ignore when there are other natural alternatives available.

Now as we say this there are of course weight loss supplements on the market which can cause similarly unpleasant side effects to these surgeries. To name just a few: Alli, Reductil and Xenical - each of these can cause unpleasant, negative side effects.

Then there is the fact that they can only be used for a limited amount of time. Varying from 3 months to a year, for those seeking long term weight loss results, such dietary pills as these just cannot help.

Yet there is hope.

Natural fat binders such as Proactol™ can offer you an easier route to weight loss without any of the risks of bogus pills or surgery.

100% organic and side effect, Proactol™ is clinically proven to help consumers reduce their dietary fat intake by 28% whilst also suppressing their appetite. The perfect combination for taking control of your weight loss, without ever having to worry about your body. It is risk free.

And compared to most weight loss pills you’ll find online, Proactol™ comes highly recommended as natural weight loss supplement within the media.

To date it has been featured in the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, the New York Times and most recently in bridal magazine YouAndYourWedding where they teamed up with Proactol™ to offer users a free trip to a Champney spa.

So offer your body a natural solution to weight loss, free from all risks.

Visit Proactol.co.uk for more details

Set the par this Mother’s day by ensuring your children’s dietary future is secure

2009-08-19T13:11:00.000+08:00

As mothers we all seek to offer our children the best possible future. We aspire to give them everything they could ever need in order to set them in the right direction when they grow up. But what if we were to tell you that you can begin offering your children a healthier route to a happier body from the moment you conceive them? Would you be interested in learning more?

Well, according to the Medical Research Council the way we eat during pregnancy can have a detrimental influence upon our children’s eating habits in the future.

Under their thesis, they believe external environmental elements such as our diet can affect how our genes are passed onto our children. Depending on the type of external element, for example a carbohydrate based diet, could in turn cause particular genes to end up being capped.

And once capped, it is harder to activate within the body when needed - weight loss being a prime example of this scenario being put into action.

In a study performed by the Canadian Cardiovascular Genetics Research Centre they found that when a particular mechanism within our muscles is capped it can have dramatic affect upon our ability to lose weight.

Now whilst this theory is still under testing and is yet to be clinically proven in terms of knowing how much this could possibly influence a child’s eating habits, it does put what we eat as a parent into a whole new perspective.

Everything we do, every action we make in some shape and form is passed onto our children. From conception to beyond our diet choices could be having a subconscious impact upon our children.

So what do you do? Begin making the changes - today.

Scientists may believe that this is all down to genetics, but you CAN still have a positive influence over your children’s eating habits – beginning with what you do this Mother’s Day.

You can make this momentous day into one that is truly worth celebrating by ensuring that you set a clear precedent for your children. From exercising regularly to cutting down on their saturated fat content, you can begin making the right changes that will continue to guide them as adults and parents themselves.

So whether you already have children or are planning to have some more in the future, make this Mother’s day one to remember – as the day you took that first step to setting them on the right path.

For more information on how to improve your children’s eating habits visit: www.proactol.com

Mother’s Day Article

2009-08-17T08:53:00.000+08:00

As a mother it is important that you take care of your body, and your health is no exclusion to this rule. From the way you eat, to taking the time to give yourself a break from it all; each of these factors can have a detrimental impact upon your body.

This being said, finding the time to actually eat properly is easier said than done. With your mind 100% focused on looking after your child, finding the time to eat right can be hard. Instead it is much easier to eat on the go and to put your body on hold until later.

Yet if the Wellcome Trust is correct, making the time to focus on your health may be more important than you think.

In their current study which looks into the inheritance of genes in children, they believe the way you eat during pregnancy could have a direct effect upon the way your children develop when they are born.

From the way they look, to the characteristics they develop, the Wellcome Trust have developed the theory that even the foods you eat during pregnancy could have an influence over their eating habits as an adult. Including their ability to experience effective long lasting weight loss.

Taking statistics offered by the Heart Institute’s Canadian Cardiovascular Genetics Research Centre, they found that due to DNA methylation particular mechanisms that control weight loss in muscles can be capped making it harder for the said individual to lose weight.

And this capping is rooted in the belief that external environmental elements can impact upon the way genes are expressed in children.

So if this thesis is to be taken seriously it would mean from the moment you conceive you need to take care of your diet in order to ensure your children have the best possible start in leading a healthier lifestyle.

Now when this information is compared to the recent revelation that nine in ten children will be obese by 2050; the time to take action and put a stop to this statistic is now – beginning with yourself.

By offering your body a healthy and nutritious diet combined with regular exercise, you can directly pass on this lifestyle change to your children.

And when better to put this plan into action than on Mother’s day this March 22nd?

Taking charge of your health doesn’t have to be a solo act. You can get your whole family involved and can set the precedent for your children to follow for many years to come.

Plus to top it all, by changing your dietary habits today, your body will be able to cope with everything your children have got to throw at you: from action packed weekends playing on the park, to going for a bike ride… with a healthier, happier body you’ll always be able to keep up.

So make this Mother’s day one to remember… as the day you took charge of your body, toned up and achieved the body you always wanted.

For more information about how to offer your body a healthier route to a fitter lifestyle visits www.proactol.com

Celebrity diets – are they safe? Proactol™ offers an insiders look into the latest dietary trends

2009-08-12T21:39:00.000+08:00

With the media clearly besotted with the latest celebrity diet endorsements, it makes a refreshing change to find a company who is solely interested in helping their consumers to achieve safe, natural weight loss.

Yet natural fat binder Proactol™ has done just that. Recognising the potential health dangers that can arise from following low calorie/ fluid diets - such as those promoted by the cabbage diet, the Master Cleanse and the juice diet – Proactol™ has assessed the pros and cons of following such diets, whilst revealing to consumers the real lengths celebrities go to in order to achieve their slim, toned bodies.

And we have to say they have been very thorough in their attempts to increase consumer awareness.

Launching an online campaign dedicated to helping their consumers escape the risks created by these fad diets; they are also offering their consumers a detailed Celebrity diet eBook.

Following extensive research into these diets, Proactol™’s unique eBook analyses every aspect of these diets: what they involve, how they work and how they impact on your body, before offering consumers a healthier, safer route.

Their online campaign in particular is tremendously helpful. Designed with you in mind, they have created an assortment of easy to follow tips can that easily be incorporated into your daily lifestyle - tips that anyone can do without having to make dramatic dietary changes!

All-in-all Proactol™ have done a great job in bringing to light the dangers of celebrity diets and their celebrity diet campaign is definitely worth a read.

How to feel confident on your first date

2009-08-10T11:56:00.001+08:00

We all want to make the right impression on our first dates - after all, aren’t we all aspiring for date number 2 - so feeling confident in your body and your appearance is important.

However for many of you, once you have secured this first date, fear and doubt begins to set in. You begin to question yourself, your appearance and why they like you, and ultimately arrive at your date feeling insecure about the future.

To help you experience the confidence you deserve, below we have listed our top 5 tips to feeling great, so you can approach your date rest assured that you will experience success.

1. Be relaxed

It is only natural to feel nervous on a date. It is your first real chance to get to know one another, and of course you want them to like you.

To help control your nerves just take a few deep breaths, and try to pretend that you are with your friends. By doing so you will begin to feel calm and relaxed, and conversation will come more easily.

If you are often prone to nerves though, try thinking of different topics you can talk about prior to going on your date. By practising your answers before you meet, you can feel confident that you won’t make any mistakes in your answers, and will instantly put your date at ease.

Simply pick subjects which you can both easily talk about and have fun!

2. Be confident

Confidence is simply a state of mind; of believing that everything is going to be okay and putting your thoughts into action.

So take a deep breath and say to yourself ‘this date is going to be a success; this date is going to be a success; this date is going to be a success’. With this mantra always on hand to guide you, all this positive thinking will eventually leak into your actions and leave you feeling confident about your date.

3. Act interested

It is easy to let our nerves get the better of us on a date. But by making sure that you keep the conversation moving; the questions flowing and avoid periods of silence; this banter will eventually begin to feel natural and you will both find yourselves feeling at ease with one another.

Remember, they are probably just as nervous as you, so act interested and the rest will naturally follow.

4. Be who you want to be

We have all felt self-conscious about our bodies at some point on our dates. From feeling overly aware of the excess lbs around our stomachs and thighs, to feeling uncomfortable in the way our clothes fit; our lack of confidence can often translate into the way we present ourselves on our dates.

To help you slip into your favourite sexy dress with ease and feel great about your body, try taking a natural appetite suppressant such as Proactol™.

Clinically proven to:

• suppress your appetite
• decrease your food cravings
• reduce your dietary fat intake by 28%

With Proactol™’s support you can lose a steady 1-2lbs a week and go on your date feeling rest assured that you look and feel fantastic.

For more information about Proactol™, and how it can help you to become the person you have always wanted to be, visit www.proactol.com.

5. Be Yourself

Last of all, just be yourself. There is no point trying to be someone you’re not. This will only go on to work against you later, and will cause you to make mistakes

Simply be yourself and remember that your date said yes to the idea of dating the real you, not a fictional character.

So give these tips a try and begin feeling the difference of a happier, more confident you.

Weight loss diet pill guarantees – what do they really offer?

2009-08-04T18:42:00.000+08:00

Which weight loss supplements would you put your trust in?

2009-07-29T19:36:00.000+08:00

Weight loss supplements – what other benefits have they got to offer?

2009-07-27T19:44:00.001+08:00

Top 3 natural weight loss supplements on the market

2009-07-21T14:24:00.001+08:00

Weight loss surgeries vs. diet pills – which are safer?

2009-07-17T10:16:00.001+08:00

Set your children on the path to a healthier and happier lifestyle this Mother’s day

2009-07-10T17:58:00.000+08:00

Taking care of your health and body is always important, and this Mother’s Day should be no different. For one day of the year you are given free reign to be spoilt, get pampered and most importantly celebrate with your family being a mother. An occasion we all love and look forward to.

Yet your role as a mother is not simply defined by this one day alone. Your commitment and love for them is year long. From showing them right from wrong, to teaching them about the world, every action you perform is for them and for them alone.

But did you know that even the way you eat can influence your children’s health decisions in the future? It’s true. From as early as pregnancy, the foods you eat can have a strong influence on the way your children’s diet develops in the future, as the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust discovered in their recent study.

Drawing further on this thesis, the Wellcome Trust believe that even the smallest changes in our external environment and eating habits can be passed on directly through our DNA to our children. A theory that places a whole new light on recent data that suggests by 2050 nine in ten children will be obese.

It all ties down to the actions we perform today.

But don’t worry if you mis-behaved during your pregnancy and ate fatty foods. We all did. What matters most is the fact that you can still have a positive influence upon your children’s eating habits, beginning with the choices you make this Mother’s day.

Let us explain.

No matter your children’s age, there are things you can do today that can set precedent for them as they grow up and have families of their own. You can make the change, and the fascinating part is, is that all it takes is small subtle changes to help them in the right direction.

Turn your Mother’s day around

Imagine for a moment a fun-filled day filled with action, activity and enjoyment for the entire family. Bike rides, long walks, picnicking in the park… you can turn this Mother’s day into one to remember as you fill your families day with delicious low in saturated food and fun, fun, fun.

And the best part is they won’t even realise that you have removed the traditional meal out/ takeaway with a healthier option.

Instead they will be having too much fun making your Mother’s day one to remember.

And the benefits can affect you all. You, your partner, your children… all of you can begin feeling the benefits of natural weight loss and a healthier body.

So make this Mother’s day one to remember. Carefree, fun and most important, the day you know that you are setting your children in the right direction.

For more information on how to improve your children’s eating habits visit: www.proactol.com

Set the par this Mother’s day by ensuring your children’s dietary future is secure

2009-07-09T18:30:00.000+08:00

Mother’s Day Article

2009-07-06T19:45:00.000+08:00

Celebrity diets – are they safe? Proactol™ offers an insiders look into the latest dietary trends

2009-07-03T20:23:00.000+08:00

Breast Cancer Treatment

2009-06-04T08:04:00.000+08:00

At present, the treatment recommendations after surgery (adjuvant therapy) follow a pattern. Depending on clinical criteria (age, type of cancer, size, metastasis) patients are roughly divided to high risk and low risk cases which follow different rules for therapy. Treatment possibilities include Radiation Therapy, Chemotherapy, Hormone Therapy, and Immune Therapy.
Information on Breast Cancer Treatments

Surgery
Depending on the staging and type of the tumor, just a lumpectomy (removal of the lump only) may be all that is necessary or removal of larger amounts of breast tissue may be necessary. Surgical removal of the entire breast is called mastectomy. Standard practice requires that the surgeon must establish that the tissue removed in the operation has margins clear of cancer, indicating that the cancer has been completely excised. If the tissue removed does not have clear margins, then further operations to remove more tissue may be necessary. This may sometimes require removal of part of the pectoralis major muscle which is the main muscle of the anterior chest wall.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can be given both before and after surgery. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is used to shrink the size of a tumor prior to surgery. Adjuvant chemotherapy is given after surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence. Cancer cells usually grow more rapidly than normal cells, and chemotherapy drugs work against them by interfering with their growth and reproduction.

Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy consists of the use of high powered X-rays or gamma rays (XRT) that precisely target the area that is being treated. These X-rays or gamma rays are very effective in destroying the cancer cells that might recur where the tumor was removed. These X-rays are delivered by a machine called a linear Accelerator or LINAC. Alternatively, the use of implanted radioactive catheters, similar to those used in prostate cancer treatment, is being evaluated. The use of radiation therapy for breast cancer is usually given after surgery has been performed and is an essential component of breast conserving therapy. The purpose of radiation is to reduce the chance that the cancer will recur.

Hormonal Treatment
Hormonal therapy is a very effective treatment against breast cancer that is hormone-receptor-positive. Find out if you should be tested to see if you need other therapies, as well. Sometimes called “anti-estrogen therapy,” hormonal therapy blocks the ability of the hormone estrogen to turn on and stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. Tamoxifen is the drug most commonly used to block estrogen receptors on cancer cells, in effect, denying them the estrogen they need to grow and multiply.

Herceptin
Herceptin is the first humanized antibody approved for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Herceptin is designed to target and block the function of HER2 protein overexpression. Research has shown that HER2-positive breast cancer is a more aggressive disease with a greater likelihood of recurrence, a poorer prognosis, and a decreased chance of survival compared with HER2-negative breast cancer.

AstraZeneca-Merck collaboration on testing anti-cancer treatment

2009-06-03T12:14:00.000+08:00

In an atypical collaboration, drug developers AstraZeneca and Merck & Co are planning to test their respective early-stage cancer treatments together – AstraZeneca’s AZD6244 and Merck’s MK-2206.

According to the two companies, the results of pre-clinical studies have revealed that the combination of the two targeted therapies has the potential of developing into an effective anti-cancer drug.

While AstraZeneca’s AZD6244 compound is presently in mid-stage development as a potential treatment for various kinds of tumors; the Merck MK-2206 compound is currently in early-stage studies with general focus on treatment of solid tumors.

The AstraZeneca compound largely blocks Mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 - a biochemical indicator advancing growth of cancer cell; whereas the Merck compound affects AKT, the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase component - a significant indication that promotes cancer cell survival.

With the two compounds having gone past the laboratory phase of development, they will be co-directed through the early Phase I clinical assessment. Thereafter, both the drug-makers, who are sharing the costs, will work out the advanced development of the drug for the treatment of solid cancer tumors.

The AstraZeneca-Merck tie-up is the first of its kind between drug companies in an early stage of development of a drug. Most of the other combined anti-cancer drug treatments by other companies are generally developed either when the medicines reach the late-stage testing or when they hit the markets!

New cervical cancer treatment

2009-06-02T08:42:00.000+08:00

Small changes to the surgery used to treat cervical cancer may improve survival rates by 20 per cent, according to German researchers.

Most women diagnosed with cervical cancer have a radical hysterectomy, removing the uterus, cervix, part of the upper part of the vagina and some tissue from the pelvis.

Now German scientists have developed a new technique called mesometrial resection (TMMR), which removes a more defined section, including the fallopian tubes, uterus, and certain parts of the vagina.

Reporting in The Lancet Oncology, they say this improves recurrence rates and avoids common side effects such as problems with bladder and bowel function.

In the study, 212 patients had TMMR, and after 41 months, the cancer had returned in only 10 patients. Among high risk patients the recurrence rate was 5 per cent compared to 28 per cent when treated with normal surgery, reports the BBC.

Cancer Treatment

2009-05-29T10:40:00.000+08:00

MRI for Multiple Sclerosis

The described symptoms are not typical of MS but it is a notoriousely difficult diagnosis to rule out on purely clinical grounds. Because no single test is totally reliable in identifying MS, and a variety of conditions can mimic the disease , diagnosis depends on clinical features supplemented by the findings of certain studies. Magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, has become one of the most important diagnostic tools for MS. Magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium contrast, especially during or following a first attack, can be helpful in providing evidence of lesions in other parts of the brain and spinal cord. A second magnetic resonance scan may be useful at least three months after the initial attack to identify new lesions and provide evidence of dissemination over time. It is critical to exclude other diseases that can mimic multiple sclerosis, including vascular disease, spinal cord compression, vitamin B12 deficiency, central nervous system infection (e.g., Lyme disease, syphilis), and other inflammatory conditions (e.g., sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome). MRI is useful in all these regards.

Breaking bad s02e09

2009-05-04T17:47:00.000+08:00

(S02E09) When a patient awaiting results of a PET-CT, anxiety can be overwhelming. Walt referred to anxiety about preparing for the worse in his case through the kitchen. And cooking in large quantities, although it was not ready for what proved to be massive. As for the poor fools Jesse, waiting his whole life to fall apart again.

Jesse is a good guy, but intelligent and most likely almost everyone on television. So now you get in this semi-serious relationship with the owner or the next, I'm waiting for something terrible happens to him or both. It is inevitable. Nobody suffers like Jesse suffers. Well, except for tonight. There was much suffering in the world. I am sure Skinny Pete was too much suffering, wherever it wound up. As for Bob Odenkirk up there, so I watch, but I like his character in the show that I am with him anyway!

It is nice to stop and simply an episode of Walter and Jesse. Their relationship is so complicated, and destructive co-dependent at the same time. With his death on his mind, because I was prepared for the worst in the PET-CT, Walt Jesse essentially forced to take off in the desert and make the kitchen going crazy. Had to be there for him, but Jesse did not like anyway Georgia O'Keefe, but it would have been a lot of work into their vagina.

Walt once said Jesse put the keys in a safe place, she knew they were in difficulties. As many times as Jesse screw things up, you think that Walt has been learned to date. Accordingly, the keys might be better sitting in your work area. The result was a strange near-death experience in the desert, in fact, two of them with each other in a strange way. It has also helped over a million dollars in value of the objective, and that even took place.

I liked how when Walt was building the stack to save their asses, you are requested that Jesse was a student and, ultimately, was disappointed when Jesse proved once again to a kind of idiot. It is these moments that really make these characters live and breathe on the screen. There were performances from both surprising and Aaron Paul Bryan Cranston in the episode tonight.

For me, it was amazing, the results of PET-CT Walt. With the tumor was reduced by 80% and the cancer in remission, the ticking of the clock in this show, life expectancy has increased. Hell, in theory, could be extended indefinitely. I am ashamed to admit that even considers the referral as a means to prolong the show. AMC is already considering a third season on board, it is best to slow the fall of Walt, but I do not think it can be stopped completely. Just change the tone of the entire sample.

Rett syndrome

2009-05-04T17:15:00.000+08:00

Rett syndrome is a neurological disorder found in humans. This developmental disorder is usually located on Women. The following are the symptoms of Rett syndrome.

Intellectual disability is one of the symptoms of Rett syndrome. Mental retardation and regression of development are observed in these patients.

Hyperventilation or breathing problem is another symptom of the syndrome.

Rett syndrome can also cause loss of speech.

There are so many other symptoms. I said, according to some, to my knowledge.

The main cause of Rett syndrome is the change (mutation) of the MeCP2 gene.

Rett syndrome will result in the loss of skills such as walking and movement.

Signs and symptoms of Rett syndrome article is written in my little knowledge. If there are mistakes, please forgive me.

Thank you.

Health and Money - On Line Jobs Can Improve Your Health

2009-04-22T21:47:00.000+08:00

It is terrible to see how many people suffer more and more each day because of money problems. Some have the tools to make it but don’t get a chance and others simply don’t have anything. 'Money stress' and 'money anxiety’ are terrible factors for your health. If you don't have a fixed income stress levels over money can easily escalate to cause most of the usual symptoms of anxiety.

These economic times are hard even for those that have a steady job; prizes escalate but salaries don’t…every thing gets more expensive and people have to do more and more to be able to provide for them self’s and their loved ones. Not to mention all those “extra” things you would love to have but that due to the economy you have to do with out. Sometimes they are merely luxury items but other times they can be health items; items that are a matter of life and death.

I spend many years working very hard as an engineer and even though I was earning a good salary I wasn’t able to save enough to provide for a healthy income for the future. I support a family of 7 and let me tell you, at the end of the month that check comes in very handy!

The thing is that when the end of the month comes around and you don’t have that check……oh boy, very bad news!. Thousands of people are in this situation and they are all suffering from anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety, social anxiety, anxiety over phobias, post traumatic stress disorder and more. These stresses will seriously damage your health. Money problems are the major factor in stress and anxiety.

These disorders were the reason why I started looking into the internet for online jobs. It was very frustrating for several years, but the menace of these anxieties made me stick to it and work hard to find that door that could lead me to a healthy and constant income. Were there is a will, there is a way.

I must say however that if you’re looking for quick cash, you are better off buying a lottery ticket. It doesn’t work like the advertisers want you to think. If you have enough money to invest calmly and you know the market and the system very, very well, then there is a chance you might make allot of money really fast. But that generally is not the case; easy money 99% of the times comes at a great expense.

This is my testimonial, if you work hard and start off with the goal of providing some extra cash, you will do fine. Little by little you learn more new things that will open your mind. Then you might want to concentrate all you’re efforts and investment into just one or two systems that you can master. Every thing is so detailed that you are better off concentrating all you’re skills in a way that better suits your specific talents.

Don’t let the disorders of “money anxiety” affect you. The internet is the future employment agency. There is enough there for everybody to develop their own skills and earn a decent living. Working from home provides also a more relaxed atmosphere that allows you to work better and produce more. This not only helps to deter anxieties, but is also a psychological boost; you are connected to the world in a way you could never think of. You are connected to real people through a keyboard!

So cheer up if you are looking for an online job to work from home. Start little by little and then specialize in what you find that you can do best. It is very interesting, and when you find something you like you can make money having fun. That’s great for your health! The system I use is reliable most of all because of all the new strategies I learn, which together with the online coaching they offer helps me provide a healthy income. There are lots to learn if you’re serious about working at home.

Top 10 Golden Ways For How To Lose Weight Fast

2009-04-07T15:47:00.000+08:00

Are you looking to ditch your fat quickly and effectively? I've got a good news for you,you can do.

What are the best ways to lose weight quickly and get in shape? I'll show you! Here are my top 10 ways to learn how to lose weight quickly and easily and quickly.
1. Drink plenty of water. People over to see this all the time and never seem to absorb it into their heads. I know that drinking water isn't as fun as chugging soda, but guess what? Your body hates soda and hip-hugging fat loves. Drink more water and your body to function better and prevent you from gaining weight.

2. Ditch sugar. Don' t weep at them or cry their death, simply to regulate their consumption. Sugars are bad because they increase levels of insulin and to keep the body fat, it' s just that simple. The less you enjoy things like candy and soft drinks will be more easy to get rid of fat!

3. Be active. I know you love watching your sitcoms, but get up and move. If you have a rolling mill try to watch TV while running speed or work in a sweat. Try to do 30 pumps between commercial breaks, keep your body guessing and keep your body stressing!

4. Cut out all the bad habits. Even if you bite your nails or smoking, try to stop. The best you can for the discipline with small things like that the most you can lose weight and really conquer your eating habits. Trust me, I've seen this a dozen times.

5. Get more carbohydrates in your body. Regardless of what you May have heard of your body works on vegetables and fruits. Your brain works on 80% glucose. No donuts and meat! Healthy fruits and vegetables, you can get in your body function better and you can burn fat. Experiment with different cuisines. Thai food is known to have heart healthy and tasty vegetable dishes. Try it!

6. Get a personal trainer or a friend who you can push to the limit. If you have a friend you can work which is more motivated you to work with them! If they are lazy or you are on the same level of enthusiasm to lose weight ditch em! They'll just lower your training regime and you won't get the results you need to obtain. It May seem harsh, but your health and your waistline will thank you long Run'be a warrior!

7. Use a killer weight loss program to guide you on track toward success. This should be the number 1 on the list, but oh well! Weight loss is one of the best ways to lose weight quickly. They are tried and true, proven and tested methods to leave the fat on the sidewalk and enter your new, fit and sexy body. Fat Loss 4 Idiots is a crowd favorite, and Top Secret Fat Loss Secret.

8. Eat. The more you eat the more your metabolism going. Eat healthy foods throughout the day and keep your metabolism guessing it will digest and the following process. This is how you keep the metabolism of her toes!

9. Work regularly and keep your body guessing as your metabolism. The more you move the resistance exercises and better results you get. Have fun with it and get experimental. The more you do the most you feel comfortable with it and you'll begin to love as you see the results.

10. Never give up! If you want to know how to lose weight fast, you can not give up any time. Why would you anyway? All the work you have put forward so far and would have gone to the window. Persevere and you will see the results that feel better than any orgy of junk food or watching tv marathons I guarantee it.

By: Andrew Maule

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Tired of not getting the results you want? Stop dreaming and get what you want! Slim now easily down once you get a weight loss program that works. That's why you need a review of weight loss program! NEW! My Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review - Check It Out!

Beating Emetophobia Fears

2009-03-31T09:07:00.000+08:00

I wanted to talk about beating emetophobia fears. It is a strange phobia to have because that's what makes you afraid of vomiting, but it is not just that simple. It is an irrational fear of vomiting and really understand the problem, you need to focus on being irrational. There are many things that can make you sick, so you can see that this is a serious problem to have. Patients often live in their homes and do not leave. The public is a scary place for them. Going out with friends can be a difficult task for them. I talk about beating emetophobia fears.

Here is an example of how the patient is thinking. Imagine leaving a restaurant with friends. This will be a good time because you'll have a kitchen for you and you'll have fun with your friends. For the patient, there are many unknowns. They do not know if the kitchen is clean, if the food is fresh, or if people around them do not have germs. All these things can make you sick and vomit. Patients remain in their home because it's really the only place where they can control.

Beating emetophobia fears is to let go. In the previous paragraph, you will see that I introduced the concept of control. People who try to control everything (even impossible) suffer from anxiety. Emetophobia is a branch of the anxiety and the only way is to let go. You must let go because you can not control everything, and that's good.

By: Elle Nash

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Herbal Hair Loss Treatment

2009-03-30T17:18:00.000+08:00

Herbal Hair Loss Treatment or Hair Transplant ý Which Would You Prefer?

Wearing wigs can make you look so silly. It can also fall off accidentally which can really cause more embarrassment. Some also use spray-on fiber hairs which covers the bald spots with fake hair. But they can be flaky and might just be blown off by the wind which is equally embarrassing as the wig.

In treating your baldness, there are two options to choose from ý a hair transplant or herbal loss treatment. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. You choose whatýs best for you.

Hair Transplants

The cost of a normal hair transplant can go up to hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Usually, only the wealthy balding guys can afford such an operation. The high cost is obviously the downside of hair transplants.

Another problem with hair transplants is the amount of discomfort that you will have to endure while you are under the knife so to speak. There wonýt be any scalpels involved making insertions in your scalp.

What is involved is a machine with a very fine needle that consistently pokes your scalp in a rapid succession that will cause so much pain it has made many grown men cry. This pain of the operation has turned off many from this treatment.

On the brighter side, hair transplant is almost a sure thing unlike herbal hair loss treatment. You donýt have to wait long because the hair has already been transplanted into your scalp and it can even grow more in time. Keep in mind, though, that the newly transplanted hair is very sensitive and would require proper care.

Herbal Loss Treatment

There are many ýherbalý products being sold out there claiming they are natural, but in reality, they are just synthetic. Make sure you donýt buy bogus products which can only further damage your scalp.

Herbal hair loss treatment

There are many products that claim they are herbal. Not all of them really are, a lot are synthetic but still claim to be all natural. The market is sufficiently saturated by bogus products that are not really effective.

If you think you canýt endure the pain of the hair transplant operation, then herbal hair loss treatment is the best for you. Itýs not only affordable; your hair would grow back normally on its own without any pain.

If you have enough patience, you will see your hair slowly grow back and all that without the pain or money cost by surgery. Herbal hair loss treatment is also more efficient in the long run because the hair naturally grows back on its own.

By: Rick Lee

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Acne in adult women

2009-03-25T08:44:00.000+08:00

Acne is the most common skin diseases affecting men and women of various ages and occurs in every race. In adults, although more women than men suffer from acne. Adult women suffer from acne May especially if they have been exposed during their teenage years. In addition, pregnancy and coming on or off the contraceptive pill can be very hard on the buttons of acne. Acne in adult women may be a result of fluctuating hormones that occur naturally as we mature. Also, some experts have noted that adult women acne is increasing and this May be partly due to the stressful life that we are today. Some women have acne for the first time as adults. Adult women generally acne on the chin and around their mouths. Although acne is usually not a serious health threat, it may be an important source of emotional distress.

Acne is caused by overactive sebaceous glands that get clogged. Acne is the term for plugged pores (black and white), buttons, and even deeper cuts (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the arm. In most cases, acne refers to clogged pores which are in black and white dots. Comedones result of a pore is partially blocked, allowing some trapped sebum (oil), bacteria and dead cells to slowly drain to the surface. Blacks often take longer to clean than the white. The black color is not caused by dirt on a frequent face washing can get rid of them. Whites result of a pore is completely blocked, trapping sebum (oil), bacteria and dead skin cells, causing a white appearance on the surface. Whites are usually disappear faster than blacks.

Although some women feel that their acne is aggravated and stimulated by certain foods, particularly chocolate, colas, peanuts, shellfish and fatty foods, there is no scientific evidence that has found a link between diet and acne. For mild acne, most of the remedies at the counter working fine. Consult a physician if you want faster relief from prescription drugs such as antibiotics, oral and topical antibiotics work very well for most people.

Be aware that cosmetics are one of the most important factors contributing to acne in adult women. Women can prevent and reduce the appearance of buttons acne to some degree by simple methods. If you use cosmetics such as foundation, blush, eye shadow, moisturizers wash carefully at bedtime off. The best types of cosmetics to use for oily or acne tend skin, are either oil-free, non-comedogenic or non acnegenic cosmetics. But not all "oil free" cosmetics and moisturizers are oil free, some contain oil such as synthetic fibers that can cause acne-prone skin. Many derivatives of lanolin are also harmful to people prone to acne, to check the ingredients. Choose oil-free hair care products. Keep your hair from your face especially when exercising. If you have oily hair, wash it regularly to reduce oil. If you wear sports glasses, helmets, hats, banners or by doing physical activities, you get acne May buttons around the eyes, hair, or the forehead.

Ann is a home business entrepreneur who research and reviews many products on its Web Info From Ann For more detailed information on all types of acne, treatment, prevention and resources visit Acne

Should You Wear A Breast Cancer Bracelet

2009-03-25T08:39:00.000+08:00

Chances are you know someone who has been affected by breast cancer and want to find a way to get involved. In the busy world, it is difficult to find time to volunteer to help others a lot of us just write a check, and we hope that the money will help find a cure for this disease. While giving money is noble, there are times when it takes a stand and show you care.

One way to demonstrate your dedication to the cause is to wear a bracelet breast cancer. It shows that you care for everyone and you are a participant in the war to find a cure. Now, if you think the bracelet is a strange shade of pink to match your clothes, look for the appropriate office and a pleasure to wear. Vanity can creep, but your choice for a cancer bracelet are almost limitless.

Well, you're right in your way of thinking that most breast cancer bracelets are pink, but they are not just a strange shade of pink. Their color varies and can be interwoven with other beads to create a beautiful piece of jewelry that will compliment your wardrobe.

You can buy a pink tourmaline silver bracelet in sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and hematite, an elastic bracelet with an angel crystal or a pearl bracelet. Just go to Google and type in breast cancer bracelet and will be offered more than 900,000 different places where you can get the jewelry. Almost everything you can imagine is available. And if you do not find exactly what you want, you can work with a company to have a wristband to your specifications.

If you are actively involved in the movement and are part of a group of women who meet frequently, you May want to have a bracelet that you wear all. This shows your unity and spirit when it comes to fight against breast cancer. May people view special jewelry and even ask about it. This will give you the opportunity to talk about the specific importance of it and why you support this important cause.

Another way to spread the news and to gain more support from the community may give Camo Pink Rubber Bracelet. These can be purchased on the Internet and are an excellent way to recruit young supporters, these young women still in high school and college. What better way to educate them about the potential dangers of this disease and their activities involved in working with other women and to support the cause.

Whatever the type of breast cancer bracelet you choose, it must be meaningful to you. Maybe you wear because you are a survivor of breast cancer or because you lost someone close to you from this disease. Why you wear, it is important to you!

For more information on breast cancer try visiting http://www.breastcanceranalysis.com - a website that specializes in providing breast cancer information and resources including information on breast cancer bracelet

Medical Transcription The Perfect Opportunity To Telecommute!

2009-03-22T21:10:00.000+08:00

Telecommuting is growing at a rapid pace in the U.S., with almost 20% of the workforce performing their jobs in an offsite location meaning opportunity for your medical transcription career.

When you build a career with specialized skills, such as medical transcription, you're on your way to telecommuting success. The quickest way to find an at-home job is to acquire a specialized skill that is in demand. With 3 million wage and salary jobs on the horizon in the health care industry and an increased need for transcription services you can't lose with medical transcription.

Get your start! First get your education an online medical transcription school can provide the flexibility you need. Then, contact doctors and medical facilities in your area and find out if they outsource their medical transcription needs, or if they enable their medical transcriptionists to work from home. If your medical transcription school offers job assistance, they can help you with this! Once you partner with a health care provider, you just need a foot pedal, headset and home office.

Benefits of Telecommuting
Increased productivity It enables you to get your medical transcription work done in a more efficient manner. There are typically less distractions out of the office. You can focus on work without experiencing interruptions, such as drop-in visitors, additional assignments, etc.
Reduced stress It allows you to be more in control of your day. You don't have to deal with a lengthy commute or hectic office environment. You are also less likely to become ill.
Flexible schedule It provides you with the power to decide when to complete your medical transcription assignments. You can tailor your schedule to meet the needs of your professional and personal lives by choosing when to start and stop working.
Reduced travel time and costs It lowers the commuting time to and from work, as well as curbs costs related to transportation, day care, dry cleaning, etc. As a result, there is more time and money for interests outside of work.
Better balance of work and family Doing medical transcription work from home enables you to devote more effective time to work, while being available for family responsibilities.

Medical transcription provides the perfect opportunity to build your career from home. With administrative health care careers on the rise, there will be higher demand for qualified workers meaning more flexibility when it comes to starting at at-home medical transcription career. Create the future you've always wanted one that includes a stable career, time with your family and a schedule that fits with your life.

By: Danielle Brunson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Danielle Brunson is a lead marketing copywriter for Allied Medical School. Allied provides medical training programs that prepare students for careers in the medical coding and billing and medical transcription fields. Online courses offer students a quick and convenient way to learn. Allied was established in 1992 and is an accredi

The Need For Meditation To Alleviate Stress

2009-03-22T21:02:00.000+08:00

All of us are under tremendous stress these days. Stress greets us daily in various forms. It can be in the form of work pressure, unmet deadlines, pressure from social life and meeting its demands, financial demands, etc. When the entire world is trying to cope with the effects of financial meltdown across the globe that results in job loss, job insecurity, financial insecurity, all of us are overstressed. We will be able to take only a certain amount of stress before we break down. We need additional support to achieve resilience against stress. We can help ourselves by setting aside a few minutes everyday for meditation. Though meditation is such a powerful way of fighting stress, not all of us realize the importance of meditation.

Spend time learning about meditation and its benefits before you setout to meditate. Discuss with people who already know about meditation and people who are meditating and they will be able to give you practical guidance on meditation, which cannot be found elsewhere so easily. Meditation has its roots in Yoga and Buddhism, in particular Zen form of Buddhism.
One of the things that you should learn is various breathing techniques. All masters of meditation emphasize on the importance of mastering our breathing habits. There are many breathing techniques that help us achieve high levels of concentration in meditation.

You can also get help from a reputed meditation forum or community where people share their experiences and thoughts on meditation. There are number of self help groups available online that we can make use of to effectively learn meditation.

Meditation helps us control our emotion and handle them in positive way without suppressing it. It also helps us become a self aware person. Very often, we run into personality related problems because we lack self-awareness and we do not know who we really are. Meditation helps us get in touch with our inner self and this helps us deal with any situation in a composed manner without getting agitated. We are able to remain calm and enjoy peace even in the midst of highly stressful situations.

One of the best online forums on meditation is 7meditations.com. Here you can find highly helpful resources on meditation, breathing techniques, Zen, Buddhism, etc. You will be able to discuss with others who share the same interests. You will be able to talk to various people about meditation in this forum and get useful tips and guidance on meditation and breathing techniques. You can post your queries and doubts on mediation and get instant guidance. You can also share your views and experience in this self help forum. This is a free forum from which all of us can benefit. We will be able to gather all the information on meditation in this forum through useful discussions with others. If we have to learn everything by ourselves by reading books on meditation, it will take us a long time to understand and to get into proper meditation. We can take advantage of the experience of the others by making use of this forum.

By: Hans Guston

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Brett Reilly is author of this article on meditation. Find more information about discuss here.

Vigrx- The All Natural And Safe Solution

2009-03-22T20:54:00.000+08:00

There are a number of men who suffer from erectile dysfunction. This can be a source of shame and distress for them and may cause psychological problems due to their feelings of inadequacy. Most doctors have been prescribing synthetic drugs such as Viagra in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and these are known to have adverse side effects on the body.

Now there are herbal supplements that can help men with erectile dysfunction. These herbal preparations are known aphrodisiacs that have been used over time and have been known to stimulate blood flow and increase hormonal production, and also stimulate libido thus alleviating some forms of erectile dysfunction.One such herbal supplement is VigRx. It is made from a blend of natural herbs that help in the improvement of blood circulation. Medically, the penis gets erected when there is a good supply of blood flowing from it. The natural herbs found in VigRx target the improvement of blood circulation in the penis erectile tissues called corpa cavernosa, thus creating an erection. And because of its natural ingredients, it is safe to take with other medications without the worries of having adverse reactions or side effects. If you want to take precautionary measures before taking in VigRx, seek the professional advice of a doctor that advocates herbal medicines for any possible adverse reactions with using this drug.

The usual dosage in taking VigRx is twice a day. The preparations are in capsules and each bottle contains 60capsules each. The active ingredients used in VigRx include ginko biloba, red ginseng, saw palmetto berry and other herbs. The special ingredient used in VigRx is Bioperine. Bioperine is an extract from piper nigum, more commonly known as black pepper and it increases the absorption of nutrients when combined with other herbs or supplements.

It is important to follow the prescribed dosage of any medicine, be it herbal or synthetic drugs. VigRx is currently known as the safest male enhancer pill but taking too much can cause health problems too. Over dosage in VigRx may cause severe headaches, seizures or vomiting of blood. Other known adverse reactions due to over dosage are palpitations, liver damage, respiratory distress or sudden mood swings (anger or fits of rage). So it is important not to abuse the use of this drug also. Consuming large quantities can be poisonous too.

Now when do users expect to see results when taking in VigRx? Most users report a change in as early as one week of using the herbal supplement, but manufacturers recommended that it takes a month to really see and feel visible results and improvement.

Now there are some fake herbal medicines that may cause harm when taken. It is advisable to purchase the drug directly from its manufacturers or authorized sellers in order to avoid getting fake pills. The use of VigRx has known to be effective and many men have already vouched the safeness and effectiveness of using VigRx. It is also recommended for use by physicians because unlike other male enhancers, VigRx is a herbal supplement and is safe and natural.

By: Leo Vegner

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Curious about VigRx? We expose everything (the good and the bad) you NEED to know about VigRx. Go to www.onlinemedsreview.com/ now!

Breast Cancer

2009-02-06T07:42:00.000+08:00

History of the Procedure

Over the greater part of the last century, all forms of breast cancer have been treated by aggressive surgical resection. In 1894, Halsted described the procedure of en bloc removal of all breast tissue, draining lymph nodes and pectoralis muscles for the treatment of breast cancer. This technique of radical mastectomy became the standard of care for decades based on an understanding that cancer growth proceeded in stepwise fashion via the lymphatics, thus could be controlled with surgical excision.

In 1971, Fisher et al challenged this standard and demonstrated in the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) B-04 trial that radical mastectomy had no survival benefit over mastectomy with radiation or mastectomy with delayed axillary dissection. In a subsequent study, NSABP B-06, patients were randomized to total mastectomy versus lumpectomy and radiation therapy (XRT), and no survival benefit of total mastectomy was found. However, benefit was observed in the decreased rate of local recurrence in women receiving XRT. Development of new chemotherapeutic and hormonal agents has further revolutionized the management of breast cancer.

For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Cancer and Tumors Center, Women's Health Center, and Imaging Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education articles Breast Cancer, Mastectomy, Breast Lumps and Pain, Breast Self-Exam, and Mammogram.

Problem

Worldwide, the overall incidence of breast cancer varies markedly but appears to be rising. Far eastern countries such as Japan, which historically have enjoyed low rates in comparison to the United States, are seeing a rapid rise in incidence. Although the United States has the highest reported incidence of breast cancer in the world, several western European nations such as Iceland, Italy, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom trail closely behind. Incidence has been historically lower in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East, but countries such as Japan and Singapore have seen a 2-fold rise over the past few decades.

Frequency

Of American women, 13% will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, making it the most common nonskin cancer among women. In addition, more than 3% will die from the disease. Breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, accounting for more than 400,000 deaths per year. In the United States, breast cancer trails only lung cancer as the second most common cause of cancer death in women. In 2002, more than 1.15 million new cases were diagnosed worldwide. More than 200,000 of these were in the United States alone.

The 1980s saw the greatest rise in incidence, which may have been due to a combination of improvements in screening techniques, data collection, and treatment modalities. Despite this surge in newly-diagnosed cases, mortality rates have been declining over the last decade. The decline is widely attributed to earlier detection via screening mammography and improvements in hormonal therapy and chemotherapy.

Etiology

Risk factors for the development of invasive breast cancer include female gender, age, family history, age at the time of first parturition, personal history of previous breast cancer, hormone replacement therapy, history of atypical hyperplasia or noninvasive lesions, and genetics.

Female gender: The incidence of breast cancer in women exceeds that in men by 100:1. Overall, 1 of every 8 American women develops breast cancer in her lifetime.
Age: In American women, risk increases from 1:5900 to 1:290 between the third and eighth decades. A woman aged 60-79 years has a 1:14 chance of developing invasive breast cancer, compared with a woman younger than 39 years, who has a 1:225 probability.
Age at birth of first child: If aged 30 years or older, relative risk is 2 times that of patients who gave birth when younger than 20 years.
Personal history of breast cancer: This also is a recognized risk factor. This factor depends on patient age at time of diagnosis. Risk is increased for younger women.
Noninvasive carcinoma (ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]/lobular carcinoma in situ [LCIS]) on previous biopsy: This also is a marker for development of invasive lesions.
Benign proliferative changes with atypical hyperplasia: These may increase relative risk by 4 times. Atypical hyperplasia may be observed in as many as 10% of specimens from biopsy.
Early menarche and late menopause: These also are associated weakly with increased relative risk of breast cancer.
Menopausal hormone replacement therapy: Multiple studies, including the Women's Health Initiative and the Million Women Study in the United Kingdom, have shown an increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are either recent or current users of estrogen alone or in combination with progestin. In addition, the combination use of estrogen with progestin has been associated with an even greater risk of breast cancer, particularly of lobular carcinoma. Increased risk is also related to increased duration of use; this risk can be reduced over time, following the termination of hormone replacement therapy.
Family history: Degree of relativity of the family member with breast cancer affects individual risk. For example, the relative risk of patients with an affected first-degree relative is 1.5-2 times higher when compared to controls without affected family members. Even more significantly, having two first-degree relatives affected (female or male) increases relative risk by more than 4-6 times when compared to patients without this risk factor. Third, age of the affected relative at time of diagnosis also influences risk. A patient with a mother diagnosed when younger than 60 years is at 2 times increased risk. Finally, bilateral cancer in a first-degree relative may increase risk by more than 6 times.
Genetic predisposition: Approximately 5-10% of breast cancer cases are primarily attributable to inherited factors. Claus et al estimated that 36% of breast cancer cases in women aged 20-29 years can be attributed to a single dominant susceptibility gene, while only 1% of women diagnosed with breast cancer over the age of 80 have such a gene. The risk of breast cancer in carriers of BRCA1 mutation is estimated to be 36-87%. Male breast cancer is also seen with BRCA1 mutations with a lifetime risk of 5%. Lifetime breast cancer risk for carriers of BRCA2 is 45-84%. BRCA2 mutations are associated with a 6% lifetime risk of male breast cancer. Genetic breast cancer syndromes are outlined in Table 1.

Table 1. Genetic Breast Cancer Syndromes.

Table

Syndrome	Gene	Inheritance	Cancers	Other Features
Breast/ovarian	BRCA1	AD*	Breast, ovarian
Cancer syndrome	BRCA2	AD	Breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic	Fanconi anemia in homozygotes
Li-Fraumeni syndrome	TP53	AD	Breast, brain, soft tissue sarcomas, leukemia, adrenocortical, others
Cowden disease	PTEN	AD	Breast, ovary, follicular thyroid, colon	Adenomas of thyroid, fibroids, GI polyps
Peutz-Jegher syndrome	STKII/LKB1	AD	GI, breast	Hamartomas of bowel, pigmentation of buccal mucosa
Ataxia-telangiectasia	ATM	AD	Breast	Homozygotes: leukemia, lymphoma, cerebella ataxia, immune deficiency, telangiectasias
Site-specific	CHEK2	AD	Breast	Low penetrance
Muir-Torre syndrome	MSH2/MLH1	AD	Colorectal, breast

Syndrome	Gene	Inheritance	Cancers	Other Features
Breast/ovarian	BRCA1	AD*	Breast, ovarian
Cancer syndrome	BRCA2	AD	Breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic	Fanconi anemia in homozygotes
Li-Fraumeni syndrome	TP53	AD	Breast, brain, soft tissue sarcomas, leukemia, adrenocortical, others
Cowden disease	PTEN	AD	Breast, ovary, follicular thyroid, colon	Adenomas of thyroid, fibroids, GI polyps
Peutz-Jegher syndrome	STKII/LKB1	AD	GI, breast	Hamartomas of bowel, pigmentation of buccal mucosa
Ataxia-telangiectasia	ATM	AD	Breast	Homozygotes: leukemia, lymphoma, cerebella ataxia, immune deficiency, telangiectasias
Site-specific	CHEK2	AD	Breast	Low penetrance
Muir-Torre syndrome	MSH2/MLH1	AD	Colorectal, breast

*AD = autosomal dominant

More controversial risk factors include obesity, low-dose radiation, and oral contraceptive use. The Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project (BCDDP) defined several factors not associated with increased risk, including oral contraceptive use, long-term (>15 y) menopausal estrogen use, modest alcohol use, and cigarette smoking. Various analyses of data from the Nurses’ Health Study also have shown no association between oral contraceptive use and breast cancer. Conflicting data preclude the recommendation of guidelines for risk modification in these areas.

Pathophysiology

The World Health Organization classification of breast tumors organizes both benign and malignant lesions by histologic pattern. Epithelial tumors comprise the largest group, including intraductal papilloma, adenomas, intraductal and lobular carcinoma in situ, invasive (ductal and lobular) carcinoma, and Paget disease of the nipple. Invasive ductal carcinoma is by far the most common type.

Phyllodes tumor, benign and malignant, and carcinosarcoma are rare lesions grouped as mixed connective tissue and epithelial tumors. Other common nonadenocarcinoma lesions of the breast include angiosarcoma and primary lymphoma.

Invasiveness is a key determinant in the prognosis and treatment of breast malignancy. Noninvasive lesions are by definition limited by the basement membrane and may be classified as DCIS or LCIS.

DCIS is by far more common than LCIS, and more importantly, it should be distinguished as a clearly malignant lesion. Ductal epithelial cells undergo malignant transformation and proliferate intraluminally. Eventually, the cells outstrip their blood supply and become necrotic centrally. This debris can calcify and be detected mammographically. Moreover, the lesions also may be palpable clinically. Five pathologic subtypes have been identified: comedo, papillary, micropapillary, solid, and cribriform. Most lesions represent a combination of at least two of these subtypes. The presence of comedo necrosis is an independent risk factor for subsequent ipsilateral breast cancer (NSABP-B17).
LCIS also arises from epithelial cells; however, their growth continues in a lobular pattern. In contrast to DCIS, these lesions rarely develop central necrosis, calcify, or become palpable. For this reason, LCIS rarely is detected by examination or mammography preoperatively and usually presents as an incidental finding on histologic review. Clinically, LCIS is considered more of a marker for development of invasive cancer rather than a malignant lesion. The risk of subsequent breast cancer is equal for both breasts irrespective of the index site. Moreover, most invasive cancers that develop are infiltrating ductal, which supports the concept that LCIS is not a malignant lesion.
Invasive breast cancers usually are epithelial tumors of ductal or lobular origin. Features such as size, status of surgical margin, estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR), nuclear and histologic grade, DNA content, S-phase fraction, vascular invasion, tumor necrosis, and quantity of intraductal component are all important in deciding on a course of treatment for any breast tumor.
Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is the most commonly diagnosed breast tumor. This lesion, which accounts for 75% of breast cancers, has no specific histologic characteristics other than invasion through the basement membrane. DCIS may be a frequently associated finding on pathologic examination. It also has a tendency to metastasize via lymphatics.
Infiltrating lobular carcinoma has a much lower incidence and comprises less than 15% of invasive breast cancer. It is characterized histologically by the Indian file arrangement of small tumor cells. Like ductal carcinoma, these typically metastasize to axillary lymph nodes first. However, it also has a tendency to be more multifocal. Despite this, the prognosis is comparable to that of ductal carcinoma.

Less common histologic subtypes of adenocarcinoma collectively comprise less than 25% of invasive breast cancers.

The diagnosis of tubular carcinoma requires the presence of tubular formation in at least 75% of the specimen. This pathology is associated with improved prognosis.
Mucinous (or colloid) carcinoma also has a favorable prognosis when compared with ductal carcinoma. These slow-growing lesions characteristically produce large amounts of mucin, thus are usually bulky. They, like tubular carcinoma, rarely metastasize.
Medullary carcinoma, despite being a poorly differentiated tumor, also carries an improved prognosis.

ER and PR are valuable as predictors of disease-free survival and response to hormonal therapy. Studies in patients with ER(+) tumors who did not receive chemotherapy suggest they have a higher rate of disease-free survival than patients with ER(-) tumors. The presence of these nuclear steroid receptors on tumor staining should be considered, along with other histologic features, in determining the need for hormonal and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor (Her)-2/neu protein expression is associated with increased incidence of recurrence and shortened overall survival. Her-2/neu is overexpressed in 20-30% of breast cancers. Her-2/neu–positive lesions have also been associated with comedo-type DCIS, another poor prognostic indicator. Patients with Her-2/neu–positive breast cancer are candidates for treatment with combination chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy.

S-phase (proliferative) fraction can be determined by flow cytometry. This fraction represents cells in the synthetic or replication phase of the cell cycle. High S-phase fraction is an indicator of more aggressive disease regardless of nodal status. It has not been shown to predict response to chemotherapy.

Other histologic factors, such as lymphatic invasion, an extensive DCIS component (>25% of the tumor), and Ki-67 staining, continue to be investigated as potential prognostic factors for breast cancer.

Presentation

When evaluating a patient with possible breast cancer, direct questions toward both assessment of risk and narrowing the differential diagnosis. Patient factors associated with increased risk of breast cancer are discussed in Etiology. In addition, inquiry regarding nipple discharge, fever, pain, rapid growth, duration of the mass, and changes with menses may be helpful in directing the workup for breast cancer.

Physical examination should include inspection of the patient in the upright as well as supine positions. With the patient upright, assessment for symmetry and changes in the nipple and skin may be performed. Obvious size discrepancy, nipple inversion, skin dimpling, scaling, and edema (peau d'orange) are suggestive findings. Supraclavicular, infraclavicular, and axillary lymphadenopathy also can be best detected in this position.

Once the patient is in the supine position with the ipsilateral arm extended over the head, the breast parenchyma can be compressed against the chest wall, which allows for improved sensitivity for the examiner. The 2 most common techniques for supine examination are the clockwise radial pattern and the linear pattern. In the clockwise radial technique, examination begins at the 12-o'clock position near the clavicle and proceeds towards the nipple. This is repeated in a clockwise fashion around the entire breast.

The linear technique, when performed correctly, is arguably more sensitive, although time-consuming. Proponents of the linear technique recommend beginning in the axilla at the mid-axillary line, proceeding toward the inferior mammary fold, and then returning to the clavicle in a series of rows (12-15 rows, depending on the size of the breast). Using the pads of 3 fingertips, the examiner should palpate dime-sized circles in 3 different depths at each site before moving one finger width toward the inferior mammary fold and repeating the circular motion at the superficial, medium, and deep levels. Benign lesions are more frequently smaller, rubbery, well-circumscribed, and mobile. Characteristics suggestive of malignancy include skin involvement, fixation to the chest wall, irregular border, firmness, and enlargement.

Compression of the breast or nipple is no longer recommended to assess for discharge. However, visual inspection of the nipple/areola complex should be a routine part of the examination. Only spontaneous discharge should be considered clinically significant. Concerning characteristics include unilateral discharge, nonmilky fluid, and origin from a single duct. Intraductal papilloma, a benign finding, is the most common cause of unilateral bloody nipple discharge. Other benign pathology associated with nipple discharge includes subareolar duct ectasia and fibrocystic changes. Usually, malignant pathology presenting with nipple discharge is also associated with a palpable mass, suggestive mammographic findings, or both.

Breast self-examination, performed monthly, is still generally recommended for women beginning at age 18 years, although no strong statistical data exist to support its efficacy in the early detection of breast cancer. Physicians should examine patients aged 19-40 years approximately every 3 years. The American Cancer Society recommends annual evaluation by physician examination along with screening mammography for women aged 40 years and older, particularly if risk factors are present.

Relevant Anatomy

A thorough understanding of the relative anatomy of the breast and axilla is essential to successful and uncomplicated surgical treatment of breast cancer.

The breast is bounded by the clavicle superiorly, the sternum medially, the lateral border of the latissimus muscle laterally, and the inframammary fold inferiorly. The axillary tail of Spence extends into the deep fascia superior and lateral to the breast. The deep pectoral fascia defines the deep margin.

Fibrous bands, known as the suspensory ligaments of Cooper, divide the breast parenchyma into 12-20 separate lobules of glandular tissue. Separate branching lactiferous ducts drain each lobule. These ducts converge just beneath the nipple into sinuses that empty into a single terminal duct. Drainage from individual ducts can be localized for surgical excision.

The lateral pectoral nerve passes medially around the medial pectoralis minor, and the medial pectoral nerve passes laterally around the pectoralis minor. The names are based on the origin of the nerves from the lateral and medial cords of the brachial plexus rather than their orientation to the muscle. Injuries to these nerves are rare.

Injury to the brachial plexus can be avoided by keeping the superior extent of the axillary dissection inferior to the lower border of the axillary vein.

The thoracodorsal nerve is identifiable medial to the thoracodorsal vein running along to enter the latissimus dorsi. Injury may result in slight, if any, clinically evident weakening of the latissimus.

The long thoracic nerve is located more medially in the axilla. It runs just beneath the investing fascia of the serratus anterior, medial to the thoracodorsal complex. Injury to this nerve results in winging of the scapula on arm extension.

The skin of the axilla and upper arm is supplied by the intercostobrachial nerve, which often is sacrificed in the dissection of axillary nodes. Transection may result in numbness in these areas.

Axillary lymph nodes receive most mammary lymphatic drainage. The internal mammary nodes also receive some drainage medially. Axillary nodes are referred to by levels, which are defined by the pectoralis minor muscle. Level I nodes are lateral, II behind, and III medial to the muscle.

The external mammary artery and perforators of the internal mammary artery supply blood to the breast. Venous drainage follows arterial anatomy.

Contraindications

Contraindications to surgical resection depend on the procedure in question. Breast conservation therapy is applicable in most patients with early stage invasive carcinoma. Relative contraindications include small breast size, large tumor size (>5 cm), and collagen vascular disease. Absolute contraindications include multi-focal disease, history of prior radiation to the area of treatment, first or second trimester of pregnancy, and persistent positive margins following attempts at conservation.

Factors that often are considered but should not be absolute deterrents include axillary node involvement and tumor location. Consideration of cosmesis, while important, should never outweigh the clinical priority of obtaining negative surgical margins. For example, lesions involving Paget's disease of the nipple may be treated with excision of the nipple-areolar complex and reconstruction. Larger lesions in patients with concerns regarding cosmesis may be better served by standard modified radical mastectomy and immediate reconstruction.

A relative contraindication to modified radical mastectomy is locally advanced cancer requiring neo-adjuvant therapy prior to surgical intervention.

General Information About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

2009-02-04T09:06:00.001+08:00

Non-small cell lung cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the lung.

The lungs are a pair of cone-shaped breathing organs in the chest. The lungs bring oxygen into the body as you breathe in. They release carbon dioxide, a waste product of the body’s cells, as you breathe out. Each lung has sections called lobes. The left lung has two lobes. The right lung is slightly larger and has three lobes. Two tubes called bronchi lead from the trachea (windpipe) to the right and left lungs. The bronchi are sometimes also involved in lung cancer. Tiny air sacs called alveoli and small tubes called bronchioles make up the inside of the lungs.

Enlarge

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).

A thin membrane called the pleura covers the outside of each lung and lines the inside wall of the chest cavity. This creates a sac called the pleural cavity. The pleural cavity normally contains a small amount of fluid that helps the lungs move smoothly in the chest when you breathe.

There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. (See the PDQ summary on Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment for more information.)

There are several types of non-small cell lung cancer.

Each type of non-small cell lung cancer has different kinds of cancer cells. The cancer cells of each type grow and spread in different ways. The types of non-small cell lung cancer are named for the kinds of cells found in the cancer and how the cells look under a microscope:

Squamous cell carcinoma: Cancer that begins in squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells that look like fish scales. This is also called epidermoid carcinoma.
Large cell carcinoma: Cancer that may begin in several types of large cells.
Adenocarcinoma: Cancer that begins in the cells that line the alveoli and make substances such as mucus.

Other less common types of non-small cell lung cancer are: pleomorphic, carcinoid tumor, salivary gland carcinoma, and unclassified carcinoma.

Smoking can increase the risk of developing non-small cell lung cancer.

Smoking cigarettes or cigars is the most common cause of lung cancer. The more years a person smokes, the greater the risk. If a person has stopped smoking, the risk becomes lower as the years pass, but is never completely gone.

Anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. People who think they may be at risk should discuss this with their doctor. Risk factors for lung cancer include the following:

Smoking cigarettes or cigars, now or in the past.
Being exposed to second-hand smoke.
Being treated with radiation therapy to the breast or chest.
Being exposed to asbestos, radon, chromium, arsenic, soot, or tar.
Living where there is air pollution.

When smoking is combined with other risk factors, the risk of developing lung cancer is increased.

Possible signs of non-small cell lung cancer include a cough that doesn't go away and shortness of breath.

Sometimes lung cancer does not cause any symptoms and is found during a routine chest x-ray. Symptoms may be caused by lung cancer or by other conditions. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:

A cough that doesn’t go away.
Trouble breathing.
Chest discomfort.
Wheezing.
Streaks of blood in sputum (mucus coughed up from the lungs).
Hoarseness.
Loss of appetite.
Weight loss for no known reason.
Feeling very tired.

Tests that examine the lungs are used to detect (find), diagnose, and stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Tests and procedures to detect, diagnose, and stage non-small cell lung cancer are often done at the same time. 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, including smoking, and past jobs, 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.
Enlarge
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.
CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, such as the chest, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.

PET scan (positron emission tomography scan): A procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body. A small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. The PET scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body. Malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do.

Enlarge

PET (positron emission tomography) scan. The patient lies on a table that slides through the PET machine. The head rest and white strap help the patient lie still. A small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into the patient's vein, and a scanner makes a picture of where the glucose is being used in the body. Cancer cells show up brighter in the picture because they take up more glucose than normal cells do.

Sputum cytology: A procedure in which a pathologist views a sample of sputum (mucus coughed up from the lungs) under a microscope, to check for cancer cells.

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of the lung: The removal of tissue or fluid from the lung using a thin needle. A CT scan, ultrasound, or other imaging procedure is used to locate the abnormal tissue or fluid in the lung. A small incision may be made in the skin where the biopsy needle is inserted into the abnormal tissue or fluid. A sample is removed with the needle and sent to the laboratory. A pathologist then views the sample under a microscope to look for cancer cells. A chest x-ray is done after the procedure to make sure no air is leaking from the lung into the chest.

Enlarge

Lung biopsy. The patient lies on a table that slides through the computed tomography (CT) machine which takes x-ray pictures of the inside of the body. The x-ray pictures help the doctor see where the abnormal tissue is in the lung. A biopsy needle is inserted through the chest wall and into the area of abnormal lung tissue. A small piece of tissue is removed through the needle and checked under the microscope for signs of cancer.

Bronchoscopy: A procedure to look inside the trachea and large airways in the lung for abnormal areas. A bronchoscope is inserted through the nose or mouth into the trachea and lungs. A bronchoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. It may also have a tool to remove tissue samples, which are checked under a microscope for signs of cancer.

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.

Thoracoscopy: A surgical procedure to look at the organs inside the chest to check for abnormal areas. An incision (cut) is made between two ribs, and a thoracoscope is inserted into the chest. A thoracoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. It may also have a tool to remove tissue or lymph node samples, which are checked under a microscope for signs of cancer. In some cases, this procedure is used to remove part of the esophagus or lung. If certain tissues, organs, or lymph nodes can’t be reached, a thoracotomy may be done. In this procedure, a larger incision is made between the ribs and the chest is opened.
Thoracentesis: The removal of fluid from the space between the lining of the chest and the lung, using a needle. A pathologist views the fluid under a microscope to look for cancer cells.

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 size of the tumor and whether it is in the lung only or has spread to other places in the body).
The type of lung cancer.
Whether there are symptoms such as coughing or trouble breathing.
The patient’s general health.

For most patients with non-small cell lung cancer, current treatments do not cure the cancer.

If lung cancer is found, taking part in one of the many clinical trials being done to improve treatment should be considered. Clinical trials are taking place in most parts of the country for patients with all stages of non-small cell lung cancer. Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Privacy Policy

2009-01-02T22:19:00.001+08:00

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Acupuncture Offers Benefits in Alleviating Breast Cancer Treatment Side-Effects

2008-11-18T10:50:00.000+08:00

(NaturalNews) A 2008 American study, which appeared in the September issue of The International Journal of Radiation Oncology, examined the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating women coping with the side effects of conventional breast cancer medicine. Eleanor Walker, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology in Detroit, led a team of researchers to compare acupuncture treatment with the common anti-estrogen treatment used to control breast cancer therapy side effects. The side effects, such as hot flashes and depression, affect about 80% of women treated for breast cancer and are usually treated by the pharmaceutical anti-depressant venlafaxine (Effexor). Many breast cancer patients refuse venlafaxine because of its own set of negative side effects.

The Study

The clinical trial, titled “Acupuncture for the Treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Hormone Suppression Treatment,” compared acupuncture treatment to venlafixine therapy for 12 weeks. The trial was randomized, which means that the patients were randomly placed into either treatment group. This ensured that both known and unknown confounding factors were evenly distributed between groups. Randomization is a common scientific technique for increasing the reliability of experimental results.

Dr. Walker’s study involved 47 patients who received the common breast cancer treatment of Tamoxifen or Arimidex and as a result had at least 14 hot flashes per week as well as excessive sweating, night sweats and depression. The 47 women were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (24 patients) and a venlafaxine group (23 patients). The patients were carefully monitored before, during and after the 12 week period.

The Results

Both of the groups showed significant improvement in the adverse effects of breast cancer treatment. The study reported “that acupuncture is at least as effective as venlafaxine in reducing vasomotor and other symptoms associated with anti-estrogen hormonal treatment of breast cancer.”

Although the main symptoms were decreased relatively equally among the two groups, the venlafaxine group reported a host of negative side effects such as nausea, dry mouth, headache, insomnia, dizziness, double vision, increased blood pressure, constipation, fatigue, anxiety, feeling ‘‘spaced out,’’ and body spasms at night.

Patients from the acupuncture group experienced side effects as well, however they were positive in nature. The acupuncture-treated group experienced increased energy, clarity of thought, sexual desire, and an increased sense of well-being compared to before the treatment. After the 12 week trial was complete, the reduction in hot flashes lasted longer for the acupuncture patients than for the venlafaxine group.

In other words, although both conventional and acupuncture treatments decreased the negative effects of breast cancer medicine significantly, conventional treatment produced negative sides effects while acupuncture treatment provided additional benefits.

“Our study shows that physicians and patients have an additional therapy for something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors and actually has benefits, as opposed to more side effects,” commented Eleanor Walker, M.D. “The effect is more durable than a drug commonly used to treat these vasomotor symptoms and, ultimately, is more cost-effective for insurance companies.”

“The results of this study suggest that adding acupuncture to breast cancer treatment regimens may establish an integrative approach that is more effective in managing symptoms due to treatment with fewer side effects than conventional pharmacotherapy treatment,” concluded the study.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation

This study was funded by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, one of the world’s largest not-for-profit organizations for the advancement of breast cancer activism. In 2008, the Dallas-based organization celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Komen Race for the Cure, the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the world, with well over 1 million participants since 2005. The Komen Race for the Cure Series raises significant funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrates breast cancer survivorship, and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease.

Sources

1) http://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360...)01216-9/fulltext
2) http://download.journals.elsevierhealth...
3) http://www.astro.org/PressRoom/NewsRele...
4) http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmed...
5) http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/...
6) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/article...
7) http://cms.komen.org/komen

Benefits of Drinking Water - 3 Things You Should Know

2008-09-17T13:33:00.001+08:00

It is indicative of the times that the benefits of drinking water need to spelled out. On the one hand it seems obvious, but how often do we overlook the obvious?

As you know, our bodies are at least 75% water, our brains closer to 90%. That alone should remind us that a glass of water on the desk or in the car is essential to have with us at all times.

You will only enjoy the benefits if you drink water, not coke or milk or lemonade - water. When you feel thirsty, what do you reach for? Make it water and you'll have a great and lasting positive impact on your health.

Don't wait to feel thirsty. Have you heard it's a bit late by then? The trillions of cells are already suffering dehydration by then. Think to drink.

This one ingredient cannot be left out if you want the full health recipe. What is not affected by water? Your blood moves the oxygen and needs water, water helps you heal from injuries and in cleansing and detoxification. Your body runs on water - improving your digestion and even sexual performance.

Now for the 3 vital things you need to do to enjoy the benefits of drinking water.

1. -- Quantity: at least 8 to 10 glasses, or more exactly take half your weight and drink that many fluid ounces. But this is only a rough guide. Listen to your body, drink more if you're active.

2. -- A glass of water always at hand is a great thing. The interval of time is also vitally important. The body needs more water as it uses it, not hours later. Especially drink before and during a physical activity.

3. -- To complete the picture, you have to consider the quality of water. All water is not the same. Tap water has so many toxins these days, prescription medications and chlorine. The chlorine alone increases your chances of getting cancer by 93% over your lifetime, according to the EPA.

Many turn to bottled water, but it's not great either. The plasticides from the bottle itself leach into the water over the weeks the bottle sits on the shelf. And in one test, over a third of bottled water was below the low standards of tap water.

You can learn much more on this important subject. The benefits of drinking water are many and it's especially vital to ensure you are drinking healthy water.

Read 3 more benefits of drinking water in this article. Cindy Soto is the author of Colon Cleanse with Detox Diet a site dedicated to providing you with the information you need to take charge of your life and well-being.

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

Reducing Colon Cancer Risk With Diet

2008-09-07T14:38:00.000+08:00

By Steve A Johnson

Colon cancer is very rare regions were peoples diet are mainly vegetables, and gain. It's more common Western nations and the US where a large part of their diet is meat.

A diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains help prevent colon cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends at least five servings of these foods each day.

It's very hard to determine exactly what components of a healthy diet are protective. Some research has zero in on several possible. Low Fats - Dietary fats and colon cancer have clear links. Fats boost the body's production of bile acids, which promote rapid cell growth.

High fiber - The indigestible part of plant-based foods, fiber moves food through the bowel quickly, reducing its contact with carcinogens and bile acids.

Oat bran has little help in colon cancer risk. But, Wheat bran helps more then vegetables and fruit fiber.

If you can get 25 grams of dietary fiber per day from vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grain cereals, and breads.

Calcium - studies show that calcium protects the colon by neutralizing bile acids and fatty acids. You should consume at least 1,000 Milligrams of calcium each and every day.

Antioxidants - not enough vitamin C and E and beta-carotene seem to increase the risk of colon cancer. You should eat a lot of fruits vegetables because these are the best sources of antioxidants.

Exercise - If you are not very active your chance of colon cancer increase. Physical activity reduces your risk by hastening the passage of waste through the body. It also stimulates blood flow to the colon. Try to stay as active as possible, do exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

Natural Cleanse opens the door to weight control, healing and rejuvenation. Colon cleansing is the process of eliminating impacted waste from the colon, and clearing the colon to allow for proper absorption of vitamins and minerals. Colon cleansing can be a safe and valuable process for eliminating toxins from the body and restoring normal muscular activity in the colon.

We all know that a, strong and well functioning colon is quintessential to maintaining the best possible health.

Steven Johnson is committed to helping people maintain healthy and effective lifestyles. For more information on any other health supplements please visit his website Alternative Health Supplements at http://www.alternative-health-supplements.com

Stomach Cancer Treatment

2008-08-28T09:02:00.000+08:00

BY George McKenzie

Stomach cancer treatment largely depends on the stage the disease has reached. Surgery is an option any stage.

The purpose of surgery may be

* to remove the cancer itself, or
* to relieve discomfort from the symptoms of cancer.

The first step is normally a CT scan or a laparoscopy. This will help your doctor determine the stage.

However, it may be impossible to determine the stage without surgery because specimens may need to be taken from the stomach. But your doctor may not be able to tell you exactly how far the cancer has progressed with a lab analysis, and that requires getting a surgical sample from the stomach itself. A pathologist looks at the specimen under a microscope and makes a judgment which give the most accurate measure of the cancer stage.

Stomach cancer can sometimes be cured by removing the cancerous part of the stomach. The percentage of the stomach that will be removed depends of course, on where the tumor is located and how big it has grown.

A subtotal gastrectomy is a common surgical treatment for stomach cancer. This is when surgeon removes a part of the stomach, and possibly some lymph nodes. The procedure might also include removing the spleen.

If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or to the liver, you may also need chemotherapy.

In some cases, surgery is performed to relieve symptoms. The goal is to give the patient a better quality of life for as long as possible. Surgery of this kind is typical if the tumor has blocked the entrance or exit areas of the stomach.

An important part of stomach cancer treatment is determining if the Helicobacter pylori bacterium is present in the stomach. Helicobacter pylori, which is also known as H. pylori, appears to be a cancer-causing agent. It's believed this bacterium damages the DNA in the cells of the stomach lining, which may eventually lead to a tumor. If H. pylori is discovered during the course of surgery, the doctor may prescribe an aggressive antibiotic therapy to kill it.

If the disease has reached an advanced stage, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy may be necessary in addition to surgery. Chemotherapy is intended to kill cancer cells or prevent them form dividing and growing. It can be done orally or intravenously. It can also be accomplished or by directly introducing the chemotherapy compounds into the spine, organs, abdominal cavity.

Chemoradiation, which is also called adjuvant therapy, combines radiation with chemotherapy.

There's a growing body of research into stomach cancer treatment. Some treatment regimens are considered standard, while others are experimental.

As always, it's best to work closely with a physician to determine the best possible course of treatment.

Ask a question, offer a tip to others about stomach by visiting the The Stomach Health Forum.

For more information on topics related to this article, click on Stomach Cancer.

George McKenzie is a retired TV anchor, medical reporter and radio talk show host. He is a frequent contributor to Health Information Articles, a resource site about health and wellness.

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

Monitoring Skin Melanoma

2008-08-24T18:43:00.000+08:00

By Robert Grazian

Melanoma is a skin disease condition in which malignant tumor is formed that is originated from melanocytes and they bring melanin. Melanomas are black or brown in color and in some cases they stop producing pigments and so the color changes to pink, skin colored, and sometimes even red.

Melanomas are form of cancerous tumor and they can be in situ or invasive. In situ means localized and invasive are the one that spread everywhere. Therefore, the invasive forms are much more difficult to treat. Melanomas are of four types namely nodular melanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma, lentigo maligna, and superficial spreading melanoma. Along them the last three are the melanomas that occur mainly on the superficial layer of the skin. They remain on the top layer for much of the time before becoming invasive. The most aggressive form of melanoma is the nodular type. It is invasive from the beginning. It is mostly found in arms, trunk, legs, and scalp region.

Monitoring of the melanoma is to be done at regular intervals. One should go for regular follow-up checkups. Firstly the entire skin surface should be examined properly including hands, feet, genitalia, nailbeds, and the web spaces. While monitoring the extremities of the women should be checked properly and the trunk of the men as melanoma is likely to occur in those regions. Monitoring is done by ABCDE method for spotting the tumor where A stands for asymmetry, B for border, C for color, D for diameter, and E for enlargement. It has been widely used method but research has shown that it is not a reliable method. One of the methods is visual inspection. More advanced techniques have come into existence like the total body photography by using digital camera and even digital video recording. In this method the whole body is recorded or photographed and the tumors are compared with the previous photographs available to them.

The other two widely used methods are skin surface microscopy and machine vision. Skin surface microscopy is done through high powered magnification lens and the machine vision technology scans the person's body and gives the score for each nevus. Based on the scores, characteristic of melanoma can be found out. The other technique is TA-90, tumor marker method, in which blood test is studied.

Chest x-ray done yearly also proves to be helpful in detecting the recurrence of the disease. Regular visit to the dermatologist is also recommended. Comprehensive skin examinations and regular follow up plays the most essential part in controlling the melanoma.

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about monitoring skin melanoma visit Melanoma Treatment Online for current articles and discussions.

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

Skin Cancer Types, Risk Factors, Signs and Treatment

2008-08-24T18:36:00.000+08:00

By Dick Aronson

Skin cancer represents the most commonly diagnosed malignancy, surpassing lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. Tumors develop primarily on areas of sun-exposed skin, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women. Contrary to popular conception, skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, including those with darker complexions. Most skin cancers appear after age 50, but the sun's damaging effects begin at an early age, therefore protection should start in childhood in order to prevent skin cancer later in life.

Types of Skin Cancer
The main types of skin tumours are:
1. Melanomas are skin cancers that form in melanocytes (skin cells that make pigment). Even though it is rare, malignant melanoma is responsible for 75 % of all skin cancer related death cases.
2. Basal Cell carcinomas are skin cancers that form in basal cells (small, round cells in the base of the outer layer of skin).
3. Squamous Cell carcinomas are skin cancers that form in squamous cells (flat cells that form the surface of the skin).

Rarer types of skin tumors are:
1. Neuroendocrine carcinomas which form in neuroendocrine cells (cells that release hormones in response to signals from the nervous system.) carcinoma of the skin.
2. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.
3. Merkel cell carcinoma.
4. Kaposi's sarcoma.

Risk Factors
Risk factors for non melanoma and melanoma skin cancers include: unprotected and or excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, fair complexion, occupational exposures to; coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic compounds, radium, family history, multiple or atypical moles, and severe sunburns as a child. Anyone with a family history of skin cancer also has an increased risk of developing skin cancer.

Signs of Skin Cancer
Signs of melanoma may include: A large brownish spot with darker speckles located anywhere on your body, a simple mole located anywhere on your body that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds, a small lesion with an irregular border and red, white, blue or blue-black spots on your trunk or limbs, shiny, firm, dome-shaped bumps located anywhere on your body, dark lesions on your palms, soles, fingertips and toes, or on mucous membranes lining your mouth, nose, vagina and anus.

Signs of basal cell carcinoma can vary depending on the type and may include skin changes such as a: Firm, pearly bump with tiny blood vessels in a spider like appearance (telangiectasias). Signs of squamous cell carcinoma include any: persistent, firm, red bump on sun-exposed skin.

Treatment
Depending on the type of skin cancer, dermatologic surgical treatments include: surgical excision; electrodessication and curettage which involves alternately scraping or burning the tumor in combination with low levels of electricity, cryosurgery and laser surgery. Other dermatologic treatments include radiation therapy and photodynamic therapy (a chemical is applied to the skin prior to exposure to a light source). Mohs micrographic surgery is preferred for large basal cell carcinomas, those that recur after previous treatment, or lesions affecting parts of the body where experience shows that recurrence is common after treatment by other methods.

Skin cancer can be deadly, but nearly all skin cancer can be treated if it is detected and diagnosed early, however skin cancer can recur, so it is important that you examine your skin regularly for any changes and see your doctor for a check-up every six to 12 months.

Dick Aronson has a background of over 35 years in various facets of the Healthcare industry. He set up and ran clinical trials in more than 20 countries and he has also founded a number of small private health related businesses. Dick now runs a number of informative health websites Go to Health Innovations Online and Go to Cancer Information Online.

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

Treatments For Lung Cancer by David Silva

2008-08-16T15:15:00.001+08:00

Treatments for lung cancer depend on a combination of factors. How advanced is the cancer? Are the tumors localized or have they spread to other locations within the body (metastasized)? How is the overall health of the patient? What are the desires of the patient?

Traditionally, lung cancers treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of these. For instance, after surgery to remove a tumor, radiation therapy may be used to make sure all of the diseased cells have been destroyed. This is referred to as adjuvant therapy.

In some cases, the goal of the treatment is to halt and destroy the cancer. In other cases, obviously the more severe cases, the goal of treatment is simply to reduce the pain and discomfort of the patient.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to combat the lung cancer. Which drugs are used is determined by the specific form of the lung cancer and its stage. Sometimes referred to as cytotoxins (drugs that are toxic to cancer cells), their purpose is to disrupt the reproduction of the cancerous cells. This is generally accomplished through a combination of drugs, administered either intravenously or orally.

Traditionally, these drugs have been introduced into the bloodstream to spread throughout the body with the intent that they will eventually encounter the cancerous cells and kill them off. In other words, the drugs not only kill cancerous cells, they kill healthy cells as well. In some cases, doctors are able to specifically localize the drugs around the cancerous cells, though this is rare.

The side effects of this treatment often overwhelm the patient. Nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, loss of hair, loss of appetite ... these are all common side effects of chemotherapy.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is most often used in conjunction with surgery and/or chemotherapy. External beam radiation and Brachytherapy are the two primary therapies used for the treatment of lung cancer. External beam radiation therapy is often used in those cases when the health of the patient is poor and surgery isn't an option. Brachytherapy is commonly used to relieve a blockage of large airways.

Occasionally, radiation therapy is recommended as the sole treatment option for lung cancer. Generally, this will happen in those situations when the patient is too ill to undergo surgery or withstand chemotherapy. When radiation therapy is used as the sole treatment for lung cancer, it results in the shrinking of tumors and complete remission from cancer symptoms approximately 10-15% of the time.

Surgery

If lung cancer is caught in the early stages, particularly stage one non-small cell lung cancer, surgery to remove the tumor is often the preferred treatment. At this stage, the cancer is confined to the lungs, often in the form of a single tumor, and surgery can be quite effective at removing most or all of it. However, the more advanced a lung cancer becomes, the less effective surgery becomes. Once it spreads beyond the chest and metastasizes to other organs, surgery is generally ineffective and not a workable option.

Depending on the growth of the cancer and the condition of the lungs, surgery can result in the removal of part of one lobe or even the removal of an entire lung. Complications can include infection, pneumonia and excessive bleeding. The good news is that up to 40% of patients who undergo surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from their lungs are still alive five years after the surgery. Surgical removal is not a guarantee of a cure, however, since cancerous cells may already have begun to spread.

Medical experts estimate that between 10% and 35% of all lung cancers can be removed surgically.

Recently, an invasive procedure referred to as video-assisted thoracic surgery has been useful in treating patients surgically without open surgery, which eliminates many of the usual complications. A tumor smaller than 4 to 5 cm can be treated using this method, which surgeons use to operate through 2 to 4 tiny openings between the ribs while viewing the patient's internal organs on a television monitor. Each opening is less that one inch in diameter.

About the Author

To learn more about the treatments for lung cancer, and for a comprehensive selection of articles covering all aspects of this dreaded disease, its symptoms, treatments, and more, visit: http://www.lungcancerinsights.com

Mesothelioma Legal Information

2008-07-31T10:55:00.000+08:00

Mesothelioma is rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The disease might have been preventable had the asbestos industry acted responsibly decades ago to protect the public from the dangers of asbestos. Unfortunately for the estimated 3,000 Americans diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, the asbestos industry hid the dangers of asbestos from the public for decades after it knew of the risks.

In these pages you will learn about the asbestos tragedy in the United States and how it has affected the lives and health of countless American workers and their families. You will also read about how people are exposed to asbestos, including the types of work sites where asbestos was once common and the trades that worked with and around asbestos-containing products. And you will learn how Baron & Budd was one of the first law firms in the country to fight for the rights of asbestos victims and is still widely recognized as a national leader in asbestos litigation to this day.

For nearly three decades, in courtrooms across the country, Baron & Budd has championed the rights of mesothelioma victims. Here are just a few examples of some of the results we have achieved for our mesothelioma clients:

The cases described here reflect the net amounts of the judgments or settlements our clients received after the deduction of attorneys fees and expenses-in other words, what our clients actually received. The actual settlement or verdict would be higher. These cases were all handled by Baron & Budd attorneys serving as lead counsel.

Specific Results Depend on the Facts of Each Case.

$10,603,661.00 Received by Client after Attorney’s Fees and Expenses for a gentleman who developed malignant mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to joint compound as a construction worker. This case went to trial and resulted in a significant verdict in favor of the gentleman, his wife and children that was listed by a national legal publication as one of the top verdicts in the U.S. that year. The case subsequently settled.

$6,356,942.00 Received by Client after Attorney’s Fees and Expenses, for the widow of a man who died at the age of 50 after developing asbestos-related mesothelioma. He was exposed to asbestos while serving in the Navy aboard nuclear submarines during the 1960s. This case went to trial against the manufacturer of an asbestos-containing pipe covering product. The jury awarded a significant verdict, which was affirmed on appeal.

$4,380,755.00 Received by Client after Attorney’s Fees and Expenses, for an ironworker who worked at a number of industrial sites throughout his career and who was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 79.

BONE CANCER

2008-07-29T19:50:00.000+08:00

What is bone cancer?
Bone cancer is caused by a problem with the cells that make bone. More than 2,000 people are diagnosed in the United States each year with a bone tumor. Bone tumors occur most commonly in children and adolescents and are less common in older adults. Cancer involving the bone in older adults is most commonly the result of metastatic spread from another tumor.
There are many different types of bone cancer. The most common bone tumors include osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma, and chordoma.
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone cancer. It most commonly affects males between 10 and 25 years old, but can less commonly affect older adults. It often occurs in the long bones of the arms and legs at areas of rapid growth around the knees and shoulders of children. This type of cancer is often very aggressive with risk of spread to the lungs. The five-year survival rate is about 65%.
Ewing's sarcoma is the most aggressive bone tumor and affects younger people between 4-15 years of age. It is more common in males and is very rare in people over 30 years old. It most commonly occurs in the middle of the long bones of the arms and legs. The three-year survival rate is about 65%, but this rate is much lower if there has been spread to the lungs or other tissues of the body.
Chondrosarcoma is the second most common bone tumor and accounts for about 25% of all malignant bone tumors. These tumors arise from the cartilage cells and can either be very aggressive or relatively slow-growing. Unlike many other bone tumors, chondrosarcoma is most common in people over 40 years old. It is slightly more common in males and can potentially spread to the lungs and lymph nodes. Chondrosracoma most commonly affects the bones of the pelvis and hips. The five-year survival for the aggressive form is about 30%, but the survival rate for slow-growing tumors is 90%.
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) affects the soft tissues including muscle, ligaments, tendons, and fat. It is the most common soft-tissue malignancy in later adult life, usually occurring in people 50-60 years of age. It most commonly affects the extremities and is about twice as common in males as females. MFH also has a wide range of severity. The overall five-year survival rate is about 35%-60%.
Fibrosarcoma is much more rare than the other bone tumors. It is most common in people 35-55 years of age. It most commonly affects the soft tissues of the leg behind the knee. It is slightly more common in males than females.
Chordoma is a very rare tumor with an average survival of about six years after diagnosis. It occurs in adults over 30 years of age and is about twice as common in males as females. It most commonly affects either the lower or upper end of the spinal column.
In addition to bone cancer, there are various types of benign bone tumors. These include osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, osteochondroma, enchondroma, chondromyxoid fibroma, and giant cell tumor (which has the potential to become malignant). As with other types of benign tumors, these are not cancerous.
There are two other relatively common types of cancer than develop in the bones: lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Lymphoma, a cancer arising from the cells of the immune system, usually begins in the lymph nodes but can begin in the bone. Multiple myeloma begins in the bones, but it is not usually considered a bone tumor because it is a tumor of the bone marrow cells and not of the bone cells.
source: medicinenet.com

Cancer drug dramatically shrinks prostate tumors, study finds

2008-07-23T20:35:00.000+08:00

The survival rate more than doubles among most of the men with aggressive cancers. A second, wider test shows similar results. 'Spectacularly effective,' a researcher says.

By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 23, 2008

An experimental cancer drug shrank prostate tumors dramatically and more than doubled survival in 70% to 80% of patients with aggressive cancers, British researchers reported Tuesday.

Although the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology covered only 21 patients, the drug is now being tested in more than 250 men with what appears to be similar results, experts said.

"There is a general sense in the prostate cancer community that this agent is extremely promising and is very likely to have an important role in the management of prostate cancer patients," said Dr. Howard M. Sandler, a radiation oncologist at the University of Michigan who is a spokesman for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

"It's pretty safe to say that we are going to have a lot more to offer patients when this drug gets approved," added Dr. Robert Reiter, a urologist at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center who was not involved in the research.

Experts expect the new drug, called abiraterone, to be widely available by 2011. It could find use among most of the 28,000 U.S. men diagnosed each year with the most aggressive and almost-always fatal type of prostate cancer.

The trial was sponsored by Cougar Biotechnology Inc. of Los Angeles, which holds the patent rights to abiraterone.

The drug is also being tested for breast cancer, but no results have been released yet.

Key to the excitement is the drug's unusual way of working.

Prostate cancer is fueled by the male hormone testosterone. One method of treatment is known as hormonal deprivation or "chemical castration," in which drugs block production of the hormone by the testes and the adrenal gland.

Yet many tumors continue to grow. Recent research has shown that tumor cells themselves produce testosterone.

Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in London developed abiraterone to block an enzyme called cytochrome P17, which is crucial in converting cholesterol to testosterone. The point, Sandler said, is that the drug blocks testosterone production everywhere in the body, including inside the tumor cells.

"This agent can eliminate virtually all testosterone from the bloodstream . . . which seems to be important for patients because cancer may be sensitized to the presence of minute levels of testosterone," he said.

The drug also blocks the production of estrogen, which is why researchers hope it will prove useful in breast cancer.

In the new study, Dr. Johann S. de Bono of the institute and his colleagues studied 21 men whose tumors were resistant to chemical castration. The men were given once-daily oral doses of abiraterone.

"The drug is spectacularly effective," De Bono said. "The tumors shrink, the pain goes away. Some patients . . . have been on it for up to two years and eight months and are still doing well."

Reiter noted that "these guys were at the end stage of disease, the worst stage of cancer, and 70% responded in a clinically meaningful way. That's pretty dramatic . . . and is likely to lead to a major change in therapy."

Historically, he added, most such patients die within six months.

Side effects were minimal.

Simon Bush, a 50-year-old retired banker in London, was one of the patients in the trial. First diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago, he tried all other forms of therapy without success.

"Last year, I was in severe pain because of my prostate cancer, which had worsened and spread to my bones," he said.

He began taking abiraterone in May 2007, and the improvement began within a week. Within two months, he said, his PSA level -- a marker of tumor growth -- had dropped by 95%.

Within three months, he had stopped taking painkillers entirely and was able to resume a normal life.

"The changes in my life have been dramatic, from managing thousands of people in a major bank to facing a very uncertain future, then to renewed hope, thanks to this drug trial," Bush said.

Dr. Glen Justice, director of Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center's Cancer Center in Fountain Valley, noted: "What is exciting about this drug is that it had activity in both earlier and later stages of disease. . . . The question is: Can we take people that have a very aggressive disease that was caught early and increase the cure rate by using it upfront?"

thomas.maugh@latimes.com

source : www.latimes.com

Tobacco To Help Treat Cancer?

2008-07-22T19:29:00.000+08:00

Ever thought that a substance that is one of the major causes of cancerdefine can actually help in treating the deadly disease? Researchers from Stanford University in California are saying exactly the same. A new study suggests that the tobacco plant can offer the means to treat lymphoma, a form of cancer.

The idea is to use the tobacco plants as reservoirs for an antibody chemical which is similar to the cells that cause follicular B-cell lymphoma. These antibodies can then be put into a patient who has been recently diagnosed with the disease. The antibodies can help theimmune systemdefine get prepared to attack any cell carrying them.

If this procedure works then, the lymphoma cells can actually be destroyed after being recognised by the body. UK specialists said that the new research is really exciting but a lot more work needs to be done in order to know how the vaccine actually works.

Scientists have earlier also attempted to grow these antibodies inside animal cells. But the success rate has not been 100%.

But if a vaccine is developed from the tobacco plant then it will be cheaper and the risk involved with the patient could be lessened to a large extent. This is so because animal cells might hold unknown viruses harmful for the human beings.

Dr. Ronald Levy, who is leading the research said, “Its pretty cooltechnology- and it’s really ironic that you would make a treatment for cancerdefine out of tobacco. That appealed to me.”

He further elaborated that the technology used actually helps to extract the gene responsible for producing the antibody from the cells of the cancer patient. This gene is added to the “tobacco mosaic virus”. The added gene produces large quantities of antibody in the injected plant.

A spokesman for Cancer Research UK said “While these results could potentially be very exciting, this was a small and early-stage trial and it did not look at whether this vaccination strategy reduced the size of the tumours.”

Prostate cancer patients benefit from being candid with their doctor

2008-07-17T09:13:00.000+08:00

An interview with John Colberg, MD and Richard Peschel, MD, PhD

What men are at the highest risk of developing prostate cancer?

Colberg: There are essentially three risk factors: age, meaning that the older you are the greater the chance you will develop prostate cancer; family history of cancer; and race. We know that African Americans have a much higher incidence of prostate cancer.

When should men start getting screened for prostate cancer, and what kind of screening would you recommend?

Colberg: Men 50 and older should be offered the PSA blood sample and a digital rectal examination. If you have a significant family history, or you are an African American, that screening should probably start at age 40 to 45.

When a patient is given the diagnosis, does he need to make the decision immediately?

Peschel: I think it is essential that he takes plenty of time to think about what he wants to do and get as many opinions as he needs, whether it’s radiation therapy or surgery. There are very few cases where there is a real sense of urgency for beginning treatment.

Brachytherapy, external beam radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy – what exactly are all these things?

Peschel: Brachytherapy (also known as seed implant) is a popular form of treatment for early disease. About 100 tiny radioactive seeds are placed permanently in the prostate. These seeds give off radiation, which treats the tumor. Another form of treatment is Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, also known as IMRT. IMRT is an advanced external beam radiation therapy technique used to minimize the amount of normal tissue damaged during treatment. It is an amazing step forward in the treatment of prostate cancer. There are almost no rectal or bladder complications that were experienced by patients in the past.

Men are often concerned with the side effects associated with treatment and how it may affect their quality of life. How do you determine the best treatment option?

Colberg: With radiation therapy and its modern techniques, the only significant long-term complication that affects quality of life is a loss of potency.

Peschel: And it varies depending on the treatment. There can be a 30 to 50 percent chance of side effects developing, so it is an important long-term quality-of-life issue that men have to consider very seriously when they are trying to decide between different types of treatments. We use a multidisciplinary approach, which means that we present options to each patient and explain their pros and cons.

What can you tell us about the surgical options – traditional approaches, laparoscopic and robotic surgery?

Colberg: In the traditional approach, open surgery, the surgeon makes an incision in two places – one in the abdomen below the navel, and one below the scrotum. With laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes three to five small holes in the lower abdomen and performs the operation through them. In robotic surgery, the da Vinci ® Surgical System is used to assist the surgeon in performing the operation; the surgeon operates remotely through a console. The robot has three arms and a camera, which enables us to gain entry through five to six small holes in the abdomen with much better visualization of the anatomy. It is performed in 3-D imaging, so we get much more definition and exact precision.

With robotic surgery, we often realize better impotency and continence rates. Post-operative recovery is much shorter as well. Patients go home the next day, and most men are back to work two to three weeks after the procedure. This compares to open surgery, where the patient stays in the hospital for two days and takes a month to get back to full activities.

What are some of the questions that a man with prostate cancer may ask when he is trying to make a decision between surgery and radiation?

Colberg: He wants to know about his quality of life. Initially, his overwhelming concern is that he wants the best treatment that’s going to cure the cancer. Secondly, especially when we talk about surgery, he doesn’t want to be incontinent. Thirdly, he may be concerned about erectile dysfunction.

Peschel: As clinicians, we find that an increasing number of patients are doing online research. Some of the information on the Internet is very reliable, and some of it is not. Patients can become confused about what they should be doing. As long as they are forthcoming about their symptoms and their concerns, we can develop the best treatment plan.

Colberg: Patients need to express concerns to their doctors and not rely solely on the Internet or someone else’s experience when making treatment decisions. However uncomfortable, it’s also necessary for men to share information about pre-existing medical conditions like urinary, bowel and sexual dysfunction. Only then can the best treatment decision be made.

Dr. Colberg is an attending urologic surgeon at Yale-New Haven Hospital; and associate professor of surgery and co-director of the Prostate and Urologic Cancers Program at Yale Cancer Center.

Dr. Peschel is an attending radiation oncologist at Yale-New Haven Hospital; and professor of therapeutic radiology at Yale School of Medicine.

Men with early-stage prostate cancer who do not tell their doctors about certain symptoms may end up choosing treatments that worsen their quality of life, according to a new study published in Cancer.

Researchers from Boston University School of Public Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Radiation Oncology Program and Massachusetts General Hospital found that of 438 men who completed the study, 389 (89 percent) reported pre-existing urinary, bowel or sexual problems, yet more than one-third opted for treatments that made them more vulnerable in those areas.

"Prostate cancer patients experience the same fears and hard decisions as all cancer patients do, but prostate cancer treatment directly affects very personal things that most people aren't comfortable talking about — urinary, bowel and sexual function," lead researcher James Talcott, MD, SM, of the Center for Outcomes Research at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, said in a statement. "Knowing if patients already have problems in these areas should help guide treatment options."

The three most common treatments for prostate cancer — brachytherapy, external beam radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy — have been shown to be about equally effective in clinical trials. But each has its own unique set of urinary, bowel and sexual side effects that need to be taken into consideration when choosing a treatment.

A man with urinary irritation or difficulty passing urine, for example, might be advised against brachytherapy because it can make these symptoms worse. Likewise, men with bowel problems would likely be discouraged from external beam radiation therapy because it can affect the rectum as well as the prostate.

Nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy is typically done in an effort to preserve sexual function.

The researchers found that up to 40 percent of study participants chose a treatment that was incompatible with an improved quality of life.

The negative effects of choosing a mismatched treatment included an increase in bowel, urinary or sexual dysfunction, as well as increased pain. These findings underscore the importance of men being honest with their doctor about their symptoms and about their concerns.

Prostate Cancer

2008-07-11T17:33:00.000+08:00

Prostate Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

Prostate cancer is a malignant change in the cells of the prostate, which is a gland of the male reproductive system. When cells in the prostate undergo a mutation and begin to multiply at uncontrollable rates, tumors form and the cells may even spread to other parts of the body, such as lymph nodes and bones. This form of cancer typically affects older men and is the second most common cancer among men in the United States.

The exact causes of prostate cancer are still not completely understood. It has been established that prostate cancer is not contagious, and several risk factors have been identified. Some of these include age, ethnicity, family history, certain changes in the prostate, and a diet rich in meat and animal fat. Men over 50 are at the highest risk of developing prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

Other risk factors, such obesity, smoking, and lack of exercise, have also been studied for their connection to prostate cancer. Thus far, none of these can be defined as clear risk factors. Another possible risk factor that has been scientifically assessed is exposure to
asbestos.

One such study analyzed a cohort of workers from a crocidolite asbestos mine in Wittenoom, Australia. Also included in the cohort are previous residents of Wittenoom, which are considered to have been exposed to substantial amounts of asbestos from local mining, and other persons occupationally exposed to crocidolite asbestos. It is important to note that Wittenoom has been all but abandoned (only a handful of people remain) and the government literally wiped the town off official maps, cut off all power and services, and announced the town status as revoked.

A higher than average incidence of prostate cancer was observed and the authors of the study noted the source of asbestos was significantly associated with the risk of prostate cancer. Those exposed to asbestos outside of Wittenoom were at a much greater risk than the other members of the cohort.

Another study published in 2003 analyzed participants of the Finnish Asbestos Screening Campaign. Between 1990 and 1992, a total of 23,285 men and 930 women were invited to join a national screening campaign for benign asbestos-related diseases. The participants were followed for cancer occurrence through the Finnish Cancer Register up through 1998. The study found a slightly, but significantly higher incidence of prostate cancer when compared with the total Finnish population. The incidence of lung cancer and mesothelioma was significantly higher as well.

Although limited, scientific studies such as these have documented and illuminated the possible link between asbestos exposure and prostate cancer. A lucid understanding of this plausible connection will only be achieved through further research and analysis.

Sources:

http://www.prostatecancer.ca/english/prostate_owners_manual/risk_factors/lifestyle/environmental/

Breast Cancer

2008-07-11T17:29:00.000+08:00

Breast Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

Breast cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the tissues of the breast, typically in the ducts (which are tubes that carry milk) and lobules (glands that produce milk). Though this form of cancer occurs in both men and women, the occurrence in men is rare. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in the United States. Every year, more than 211,000 American women are diagnosed with this type of cancer.

Doctors cannot clearly explain why some people develop breast cancer and why others do not. What is known is that bumping, bruising, or touching the breast does not lead to cancer. Although the precise causes of breast cancer are not fully understood, a number of risk factors have been defined that increase a woman's probability of developing breast cancer. Some of these risk factors include age, personal and family history of cancer, reproductive and menstrual history, ethnicity, breast density, lack of physical activity, and consumption of alcohol, to name a few.

Though some risk factors can be managed or avoided, others, such as genetics or exposure to radiation or toxins, cannot be aptly managed or avoided. One toxin that may bear a causal relationship to breast cancer is asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral that was once widely used in thousands of domestic and industrial products.

Breast Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

One study, titled "Prevalence of Asbestos Bodies in a Necropsy Series in East London," analyzed the amount of asbestos present in lung sections of a necropsy series that excluded asbestos factory workers and cases of asbestosis and mesothelioma. The study sought to observe associations between the presence of asbestos and the patients' sex, physical address, occupation, industry, and diseases recorded at necropsy.

Of the 216 men studied, 42 percent revealed asbestos bodies in the lungs, and of the 178 women studied, 30 percent showed asbestos bodies as well. When compared with the overall necropsy series, an increased amount of asbestos was present in males with stomach cancer (which is also believed to be caused by asbestos exposure) and in women with breast cancer.

Authors of the study noted their most puzzling observation was the elevated incidence of breast cancer among women who tested positive for the presence of asbestos, as conceiving of a means of direct exposure of mammary tissue to asbestos fibers is perplexing. Though quite unlikely, the authors speculated on the obscure possibility that asbestos fibers could be carried by means of retrograde lymphatic flow from the lungs to the chest wall.

Gathering from another study's observations, the authors note that pleural plaques are typically restricted to parietal pleura overlying the ribs and these plaques are histologically made up of collagen (which are formed from extrapleural connective tissue). It may be possible for the thin, sharp asbestos fibers to pierce the lungs and penetrate the parietal pleura, where they are supported by the ribs and pass through the intercostal muscles. Thus, it would be possible for asbestos fibers to penetrate mammary tissue via the muscles that cover the chest wall.

The body of evidence to draw upon regarding a causal relationship between asbestos and breast cancer is limited, but studies such as these have revealed an intriguing and plausible connection. Further research and analysis must be conducted to better understand any possible relationship that may link exposure to asbestos and the development of breast cancer.

Sources:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast
Doniach, I., Sweetehham, K., Hathorn, M. "Prevalence of Asbestos Bodies in a Necropsy Series in East London". (1975).
British Journal of Industrial Medicine: 16-30. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1008017&blobtype=pdf

Ovarian Cancer

2008-07-11T17:27:00.000+08:00

Ovarian Cancer and Asbestos

Ovarian cancer is a malignant change in the cells of the ovary (which is one of a pair of female reproductive glands). The majority of ovarian cancers are either ovarian epithelial carcinomas (which begin in cells located on the surface of the ovary) or malignant germ cell tumors (which begin in egg cells inside the ovary). Most cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed as ovarian epithelial carcinomas.

Scientists and medical professionals cannot clearly define why some women develop ovarian cancer and why others do not. Though the exact cause(s) is not fully understood, certain risk factors have been identified that increase a woman's chance of developing ovarian cancer. Some of these factors include personal and family history of cancer, age, number of pregnancies, hormonal cycling, and environmental factors.

Though the risk associated with environmental factors is based on limited amounts of scientific data, some studies have offered profound evidence on the subject. Some potential environmental factors have included toxic solvents, organic dusts, dyes, triazine herbicides, talc, and asbestos exposure. Both talc and asbestos have been included in products that place women at risk, and asbestos has even been linked to ovarian cancer in occupational settings.

Ovarian Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

A number of studies have reported an increased mortality from ovarian cancer among women who experienced occupational exposure to amphibole forms of asbestos. To date, no increased mortality from ovarian cancer has been observed among women solely working with chrysotile asbestos.

A 1982 case-control study on ovarian cancer and talc found that women with ovarian cancer were approximately three times more likely to have used talcum powder on the genital area than control patients without ovarian malignancies. The study pointed out that cosmetic talcum powders are known to be contaminated with amphibole asbestos fibers, such as tremolite and anthophyllite. Additionally, a pathology study published in the early 1970s reported embedded talc particles in 75 percent of the ovarian tumors sampled.

Another study published in 1999 (which analyzed more than a thousand women) found that 45 percent of those with ovarian cancer reported using talc in the genital area, compared to 36 percent of women without the disease, which led to an overall increased relative risk of 60 percent. In addition, women who did not use talc themselves, but whose husbands used talc on their genitals had a 50 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer. Talc, like asbestos, is mineralogically classified as a hydrated magnesium silicate. As such, talc not only resembles asbestiform minerals, but also has a carcinogenic effect like that of asbestos. Occurring naturally in nature, anthophyllite asbestos is formed from the natural breakdown of talc.

In 1999, a study was released that assessed the cause-specific mortality of women compensated for asbestos exposure in their occupation. The study found significantly increased mortality from ovarian cancer, as well as from lung and uterine cancer.

The studies on asbestos exposure and the development of ovarian cancer have offered both arguments for and against the likelihood that asbestos can cause this serious cancer. However, the numerous studies that have provided evidence of a causal relationship between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer cannot be ignored. Further analysis of this plausible relationship, as well as the risk factors involved, must be conducted to better understand the dynamic between ovarian cancer and exposure to asbestos.

Sources:

http://www.ovariancancercenter.org/basics/symptoms.cfm
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/talc.htm
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_What_are_the_risk_factors_for_ovarian_cancer_33.asp
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_talcum_powder_and_cancer.asp
http://www.healthandenvironment.org/ovarian_cancer/peer_reviewed
Roggli, V., Oury, T., Sporn, T. Pathology of Asbestos-Associated Diseases. (2004). Little, Brown and Company: Boston.
Cramer, D., Welch, D., Scully, R., et al. "Ovarian cancer and talc: A case-control study". (1982). Cancer: 372-376.
Cramer, D., Liberman, R., Titus-Ernstoff, L., et al. (1999). "Genital talc exposure and risk of ovarian cancer". International Journal of Cancer: 351-356.
Germani, D., Belli, S., Bruno, C., et al. "Cohort mortality study of women compensated for asbestosis in Italy". (1999). American Journal of Industrial Medicine: 129-134.
Henderson, W., Joslin, C., Turnbull, A., et al. (1971). "Talc and carcinoma of the ovary and cervix". Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology: 266-272.
Keal, E . "Asbestosis and abdominal neoplasms". (1960). Lancet: 1211-1216.
Chang, S., Risch, H. "Perineal talc exposure and risk of ovarian carcinoma". (1997). Cancer:2396-2401.

Colorectal

2008-07-11T17:26:00.000+08:00

Colorectal

Scientists and medical professionals have known for many years that asbestos, a known human carcinogen, causes a variety of terminal diseases. While cancers such as mesothelioma and lung cancer comprise the majority of asbestos-related cancers, colorectal cancer has also been linked to asbestos exposure. By the early 1960s, scientists began to observe links between colorectal cancer and exposure to asbestos, but for many years there was little evidence to support these claims. Although there is no definitive proof that asbestos causes colorectal cancer in humans, the findings of several studies at prestigious universities have led scientists to conclude that there may be a correlation, and even a causal relationship, between exposure to asbestos and the development of colorectal cancer.

Although the use of asbestos in construction materials and other products is considerably less than decades past, each year more and more asbestos-related diagnoses are made. This time discrepancy results from the fact that asbestos-related diseases typically take many years to develop and present symptoms. Each year, nearly 10,000 Americans die from illnesses related to asbestos exposure. To read about other cancers caused by asbestos, please see Other Asbestos Cancers.

Of the thousands of people who have been stricken with preventable asbestos-related diseases, many may have succumbed to colorectal cancer. Because doctors did not associate colorectal cancer with asbestos for many years, numerous victims of the asbestos industry may have slipped through the cracks, unable to make a claim against those who injured them and unable to afford the treatment necessary for their survival.

Colorectal cancer is the second largest cause of cancer deaths in the United States, following lung cancer. Colorectal cancer occurs when cells in the rectum or colon begin to divide rapidly and uncontrollably. The American Cancer Society estimates approximately 108,070 new cases of colon cancer will be diagnosed in 2008, and some of these cases may have developed as a result of exposure to asbestos.

Studies conducted by the American Journal of Epidemiology found that smokers who have been exposed to asbestos have a 36 percent increased risk of developing colorectal cancer than smokers who have not been exposed to asbestos. This study also found those who developed pulmonary asbestosis suffered a higher incidence of colorectal cancer than those not afflicted by asbestosis. These findings serve as strong evidence for a possible correlation or causal relationship between exposure to asbestos and colorectal cancer.

There are a number of factors that may play a significant role in the risk of developing colorectal cancer after exposure to asbestos. One factor is the amount of asbestos a person is exposed to, as well as the amount of time a person experiences exposure to asbestos. Additionally, a person's health and medical history play a role in the risk of development. Smokers are at a much greater risk of developing any cancer, including colorectal cancers associated with exposure to asbestos. A healthy person with a strong resistance to disease and illness may have a decreased risk for the development of cancers following such an exposure, although the risk still exists.

Many people with colon cancer will present no symptoms during the early stages of development. Some symptoms that commonly occur include blood in stool, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. It may be particularly difficult to diagnose colorectal cancer in those who have been exposed to asbestos, as cancers related to asbestos may take many years or even decades to present symptoms. Doctors agree that in the case of colorectal cancer, preventative screenings are important for everyone, not just those who have been exposed to asbestos. Those who believe they may be at risk for developing colorectal cancer (or may have been exposed to asbestos) should see a physician for proper screening. The advice of a mesothelioma lawyer should also be sought, as these professionals help victims of the asbestos industry afford the expensive treatments required to treat asbestos-related diseases.

Sources:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/colon-and-rectal
http://www.fightcolorectalcancer.org/news/2005/11/asbestos_exposure_increases_co.php
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/162/9/868
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000262.htm

Gastrointestinal Cancer

2008-07-11T17:24:00.000+08:00

Gastrointestinal Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

Each year, an estimated 10,000 Americans die from diseases caused by exposure to asbestos, a toxic mineral found naturally throughout the world. For many decades asbestos was used in a number of industries and workplaces, such as electrical work and shipbuilding. For more information about at-risk workplaces, please see Occupations at Risk for Asbestos Exposure. To read more about asbestos, please see Asbestos Overview.

Though mesothelioma and lung cancer are more commonly related to asbestos exposure, there is another, less commonly diagnosed illness that has been connected to asbestos exposure - gastrointestinal cancer. Although a causal relationship between exposure to asbestos and the development of gastrointestinal cancers has not been confirmed, many experts agree that exposure to asbestos has shown a strong link to the development of such cancers.

For example, one study conducted by the Cancer Registry of Norway found that lighthouse keepers who drank water tainted with asbestos particles had an elevated incidence of stomach cancer. Scientists concluded the results support an association between ingestion of asbestos and some gastrointestinal cancers. According to the findings of another study, all workers who have been exposed to asbestos show an elevated risk for developing stomach and gastrointestinal tract cancers.

Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract typically grows slowly and forms cells that produce hormones in the tract, including the appendix and small intestine. Studies show that having gastrointestinal cancer increases a person's risk for eventually developing cancers of the stomach and other regions of the body. Like other cancers associated with exposure to asbestos, gastrointestinal cancers caused by asbestos may remain latent for a long period of time, taking years or even decades before symptoms arise. This poses a serious challenge to victims of asbestos exposure and the doctors treating them, as the cancer may develop to a critical stage before diagnosis.

Unfortunately, gastrointestinal cancer may show no symptoms in early stages, which makes it difficult to detect. If the cancer spreads to the liver, an afflicted person may experience a flushing of the neck, diarrhea and stomach ailments, and shortness of breath or wheezing. Those who suspect they may have been exposed to asbestos should contact a physician and an experienced mesothelioma lawyer, as these professionals can help asbestos victims seek proper treatment and compensation for undue illness.

A number of factors influence one's level of risk for developing gastrointestinal cancer. The amount of asbestos a person has been exposed to plays a major role, as does the amount of time spent in an environment contaminated with asbestos fibers. As each of these factors increases, so does a person's risk of developing a serious illness. Additionally, facets of lifestyle are factors as well, such as one's general health and ability to fight off disease, medical history, and a previous diagnosis of cancer of the stomach or gastrointestinal tract. Those who smoke are more likely to develop gastrointestinal cancer after being exposed to asbestos.

Cancer doctors diagnose asbestos-related diseases the help of a number of medical tests, including a physical exam, review of medical history, urine tests, blood counts, and a variety of imaging scans. These scientific methods are the best ways to determine the presence of gastrointestinal cancer, thus, those who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos should seek medical advice from a physician and the counsel of a knowledgeable attorney.

Sources:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/asbestos
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20070301/683.html
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20070301/683.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&uid=15986115&cmd=showdetailview&indexed=google
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1306225
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/gastrointestinalcarcinoid/
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/gastrointestinalcarcinoid/patient
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/gastrointestinalcarcinoid/patient

Lung Cancer

2008-07-11T17:21:00.000+08:00

Lung Cancer

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was widely used for many decades in a number of applications, most notably construction, shipbuilding, and the manufacture of consumer products. Throughout the past century, millions of Americans and people abroad were exposed to asbestos, which can lead to the development of devastating illnesses and cancers. To read more about this toxic mineral, please see Asbestos.

One of the most common forms of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos is lung cancer, a condition where the tissue cells within the lungs and bronchial tubes divide rapidly and uncontrollably. In the United States alone, approximately 10,000 people die from asbestos-related illnesses, and many of these people are victims of lung cancer. To read about other cancers associated with asbestos exposure, please see Other Asbestos Cancers. For information about mesothelioma, please see Mesothelioma Overview.

There are two basic types of lung cancer - small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, the latter of which represents a large majority of lung cancer cases diagnosed in the United States each year. In a patient with lung cancer the tissue cells of the lungs and associated respiratory organs begin to divide at an uncontrollable rate. Cancers that develop in the lungs may metastasize to other regions of the body. These growths are composed of cells similar to those of the original tumor and are just as likely to pose a health threat to the afflicted person.

The symptoms of lung cancer are many and vary according to individual cases and factors. Some of the more common symptoms of lung cancer include persistent coughing, chest pain, changes in the color, volume, or consistency of sputum, the presence of blood in sputum, weight loss, or decrease in appetite, headaches, and general fatigue. Although these symptoms may indicate the presence of lung cancer, they are not by any means a certain measure of diagnosis. A person experiencing these symptoms must seek a medical analysis for an accurate diagnosis. Some of the tests used by physicians to determine the presence or lack of lung cancer are chest x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, and tissue tests (such as a biopsy). Only by consulting with a physician or a specialist can a patient receive a medical diagnosis of lung cancer.

From the time the dangers of asbestos began to make waves with the press and public in the early 1970s, a number of trusted authorities and organizations have determined that asbestos is a human carcinogen, causing cancer in human cell tissues. Asbestos has been classified as a human carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute, a highly respected authority on the subject of cancer and its effects on the lives of Americans. According to experts in the field of asbestos and lung cancer, there are a number of factors that can affect a person's level of risk for developing lung cancer once they have been exposed to asbestos. The amount of asbestos exposure and the quantity of fibers that have collected in the body affect one's risk of developing cancer.

It is important to remember that, as with most cancers, lifestyle plays a considerable role in the risk of developing lung cancer after exposure to asbestos. Smokers and other people who have a lung condition or illness prior to exposure are at a greater risk for developing asbestos-related lung cancer, as their respiratory system has already been compromised. Many people who are exposed to asbestos develop non-cancerous respiratory illnesses, such as asbestosis, which also increases the risk of developing lung cancer and even mesothelioma.

Diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related lung cancer is especially problematic, because it may take many years or even decades before the first symptoms to arise. Those who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos should seek the advice of a cancer doctor and a mesothelioma lawyer.

Sources:

http://www.lungcancer.org/reading/symptoms.php
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/

Mesothelioma - Overview

2008-07-11T17:16:00.000+08:00

Mesothelioma - Overview

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that develops in the mesothelial cells found in one's body. These cells form membranous linings that surround and protect the body's organs, and line body cavities such as the chest and abdomen.

Approximately two-to-three thousand cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States, comprising around three percent of all cancer diagnoses. All forms of mesothelioma, except for benign mesothelioma, are invariably fatal. Mesothelioma is a very aggressive form of cancer that is difficult to diagnose and highly resistant to treatment, and full recovery is extremely rare.

Causes of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a naturally-occurring fibrous substance that was widely used in the twentieth century in a number of different industries. Popular because of its durability, fire resistance, and insulating properties, it was regularly used in the manufacture of several thousand different products, up until the time that asbestos warnings were issued in the mid 1970s.

The exact way in which asbestos causes mesothelioma is not well understood though doctors and researchers have put forth many hypotheses. What is apparent, however, is that any length of exposure to asbestos can be hazardous and may result in the development of asbestos-related diseases later in life.

Types of Mesothelioma

There are five known types of mesothelioma. Four of these are malignant cancers, and one is a benign condition.

Pleural Mesothelioma: This type of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lungs, known as the pleura. It is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma, with around 70% of cases being pleural in origin.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma: This form of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdominal cavity, known as the peritoneal membrane. Approximately 25% of mesothelioma are of this type.

Pericardial Mesothelioma: This form of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the heart, known as the pericardium. About 5% of all mesothelioma cases are pericardial.

Testicular Mesothelioma: This is the rarest type of malignant mesothelioma; to date, there have been less than one hundred recorded cases. Testicular mesothelioma develops in the tunica vaginalis of the testicles.

Benign Mesothelioma: The benign form of mesothelioma most commonly develops in the pleura. This is the only form of mesothelioma for which full cure and recovery is the probable outcome though it may be a precursor of future asbestos-related problems.

Mesothelioma Symptoms and Diagnosis

Mesothelioma is difficult to treat, largely due to the fact that it remains latent in the body for up to five decades and is usually not diagnosed until its late stages. Also, diagnosis may be difficult due to the non-specific nature of most mesothelioma symptoms, which often resemble symptoms of less serious diseases.

The process for diagnosis usually begins with a compilation of the patient's full medical and work history including any exposure to asbestos. A medical examination is performed and if a problem is suspected, one or more diagnostic tests are ordered. These typically include medical imaging tests such as x-ray or CT and MRI scans, as well as biopsy procedures that test samples of fluid and tissue for the presence of cancer cells. Diagnostic tests are also used to determine how far the cancer has advanced, and whether it has spread to other locations in the body.

Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma treatments can be divided into two main categories: curative treatments and palliative treatments. Curative treatments are those carried out in an attempt to remove all cancer cells and cure the disease. Palliative treatments are designed to ease pain and make a patient more comfortable.

Treatments for mesothelioma include conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, as well as experimental procedures, including immunotherapy and gene therapy.

Generally, a patient with mesothelioma will receive more than one type of conventional treatment. For example, they may undergo surgery to remove the bulk of cancerous tissue, and then receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Experimental treatments are typically available only to patients who agree to enter clinical trials. In these cases, patients must fit certain criteria to be eligible.

Legal Issues

The dangers of asbestos exposure were known long before any efforts were made to protect workers. Many thousands of American workers were exposed to asbestos during the twentieth century, with no indication as to the risks that they were facing.

Companies that produced asbestos-containing products or used these products on a daily basis are liable for their negligence in failing to protect their workers. If you or a loved one has developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease as a result of asbestos exposure, it's important to know that you can talk to an attorney about seeking compensation for pain and suffering as well as reimbursement for medical expenses and lost income.

Sources:

Castleman, B. Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects. Aspen Publishers: New York. 2005.
Dodson, R. and Hammar, S. Asbestos: Risk Assessment, Epidemiology, and Health Effects. Taylor & Francis: Boca Raton. 2006.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/mesothelioma/DS00779/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_malignant _mesothelioma_diagnosed_29.asp?sitearea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesothelioma
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_are_the_key_statistics_for_malignant _mesothelioma_29.asp?sitearea
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma
http://www.cancer.org/downloads/PUB/DOCS/SECTION28/89.pdf
http://www.marf.org/Resources/UnderstandingMeso/MesoDetails.html
http://sup.ultrakohl.com/Uscap/uscap05/meso3.htm
http://medind.nic.in/ibq/t04/i3/ibqt04i3p142.pdf
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000116.htm
http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Aboutcancer/Whatiscancer/Whatiscancer/related_faqs/QAs/502

Asbestos Cancer

2008-07-11T17:03:00.000+08:00

Asbestos Cancer - Overview

Over the course of the past century, millions of innocent people have been exposed to asbestos, a class of fibrous minerals known to cause a variety of cancers. Often referred to as "asbestos cancer," mesothelioma is the most common form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Other deadly forms of cancer are also caused by exposure to asbestos, such as lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and colorectal cancer, just to name a few.

For many decades asbestos was considered an acceptable source of insulation, and thousands of materials made from asbestos were widely applied in industrial and domestic settings. Asbestos was found in countless products on the commercial market, in many factories, homes and public structures, and in a myriad of industries, such as railway production, shipbuilding, and energy production. For information about at-risk workplaces and products, please see Occupations at Risk for Asbestos Exposure and Products Containing Asbestos.

Of the millions of people who have been exposed to asbestos in the United States alone, thousands have developed life-threatening illnesses, many of which are aggressive cancers. Each year, approximately 10,000 Americans die from diseases caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Cancer

The most common form of cancer caused by asbestos is mesothelioma, a rare cancer that is very rarely cured. The only proven cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. An estimated 20 to 30 percent of people diagnosed with mesothelioma have no knowledge of prior exposure to asbestos. But the prior popularity of asbestos as a building material may shed some light on a person's ability to identify the source of their exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma typically attacks the thin membranous lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart, known as the mesothelium. It is estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are reported each year. The symptoms of mesothelioma typically arise 20 to 50 years after exposure, which makes it difficult to diagnose the countless cases lying dormant across the country. For more information about mesothelioma, please see Mesothelioma Overview.

Lung Cancer

Another dangerous cancer caused by asbestos exposure is lung cancer, of which there are two types: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. The latter is the most common type, accounting for nearly 80 percent of known cases. The identification of lung cancer is determined by the appearance of cancer cells under a microscope from a tissue sample.

Symptoms of lung cancer include coughing and chest pain, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, a change in sputum volume or color, or the presence of blood in sputum. Other symptoms may occur elsewhere in the body, such as weight loss, tiredness, and headaches. As with the development of mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos, lung cancer symptoms appear many years after initial exposure to the hazardous mineral. Anyone who suspects they may have been exposed to asbestos and are experiencing any symptoms of lung cancer should seek the advice of a medical physician.

Other Associated Cancers

Though the aforementioned types of cancer may be those most commonly associated with exposure to asbestos, the presence of asbestos fibers in the body can cause a number of other, very serious and life-threatening cancers, such as gastrointestinal cancer and colorectal cancer. Please see Gastrointestinal Cancer and Colorectal Cancer for information about these diseases. According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos exposure can also increase one's risk of developing kidney, throat, esophagus, and gallbladder cancer.

Associated Risk Factors

As with exposure to many carcinogens, the risk of developing cancer is influenced by a number of factors relating to exposure. First, the amount of asbestos to which a person is exposed is an important factor. Evidence shows the likelihood of developing serious asbestos-related disease compounds as the number of asbestos fibers in the body increase. Additionally, the duration of exposure may also play a part in the risk of developing cancer.

The risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease increases if the person experienced extended exposure. In addition, different types of asbestos bear varying degrees of risk, as do personal lifestyles, when determining one's risk of developing cancer. As with many other illnesses, those who smoke or have a preexisting disease have a higher risk of developing cancers caused by asbestos. For instance, people who have developed non-malignant, pleural lung diseases as result of exposure to asbestos have a greater risk for developing lung cancer.

The Next Step

Those who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos at any time should consult a physician for a medical examination. Cancers caused by asbestos exposure may present symptoms many years or even decades after initial exposure, by which time it may be too late to seek curative treatments. In addition to contacting a medical professional, the advice of an asbestos lawyer should also be sought for those who have been exposed to asbestos.

To learn more about the cancers caused by asbestos exposure, please fill out the form on this page to receive a comprehensive information packet. The resources at The Asbestos and Mesothelioma Awareness Center also offer referrals for some of the most experienced mesothelioma and asbestos lawyers in the country. For more information, please call 1-800-ASBESTOS (1-800-272-3786).

Sources:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/asbestos
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma
http://www.lungcancer.org/reading/types.php
http://www.lungcancer.org/reading/symptoms.php
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/asbestos