Breast Cancer The Cure

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Breast Cancer The Cure

There is no known cure for breast cancer. More than 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year worldwide. Scientists don't know why most women get breast cancer, yet breast cancer is the most frequent tumor found in women the world over. A woman who dies of breast cancer is robbed of an average of nearly 20 years of her life. Breast cancer knows no social boundaries. It’s a disease that can affect anyone. Some prominent women who’s lives that have been touched by breast cancer include Jill Eikenberry actress age 52; Peggy Fleming age 49 figure skater; Kate Jackson age 50 (Charlies Angels); Olivia Newton-John age 50 actress singer; Nancy Reagan age 77 former first lady; Melissa Etheridge age 43 singer; and the beautiful Suzanne Summers actress. These high rates of breast cancer are not acceptable to the women of the world and must be met with scientific research that provides results.

Despite over a decade of research, and more than $1.7 billion spent, hundereds of women worldwide are dying from breast cancer every day. Yet doctors don’t know how breast cancer starts or how to cure it. Doctors are still approaching treatment for breast cancer in the same old fashioned ways: surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Barbarick treatments…And scientists keep doing the same old redundant research that’s simply not working. It doesn’t have to be that way. Gen Cells Cures is a scientific biotechnology company that is focused on a cure for breast cancer. The company is dedicated to curing breast cancer before it’s too late for you. We’re not interested in a cure in five, ten, or twenty years from now. We want your cure for breast cancer within a year or two. We don’t want you to have to under go surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or take toxic drugs.

Why Gen Cells Cures? You can search the medical journals; you can search the internet until your blue in the face. You will find the same old news which is no new news about breast cancer research and treatments. Breast cancer research is locked up in a black whole. Gen Cells Cures is approaching the cure for breast cancer from different angles and using tomorrow’s scientific technologies today. Our expertise is in stem cell research and genomics. Malfunctioning stem cells have already been linked to the development of breast cancer. We’re not talking about using generic stem cells from an egg and sperm cell. There is no genetic match for you with the politically controversial generic stem cells that are always in the news. The isolation of cancer stem cells, coupled with our understanding of genetic mutations causing cancer, and our knowledge of genomics will result in ways to eliminate cancer cells while sparing normal breast tissues.

Genetics and Breast Cancer

People will tell you to accept what you can’t change…Your genetics, your genes, the genes your mother and father handed you when you were born that came with their particular genetic make-up. Most inherited cases of breast cancer have been associated with two genes: BRCA1 and BRCA2. The past five years has been a period of unparalleled discovery in the field of genetics, genomics, and stem cell research, but these discoveries are not being applied to breast cancer treatments. A job that Gen Cells Cures definitely wants to get our hands dirty in. Recently researchers have found that by blocking a gene called beta1-integrin the growth of tumor cells can be stopped. When this gene was removed the tumor cells quit growing. You don’t have to accept the genes that you were given at birth. Gen Cells Cures will be able to manipulate your genes to cure your breast cancer.

Our Cancer Stem Cell and Genomics Program will bring together the top scientific minds in the world under one tin roof to maximize the use of diverse approaches to the understanding of cancer genomics fused with stem cell solutions. Gen Cells Cures isn’t looking for a multi-million dollar biomedical research center like the Stowers Institute in Kansas City, which is a medical center to be admired. A rented tin shack will do just fine. Of course, we would accept hand-me down michroscopes from the Stoweres (billionaires who bought their own multi-million dollar biomedical research center) if they would be gracious enough to grant them to us or we would accept a small prime the pump check to move forward with our research. The Stowerses and all the scientists from the Stowers Institute have an open invitation to visit our lab in the Caribbean. What we are looking for is a cure for breast cancer to stop the humiliation, pain and suffering this menace to society causes millions of women and thousands of men worldwide, and not a new biomedical center… Every dollar invested with us goes into pure medical research and equipment. The same offer goes out to all the millionaires and especially the billionaires of the world. People that come to mind are: Paul Allen, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jon Huntsman, William and Alice Goodman, Ann Lurie, Jamie and Karen Moyer, Harold C. Simmons, Alfred Mann, Sumner M. Redstone, Michael Milton and the Palm beach billionaires, there are simply too many to mention. The combined wealth of the three Microsoft billionaires alone is more than ten times the amount spent by the U.S. Federal Government on research to fight cancer and other deadly diseases. We know we’re in the wrong business to become billionaires ourselves. This kind of biotechnology has never produced even one billionaire. It’s the cure for breast cancer that we want.

Simply put the cancer research organizations are funding the wrong researchers. It’s time to go outside the normal research channels. Do something different. The same story year after year after year and no cure. These unmotivated researchers just aren’t getting results. Let someone else have a shot at it. It’s time to try something new and different. A different approach. There are races for the cure, golf tournaments for the cure, there are walks for the cure, there are foundations for the cure. These foundations have been funding the same ineffective research for more than twenty years now. These foundations have been betting on the wrong horse. Joining the crusade won’t help if the research being done doesn’t take on a twenty-first century scientific approach. It’s been time to move forward scientifically for five years now. But today’s breast cancer researchers are stuck in a twentieth century mind-set. The Excuse is someday we’ll find the cure, but someday doesn’t help today’s victims of breast cancer. We need top notch scientific action today.

The genetics are out of the bottle and stem cell research is moving forward whether the U.S. government likes it or not. Gen Cells Cures has moved off-shore to the Caribbean to avoid the political controversy over stem cell research. I am sure you won’t mind a walk on the beach with me to talk about your cure for your breast cancer. Once we have the cure we can take the cure from the bench to the patient without a long and costly wait for FDA approval. There are many advantages to not having big brother breathing down your neck. The governments of the United States and Western countries have nothing to offer except road blocks, red tape and detours. Our patients don’t have time for political smoke and mirrors. With a little luck we could have your cure before the time comes that you need that dreaded surgery and chemo.

Our gifted world-class researchers are visionary and have been schooled in winning and have courage, creativity, can-do attitudes, burning desires, unfaltering belief and an obsession that they will be there first. By first we mean years ahead of the other biotechnology companies. Like determined, fighting NASCAR drivers our scientists are living to take the chequered flag of biotech and win the coveted race for the cure for breast cancer.

Focused on breakthrough discoveries, Gen Cells Cures nurtures a culture that encourages high standards of excellence, original thinking, hard work and a willingness to take risks. Our world-renowned scientists believe in themselves and its belief that gets us there. The company will seek to develop a work environment that is results focused and team-orientated. We compete against time. Though we compete intensely we maintain high ethical standards and trust and respect for each other. Quality is the cornerstone of all our activities. We seek the highest quality information, decisions and people. Our success depends on superior scientific innovation. We see the scientific method as a multi-step process which includes designing the right experiment, collecting and analyzing data and rational decision making. It is not subjective or emotional but rather a logical, open and rational process.

Our success comes from one simple fact; we are committed to being a science-based, patient-driven company, driven by that one special breast cancer patient…you.

Gen Cells Cures lost most of our one million dollar start-up money in offshore bank scandal and currency devaluation last year. We are now actively pursuing financial support. Unfortunately, the Gen Cells Cures team is made up of great scientific minds and not great marketers, salesmen, or fund raisers. Yes, we are looking for a millionaire or billionaire without a cause to support our work, but if you are not our wealthy saviour, we welcome any help, be it financial or a donation of your time. The scientific team is on stand-by. What we’re lacking is the funding to go forward. We could use motivated salesmen to sell our research, fund raisers, skilled internet marketers or someone just to pass out flyers or mail out promotional material. We could use help from the media with publicity stories, ads and promotions to get the word out. We are particularly interested in looking for assistance from the billionaires of the world; there are approximately 600 in the world. Billionaires like Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google billionaires), Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, and Oprah Winfrey and others who control the media could get our life-saving message to the world fast. We are also hoping that some of my celebrities friends will come forward and spread their wings to help support our breast cancer research: Steven Seagal, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, Danny Glover, Erik Estrada, Tom Arnold, Dolph Lundgren, Roger Clinton, Bill Clinton, Usher, Hulk Hogan, Ivana Trump, John Secada, Sylvester Stalone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Reno, Richard Branson, Cindy Crawford, Cher, Demi Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, and other stars that I have had the good fortune of meeting in person and others celebrities that I hope to meet in the future. (Photos of Gerald and the stars can be viewed at his promotional group listed below.) I am waiting to get my photo with Suzanne Summers!

Gen Cells Cure offers more than hope. We can do the job. If you’re going to eradicate cancer you have to have the right people doing the right research. One thing is for sure. We couldn’t do any worse than what the scientists before us have done. Which is virtually nothing! Help us alleviate the pain and suffering. Together, with your help, we can cure breast cancer.

Article by Gerald Armstrong- scientist0707@yahoo.com
Gerald is the owner of Gen Cells Cures
Visit his group for information about “The Cure” for incurable diseases and aging.

Group address [http://www.msnusers.com/cures]

Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am Gerald Armstrong the owner of Gen Cells Cures a biotech dedicated to finding “The Cure” for incurable diseases and aging. Introducing to the world, the miracle of private, personalized medical research for the individual. I am passionate about molecular biology and what we can do with science to find “The Cure” for those of you suffering from aging and incurable diseases. [http://www.msnusers.com/cures]

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Cervical Cancer Survival Rates

Women of this age have grown far from the beliefs from the previous centuries of old. Women now have started to become independent and have now been more involved in the work force in the world we live in today. One of the biggest threats in stopping women in continuing their growth is cervical cancer. This type of cancer is when there is an abnormal growth in the tissues in the cervix that result to a tumor that might infect not only the cervix but other systems of the body as well in the long run. Cervical cancer survival rates in the initial stage are at the high 90 percent chance of survival.

Cervical cancer survival rates are greatly depended to the stage it is upon. This type of cancer usually begins on the surface where the malignant cancer cells have not the deeper tissues in the cervix. When it reaches its second stage the cervical tumor spread within the tissues of the cervix but not beyond the pelvic area. The third stage begins when the cancer cells have infiltrated and infected the nearby tissues beyond the pelvic area. During this stage the malignant tumors start to invade other tissues until it reaches and infects other systems of the body at its final stage.

There are a lot of possible ways of preventing cancer of the cervix. There are now vaccinations available that could reduce the risk of having this disease at all. Smoking also increases the risk of having cervical cancer, so people who reduce or stop smoking at all will help you reduce the chance of having this malignant type of cancer. According to various researches as well, high level of vegetable consumption may as very well reduce the risks of having any type of cancer as well at a 54 percent ratio. A healthy lifestyle may very well be the key to reducing the risk of having cancer. We should at the very least try to allocate 10 minutes of the day to move and exercise.

Cervical cancer survival rates can be increased. Women should just at the very least have a healthy lifestyle that is comparable to their skills in the business world. If you notice any signs that you may have cervical cancer, you must immediately seek professional help in order to determine whether you have this malignant disease or not. And if so, find the right treatment and medication that is suitable for the current stage you have been diagnosed with.

For more Cervical Cancer Survival Rates information, visit Cervical Cancer Survival Rates.

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Cervical Cancer Information - Women Care

Women health issues have always been majorly emphasized and given importance and one of the most threatening health issues is cervical cancer. It is the third most common type of cancer in women posing as a health threat. This kind of cancer is mostly found in the women between the age group of 15 to 44 years. The statistics in UK read out a death of 1100 women every year due to cervical cancer. Though it is generally prevented in U.S due to regular pap smear tests. This implies that one should get educated about this subject and ensure awareness and knowledge about online healthcare products and regard their health as their responsibility to maintain a healthy body and healthy life.

Cervical cancer may be defined as the malignant growth in the cervical area. It is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) which is transmitted through STDs and the pre-cancerous condition is known as dysplasia which can be detected by abnormal pap smear results. This can last for years and can lead to cancerous cervix cells. This disease is tagged as "common cold" of all STDs and affects more than 80% of all sexually active adults, posing greatest risk to women having multiple sexual partners.

This lethal disease needs awareness as it can be treated if it is detected early. Use of condoms can reduce but does not always prohibit the contraction of this disease. Likewise, skin to skin contact with infected areas can spread the HPV virus. The best preventive measure is to have regular screenings and have a healthy body and immune system to fight these infections. Tobacco consumption has carcinogens which are harmful and smoking doubles the risk of abnormal pap smear. Avoiding these may decrease the risk or persistence of this disease.

The symptoms of cervical cancer may be pain during intercourse, pelvic pain, frequent urination, vaginal bleeding or unexpected vaginal discharge etc. Although these symptoms do not imply presence of cervical cancer but mark its possibility. abnormal pap smear may be detected by the regular cervical cancer screening tests. This pap smear test is not painful and involves sampling of cells from the cervix to examine it microscopically. Advent of new technology everyday helps in finding new ways of detecting abnormal pap smear in early stages.

Cervical cancer treatment is the most effective when it is detected in early stages and it involves surgical procedures like removal of uterus, ovaries or fallopian tubes, radiation or chemotherapy.

Cervical smear test is a screening test used in gynecology to detect premalignant and malignant (cancerous) processes in the ectocervix. Find out about cervical cancer treatment and other online healthcare products from our website.

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4 Tips to Prevent Cervical Cancer, Naturally

of women worldwide every year. Though unlike breast cancer, it has certified preventive measures. The medical condition starts with the cervix undergoing precancerous changes. This is termed as cervical dysplaxia, which can be mild to severe. Its development to cervical cancer takes years to happen, and it is aided by other factors. However, as earlier mentioned, cervical cancer can be prevented and one can reduce her risk of having it.

Have a Check Up

Those who have a family history of cervical cancer have a higher risk. The same is the level of risk with women who had an intercourse at a relatively younger age and those who had multiple partners. If you are one of these people, then it is best to see an OB-GYN doctor and have a pap smear. With this test, the doctor can check and treat if you have precancerous/abnormal cells before they can even progress to cervical cancer. You can also ask your doctor for recommendation as to how frequently should you get a pap smear.

Use a Condom and Limit Sexual Partners

For women who have multiple sexual partners, it is recommended that condoms should be used during the intercourse. However, it is best that the woman should limit the number of sexual partners as contracting HPV or human papilloma virus can cause cervical cancer. Self-discipline must be done as not only will the risk of having cervical cancer lessened, but the chances of acquiring sexually transmitted disease also decreases.

Stop Smoking

According to researches, smokers have a higher risk of up to 4 times greater than nonsmokers. This is due to the fact that the cervix can absorb the toxins released from smoking. The cells in the body may undergo changes because of this exposure, which can then lead to cancer of cervix. Plus, by quitting smoking, you also lessen your risk of having other forms of cancer.

Healthy Diet and Exercise

Eating healthy truly does a difference on your risk level. The most recommended foods are vegetables, fruits, and whole grains as they are rich in fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. These can help in preventing precancerous cells from turning to this type cancer.

Food supplements may also be taken, after consultation with a doctor. Vitamin C is mostly advised to be taken as it is also rich in antioxidants. Exercise is also very important and must be done at least 4 hours in a week. Even just walking can suffice.

Aside from these, be wary if you are also having immunosuppression or if your immunity has been decreased. This is largely attributed to prolong use and high dosage intakes of steroids, and other chemicals consumed to treat other diseases such as HIV or Leukemia. Immunosuppression increases the risk of your body to develop cervical cancer.

With these four tips, you may have noticed that they mostly pertain to disciplining the self. So, to sum it all up, the primary key to preventing cervical cancer naturally is by having a healthy lifestyle.

You can find detailed articles that wrote about cervical cancer symptoms and signs at our website.

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Most Common Cancers In Men

The most common cancers in men are in order of occurrence: prostate cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Lung cancer and colorectal cancer can also happen in women, but prostate cancer is exclusive to men. Another cancer that only men can get is testicular cancer, however it is considered rare and the prognosis for it is very good.

Lung cancer is not as common as prostate cancer, but it is much deadlier and people who get lung cancer do not have a good prognosis. In fact about 9 out of 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer will die from it. The best preventative strategy to avoid lung cancer is to not smoke, and live an otherwise healthy lifestyle. Lung cancer is actually quite rare in non-smokers.

Colorectal cancer involves tumors in the appendix, rectum or colon. Prognosis is better than with lung cancer, but it is important to diagnose the disease early before it spreads to other tissues. Eating unhealthy, for example a lot of processed meat, can increase chances of developing colorectal cancer.

The Most Common Cancer In Men: Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer develops in the prostate, which is a gland in the male reproductive system that secretes fluid constituting about 20-30% of semen volume. It is found almost exclusively in men who are older than 50 years of age. This type of cancer often grows slowly and doesn't cause any symptoms in the beginning. Men with prostate cancer therefore often die from something else before it is ever diagnosed.

The most common symptoms of prostate cancer are related to problems with ejaculation, erection or urination. Therefore it is highly recommended for older men who experience any of those symptoms to see a doctor as soon as possible.

In some countries it is common to screen for prostate cancer once men reach a certain age, but research evaluating the effectiveness of these screenings showed that it hasn't managed to reduce mortality rates. Prostate cancer does have a genetic factor, so if there is a family history of the disease then it is a good idea to take extra precautions.

Conclusion

Cancers of any form are, obviously, diseases that we never want to get. What is best to do is take some preventative measures in order to try to avoid ever getting them. Lifestyle is by far the biggest factor and the main things we can do to prevent getting cancer are to not smoke, eat a healthy diet and do regular exercise. Another thing that has been shown in recent research to be important is to maintain healthy Vitamin D levels.

Kris is a medical student very interested in all things health related. He is dedicated to bringing you the latest, unbiased information on what to do in order to gain optimal health and runs the very popular Kris Health Blog at http://www.kriskris.com

For more info, check out the original article: Mustache March

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Prostate Cancer Survival Rates

Prostate cancer survival rates indicate the chances a cancer patient has of surviving the disease for a specified length of time. The rates are by no means a definite indicator of what will happen to a patient; they can at best predict a patient's chances of what might happen to him, if a type of treatment plan is opted for, based on what has happened to other patients in similar circumstances. They serve as a guide to a patient and his family to know what they can expect if they choose a particular type of treatment or if they should consider one at all rather than just opt for pain relievers and sedation.

Prostate cancer generally affects men over the age of 50. Many men are affected by an overgrowth of the prostate tissue as they age. Many a time this overgrown tissue is benign, but sometimes the overgrowth is characterized by abnormal cancerous cells leading to prostate cancer. The disease can be present for years without the patient being aware of it. The most common symptoms it can cause once it begins to make its presence known are pain and difficulty while urinating and erectile dysfunction.

The overall prostate cancer survival rates are very high when compared to most cancers. Currently in the United States, only 3% of patients succumb to the disease. The overall 5 year survival rate for prostate cancer in the US is 100%, the 10 year survival rate is 92% and the 15 year survival rate is 70%. The high prostate cancer survival rates are primarily because nearly 91% of cases in the United States are detected while the cancer is still localized and contained within the prostate or in nearby areas.

Prognosis and treatment is based on a grading system, generally the Gleason system which allots grades from 1-10 based on how much the cells in the cancerous tissue resemble normal prostate tissue. A score of 2-4 is considered as low grade, 5-7 as intermediate grade and 8-10 as high grade. Higher the grade, the more quickly the cancer will spread.

Prostate cancer survival rates are among the lowest for men whose cancer has breached the prostatic capsule. On an average 46% of patients with metastatic prostate disease die within 22 months of diagnosis and scarcely 32% will reach the 5 year survival mark.

In general, prostate cancer is a very slow growing cancer with a higher incidence in the developed countries. It is believed that this may because most men in the developing world succumb to other illnesses long before the prostate cancer has a chance to grow to the magnitude where it will cause mortality.

For more information on prostate cancer survival rates please visit: Prostate Cancer Survival Rates

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Know the Cervical Cancer Symptoms

Women must know the importance of how danger cervical cancer is. It is the most dangerous silent disease that starts with the symptoms. Early recognition with the symptoms is the only way to start with the early treatment before it gets worst. The earlier the treatment; the greater is the chance for a cure. But how are we going to know the cervical cancer symptoms? Cervix is the part that connects the uterus to the vagina in the lower part of your womb or uterus. It is the constricted neck of the uterus which distends during parturition. Knowing the cervical cancer and its stages is essential for a woman in order to keep away from dangers of this disease.

In concerning the treatment it must have the importance of knowing the stages of cervical cancer. There are diagnostic tests and exams to find out the stages of this cancer.

These are the different stages of cervical cancer:

Tis - it is the cancer cell where the detection of it is only detected on the cervix's surface but deeper on tissue parts.

Stage 1 Cervical cancer (T1) - the growing of cancer cells in the uterus and it attacks deeper in the tissues of the cervix. The cancer at this condition has not entered thoroughly the cervix and the uterus.

Stage 2 Cervical cancer (T2) - it may be more dangerous because cancer cells are now beyond the uterus and cervix and there is a great chance to damage the vaginal upper parts. During this stage the spreading of it hasn't entered to the pelvic walls or to the vagina's lower parts.

Stage 3 Cervical cancer (T3) -in this stage, there is the spreading of cancer cells to the pelvic walls and/or to the lower part of the vagina. There is a big possibility of blocking the ureters and the tubes that take urine from the kidney to bladder.

This disease will cause a great pain to the person who is suffering, the abnormal bleeding that can be light or heavy during monthly menstruation. There is smelly, watery, thick mucus in the vagina which is unusual heavy discharge. The sharp pains aching during menstrual cycle and can be mild or more severe. The pain that is so painful while urinating that usually gives uncomforted urination. And the extreme bleeding of menstrual periods and even bleeding after sexual intercourse. A person suffering this dangerous disease may encounter anemic due to the extreme bleeding of vagina and there are occurring pelvic, back and leg pain. During using restroom you'll be noticing that there is fecal matter on the vagina due to the blockage of the ureter or from the kidney. This is the result of abnormal opening which occurs in the vagina, rectum or bladder. Most people who suffered this disease lose weight for they lose appetite because of cancer treatments.

Getting to know cervical cancer symptoms is the best choice in order to be free from danger of the risks of this deadly cancer. The awareness of this silent disease which could be fatal must have proper information, by knowing the appropriate procedures of keeping free from this ailment, knowing the symptoms and the stages of this disease, and the exact treatment for this. By this information you'll know how to be free from this ailment and gives awareness of everyone how deadly cervical cancer is.

My story began just as many women's stories do. I went to have my yearly PAP smear to check for HPV and Cervical Cancer and possibility to keep myself healthy. You can tell that the answer was not what I expected to be. I tried to find the right treatment for myself and find an alternative treatment.
I opened my blog to express myself and tried to give every woman the knowledge that I had hard time to find.
You can contact me at any time by sending an email, (put cervical-cancer-symptoms.info on the subject) and I will be happy to give you my knowledge.

Love to help,
Roxann

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The Complications of Uterine Cancer

Cancer of the reproductive system for women is not a new condition. The first medically documented cases of uterine cancer symptoms. The most ancient documented case of cancer comes from Egypt in the year 1500 BC when a papyrus record reported eight cases of tumors occurring. The tumors were treated by cauterization with an instrument that the ancient Egyptian's called a "fire drill" and removal of the tumors was the only treatment available at that time.

In our modern time the instance of uterine cancer is approximately 1-2% in women aged 30-60 years. The method of treatment has not varied much since ancient times with the addition of new radiation and chemotherapy, however in most cases the affected areas are removed surgically. The best recovery result for a patient suffering uterine cancer symptoms where the cancer has been confirmed remains removal of the uterus as well as any other reproductive organs that the cancer may have spread to, including the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments typically follow surgery in order to prevent any remaining mutated cells from spreading to other areas of the body. The complication of treating uterine cancer symptoms is that the cancer is located closely to the abdominal lymph nodes. Once a cancer enters the lymphatic system it becomes virtually impossible to prevent its spread throughout other areas of the body and inevitably the patient succumbs to the cancer at stage four of metastasis. At stage four most cancers are considered to be terminal.

Uterine cancer symptoms are also complicated because while they do manifest themselves as measurable notable symptoms, these symptoms tend to exactly mirror those of regular menses. So menstrual cramping, bleeding and discomfort may be a familiar experience for most women in their fertile years and they are hallmarks of uterine cancer symptoms. They may not be noted as anything different or suspect to further investigation given the patients familiarity with that particular symptom. Other symptoms of bloating or heavy bleeding, mood disorders (depression or anxiety) or irregular cycles can be caused by a myriad of other conditions and again, may fail to red flag the more serious condition of this cancer symptoms.

Certain types of birth control methods may also mask or lighten the severity of this cancer to an extent that they are not problematic until the cancer has escalated to a stage two or stage three cancer levels. It is important to note that in the cases of all cancers early detection is key to positive treatment outcomes and patient survival. If symptoms fail to highlight a series concern prompting in depth investigation is it unlikely that the early window of detection will be achieved for the patient, increasing the morbidity rate of uterine cancer symptoms.

For its ability to mask the symptoms as other more normal symptoms of regular menstruation uterine cancer is also known as one of the "silent killers" in the family of cancers. More research is needed to develop early detection and screening for uterine cancer symptoms.

Find more information on uterine cancer symptoms here.

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A Brief View About Skin Cancer Symptoms

Skin cancer is one of the most malignant cancers. Thousands of people are affected by this disease all over the world. It is a malignant neoplasm of the skin and if it is left unattended it could prove to be fatal. It is noticed that the people who spend a great time under the sun are at great risk of skin cancer. Generally two types of skin cancer are categorized by the doctors, melanoma and non-melanoma. Melanoma is very rare and it is also very difficult to sure. However, the second type of cancer is curable if attended at right time.

Skin cancer symptoms can be very easily detected. But it is always advised to be checked by a reputed dermatologist regularly to find out the symptoms. There are some symptoms and indicators that people could notice easily. It is very important to detect these symptoms before cancer spreads throughout the body.

The early symptom of this type of cancer is growing of moles. To detect the early symptoms of skin cancer people should check out the moles of their body regularly. Generally during this type of cancer a normal mole grows larger. If you find out any change in the size of your mole you should rush to a dermatologist for a checkup. Sometimes it has been seen that the normal removal of that particular mole can prevent any further problems.

Any changes in the skin can be a symptom of cancer. One of the most common skin cancer symptoms is a sore or growth in the skin that does not heal easily. Sometimes it is manifested in the form of lumps. Normally these lumps are smooth, shiny and reddish in color. Sometimes a rough or scaly, flat red spot in the skin can be a symptom of cancer. It is advised that if you ever find out these types of changes in your skin, you should visit the doctor without spending time.

At the same time it is also important to keep in mind that not all kinds of disorders in your skin are a symptom of cancer. So don't be panicked about it. The best way is to visit a dermatologist regularly for safety reason. You are also advised to contact a reputed medical practitioner for confirmed diagnosis.

Several types of skin cancer are there. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of it. It appears as a sore or a waxy red bump on the skin. Another form is Squamous cell carcinoma. It also looks like red patch or lumps on the skin. Both of these types of cancer grow slowly but it affects the tissues very rapidly.

A recent statistic shows that around 65,000 people worldwide dies due to skin cancer in a single year. The most horrible is that the number is increasing regularly. It is not like that this disease is not treatable but the awareness among the people about this disease is very low. The study also reveals the fact that light skin toned people have high risk of acquiring cancer in skin but in some cases dark-skinned people are also likely to acquire it.

Skin cancer symptoms are very common to detect. Hope, this article will help you to find out different indicators of skin cancer.

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Colon Cancer: Don't Miss The Symptoms

The colon (together with the rectum) are part of the large intestine (bowel). The colon is a muscular tube that is about five feet long. It absorbs water and nutrients from food passing through. The rectum, the lower six inches of the digestive tract, serves as a holding place for stool, which then passes out of the body through the anus. The colon is divided into four sections: the ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon. Most colorectal cancers arise in the sigmoid colon -- the portion just above the rectum. They usually start in the innermost layer and can grow through some or all of the several tissue layers that make up the colon and rectum. Cancer can, however, develop in any portion of the colon. The extent to which a cancer penetrates the various tissue layers of the colon determines the stage of the disease.

What is Colon Cancer? Colon and rectal cancers are the second most prevalent type after lung cancer among men, and the third most prevalent after breast cancer and lung cancer in women. Most colorectal types grow slowly over a period of several years, often beginning as small benign growths called polyps. Removing these polyps early, before they become malignant, is an effective means of preventing colorectal cancer. If the epithelia cells (the cells in the mucous membrane of the colon) turn cancerous and begin to grow and replicate in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, the body cannot organize these cells for normal function and the cells form a mass that is called a tumor. Malignant tumors in the colon can eventually penetrate through the colon and spread to other parts of the body, crowding and destroying normal cells.

Everyone is potentially at risk of developing colon cancer at some point in their lifetime. Although colon cancer occurs mostly in mature individuals, it can also occur in younger men and women as well. Some of the risk factors include a personal history of colonic or rectal polyps, a personal or family history of colon or rectal cancer, and certain conditions, such as chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) and Crohn's disease. Diet also appears to be a factor in the development of colon cancer.

Warning Symptoms Of Colon Cancer: There are symptoms or warning symptoms that should raise the suspicion that one has cancer. These include: Obstruction As the colon cancer grows, particularly if it is located in the transverse colon or in the descending and sigmoid colons, it may cause obstruction, leading to a build-up of pressure. This can result in pain and in swelling of the abdomen. In more extreme cases of obstruction, there may also be nausea and vomiting. Bleeding As tumors expand, they can be traumatized by the fecal stream, causing them to bleed. The blood is often hidden in the stool and not readily visible. In some cases bleeding may be visible on the stool or there is rectal bleeding. Anemia In some cases, as the tumor bleeds, it causes iron deficiency anemia to occur. Pain Once the tumor penetrates the wall of the colon and begins to invade adjacent tissue, it can cause pain, together with additional symptoms. For example, if the cancer spreads to the bladder, it may cause urinary problems. Wasting Syndrome In some cases, colon cancer can cause a loss of appetite, weight, and strength.

While the above warning signs can occur even in individuals without colon cancer, if someone does exhibit these symptoms, appropriate diagnostic procedures should be recommended in order to rule out colon cancer.

Colon cancer generally grows slowly over a period of years. Once the cancer breaks through the colon, it can enter blood or the lymphatic system grow and spread very rapidly. As the cancer grows, it often spreads into the liver and the lungs. It can also spread to the bones, especially in the pelvis. Depending on the location of the tumor, it can also spread to the clavicle.

The American Cancer Society recommends that screening for colon cancer in individuals without any symptoms commence at age 50. Screening should consist of a yearly digital rectal examination (DRE) and a fecal occult bloot test (FOBT). Sigmoidoscopies, preferably flexible endoscopic sigmoidoscopies, should occur every three to five years. For anyone with a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) who has had colon cancer under the age of 55, screening should start by age 40.

Facts - Colon Cancer Is the second leading of death from cancer in the U.S. Over 50% of all new cases of colon cancer involve metastasis by the time of diagnosis Approximately 102,900 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year. Approximately 48,100 Americans will die from colon cancer this year. 80 to 90 million Americans are at risk of developing colon cancer If colon cancer is detected and treated early, the survival rate is high.

Screening The American Cancer Society and the American College of Gastroenteroloy recommend that screening for colon cancer in individuals without any symptoms commence at age 50. The recommended method for screening is a colonoscopy (repeated every ten years if no polyps or tumors are found and the person has no risk factors). The recommended alternative method for screening is a yearly digital rectal examination (DRE) and a fecal occult bloot test (FOBT). Sigmoidoscopies, preferably flexible endoscopic sigmoidoscopies, should occur every three to five years. For anyone with a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) who has had colon cancer under the age of 55, screening is recommended starting at age 40.

Medical Malpractice and Colon Cancer The incidence of medical malpractice related to the diagnosis of colon cancer is alarming. It is the second most common type of cancer in the U.S., resulting in an expected 48,100 deaths this year. Nonetheless, too many men and women have their cancer diagnosis delayed when the doctors in whose hands such men and women entrust their well-being fail to perform appropriate screening tests, fail to properly interpret test results, and fail to take necessary steps when symptoms of cancer are reported. When this happens, the physician has been negligent. And the tragic result of this negligence is too often the loss of treatment options and/or the loss of chance of survival.

My law firm is devoted to explaining how medical malpractice arises in the context of a failure by a physician to timely diagnosing colon cancer; to describing what is involved in pursuing a medical malpractice claim; and to offering a convenient and free attorney consultation to those who believe they have been the victim of medical malpractice.

Why You May Have a Claim According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, medical errors are responsible for at least 44,000 deaths each year in the United States and possibly as many as 98,000 each year. The following are among the more common forms of negligence or medical malpractice by physicians in diagnosing and/or treating colon cancer: Failing to perform a routine digital rectal examination (DRE); Failing to identify a cancerous mass in the rectum or lower colon during a routine digital rectal examination; Failing to perform a screening sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy; Failure to order appropriate diagnostic examinations (such as a colonoscopy) to test for colon cancer when a patient exhibits symptoms that can be caused by colon cancer; Misinterpreting the biopsy results; Failing to react to biopsy findings; Failing to recommend appropriate treatment options; and Failing to follow-up with the patient. The above are only examples and are by no means intended to be an exhaustive list of acts of malpractice. If you suspect that your doctor failed to detect and/or properly treat your colon cancer, you should contact a competent attorney immediately.

Contact us for a Free Consultation

Please feel free to contact me directly at RJaffe@lcjLawFirm.com or 516.358.6900 if you or a family member have been diagnosed with Colon Cancer and a doctor or other medical professional discounted complaints of rectal bleeding as just hemorrhoids, failed to screen for colon cancer by recommending a colonoscopy or testing for blood in the stool and a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, or failed to follow up after an abnormal test result.

Richard Jaffe, Esq.
Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP
http://www.lcjLawFirm.com
516.358.6900

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

Colorectal Cancer Survival Rate

In the United States, the colorectal cancer survival rate is more agreeable amongst female patients than males. Whether the female patient is from Caucasian or African decent, the colorectal cancer survival rate is around 65%, a tad ten percent higher than their male counterparts whose rate of survival ranges from 53-55% only.

A 5 year colorectal cancer survival rate refers to the number or percentage of people who remain living 5 years after the disease was determined and treated. What most researchers do is go through all the records of cancer patients diagnosed with this type of cancer 5 years ago and count the ratio of those who are alive now to those who have been deceased as a result of the cancer.

According to the relative report released by emedtv for the research they conducted from the year 1996-2002, the colorectal cancer survival rate at:

• Stage 1 is around 90%. The main reason behind this is the same as the reason why most patients during this stage have good prognosis - the disease has not yet spread and is easily controlled by removing the affected part. In the case of cancer of the colon and rectum, the patient will undergo resection of the colon to remove the segment affected with the disease and reconnect the cut ends afterwards.

• Stage 2 and 3 is around 68%. Despite treatment, the rate is still pretty low because the disease has proliferated at this time. The basic fact about cancer is - the wider the spread, the more difficult to eradicate it. Common treatments at this stage are surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Although they may help in detaining or slowing the progression of the disease, it may still develop.

• Stage 4 is around 10%. Around 20 percent of all colorectal cancer patients are diagnosed at the last stage. This is a concern of many medical practitioners thus frequent campaigns to increase cancer awareness have become a mission of most cancer societies. Once the cancer cells metastasize, it may heavily affect the most vital organs in our body including the kidneys, liver and spinal cord.

Colorectal cancer sure is a killer disease. Like any types of cancer, it will affect the richest and the poorest and will disregard your position or status in society. Healthy living is what medical practitioners always advise to combat this disease. With colorectal cancer, change in the diet plan is imperative.

Learning more about Colorectal Cancer Survival Rates is never this easy with Cancer Survival Rates.

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

Lung Cancer Survival Rate - Stage 2 Lung Cancer

When one seeks a medical professional about stage 2 cancer of the lung, one of the first questions that will come to their minds is this: what is my lung cancer survival rate? This is greatly influenced due to the medical records showing that cancer of the lung has one of the lowest survival chances among cancers in the entire globe. One must realize that these statistics are just numbers and a huge variety of factors can affect one's chances of being cured.

Ones lung cancer survival rate is affected by various variables. One of these variables is age. Younger people tend to have a higher survival chances than people above 50. This is due to the strong natural defences of younger people than those at the later age. Medical records also show that women with stage 2 lung cancer have a higher capacity to be cured than their male counter parts.

The spread of the malignant tumor is a huge factor when determining one's lung cancer survival rate. Tumors may spread from the lung tissues up to the lymph nodes. When the lymph nodes are affected by the cancer cells, one's survival rate goes down a bit more. Continues smoking even after being diagnosed of stage 2 cancer of the lung will greatly decrease one's ratio of being cured for smoking greatly increases the toxins being infused in the lungs.

Complications such as blood clots in the lungs will be a huge hurdle in one's quest to be cured of cancer of the lung. Overall, the general health of the person is the biggest determinant if one will have a higher lung cancer survival rate or not.

The advancements in modern technology today in not just detecting and determining the grade of the cancer, but also in facilitating proper cure and methods of treatments are one of the biggest reasons why stage 2 lung cancer rates of survival are starting to go up. As of now, the 5 year survival rate of someone with stage 2 cancer of the lung is at 40 to 50 percent chance of cure and this could go up even more if the patient has a good physical well - being and natural defences.

One shouldn't be afraid when diagnosed of a terminal disease like cancer. He or she must remember that the key to surviving one of life's biggest challenges is facing it immediately for the earliest the detection the higher the chances of survival and cure.

For more stage 2 lung cancer survival rate information, visit Lung Cancer Survival Rate.

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

Detecting Breast Cancer to Save a Life

When thinking about the people in life that we love the most; that we try hardest to protect and that we'd be lost without, we tend to think of the women in our lives. It is our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, wives, daughters and other special women that we feel the most protective over. Unfortunately, they are also the people most likely to be diagnosed withe breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Luckily, breast cancer does not have to be a life sentence. Detecting it early equals a greater chance of survival. Cancer in the breast can be detected by self breast exams (SBE), clinical breast exams (CBE) and mammograms. Taking the time to learn about breast cancer and informing others can help save a life of the people we love.

Self breast exams should be done monthly after the woman's menstrual cycle. There are several steps to performing a SBE. First, without a shirt or bra on, a woman should examine her breasts in the mirror looking for warning signals such as lumps, dimpling, discharge or any other sudden changes in the appearance of the breast. Continue looking at the breasts with both arms above the head. Second, lying down with the right arm overhead, use the three middle fingers of the left hand to feel around the right breast. Starting at the nipple and moving outward, make circular motions around the breast using light pressure, then medium pressure and hard pressure. Next, using the same fingers, feel the breast in lines going up and down the breast from the nipple. Switch the arm and the hand and redo the steps on the left breast. Although doing SBE's is not the recommended method for finding breast cancer, it is highly important in helping women know what is normal for their breast and their body while helping to spot any changes.

To assist in early detection, women over 20 are also encouraged to get clinical breast exams (CBE) by their doctor every three years and every year after age 40. The process of a CBE is much like that of a SBE only it is done by a trained medical professional.

While self breast exams and clinical breast exams are important factors in detecting breast cancer, the most effective tool is a mammogram. Mammograms are recommended yearly for women over 40.

The best detection method is to use all three of this exams together as recommended.

While early detection is helpful to survive breast cancer, there are also steps that can be taken to prevent it. A person can help to prevent breast cancer by limiting alcohol consumption to 1 drink a day, exercising regularly, knowing their body and knowing their family history.

Together, we can educate all of the special women in our lives and encourage them to start a breast exam schedule.

For more information on family health and nutrition topics visit http://myfamilyplate.com.

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

Cervical Cancer And Hepatitis

SIGNS OF CERVICAL CANCER:

There are no signs of early cervical cancer. It is therefore necessary for every woman to have regular pap test. A woman with cervical cancer sometimes have example Unusual vagina bleeding including vaginal bleeding after menopause, spotting or discharge, pains during sex.

WHO IS AT RISK OF CERVICAL CANCER?

Men do not have cervical cancer, only Women are at risk of having cervical cancer. Women child bearing age and beyond.

PREVENTION OPPORTUNITY;

Regular screening for early detection using the pap test. Women should have regular pap smears from the age of 21 years or three years after the onset of sexual intercourse. Regular pap smears detect abnormalities of the lining of the cervix years before it progresses to cervical cancer many of this abnormalities can be tested if detected early. Correct and consistent use of condom may provide some protection against HPV.

Avoid risky sexual behaviors.

Human Papillona Virus[HPV] is a sexually transmitted virus and a major cause of cervical cancer. HPV comes by having multiple sex partners, having partners who have multiple sex partners, having sex at an early age. HPV VACCINE before a woman becomes sexually active. The vaccine is routinely given to females of age between 11, 12, 13, and 18 to catch up missed vaccine or complete the vaccination.

HEALTHY DIET

Healthy diet including eating fruits and vegetables and avoiding smoking also reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer.

Hepatitis is a disease condition of the liver in which the liver becomes sore, swollen and red as a result of the infection by a virus. This inflation [swelling] of the liver continues to increase because of the environment pollution of alcohol use, drug abuse and poor diet. Also, over use of paracetamol has been discovered to be highly responsible for increasing incidence of Hepatitis, HEPATITIS A and B are the most common.

THE SIGNS OF HEPATITIS INCLUDE:

vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, yellowness of the eyes, muscle and joint aces and pains, more on the right side of the body.

CAUSES OF HEPATITIS A AND B;

Hepatitis A is caused by infected food and common where there is poor hygiene, It spreads trough contaminated water. Hepatitis B is common in Nigeria and is caused by infected blood, It is spread through unprotected sex, sharing injection needles, blood contact or transfusion. It can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby during labor and delivery.

Mother to child transmission of Hepatitis B can be prevented by immunizing children with Hepatitis vaccine.

TREATMENT;

Cancer is a very deadly and expensive disease but if treated early,can be effectively managed at very good health facilities. Cervical cancer is often treated with a combination of surgery radiation and chemotherapy.

Other ways of include CRYOTHERAPY and ELECTROCOAGULATION.

HEALTH AWARENESS BY DR PHILIP

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

Cancer - The Deadly Legacy of the Invasion of Iraq

Forget about oil, occupation, terrorism or even Al Qaeda. The real hazard for Iraqis these days is cancer. Cancer is spreading like wildfire in Iraq. Thousands of infants are being born with deformities. Doctors say they are struggling to cope with the rise of cancer and birth defects, especially in cities subjected to heavy American and British bombardment.

Here are a few examples. In Falluja, which was heavily bombarded by the US in 2004, as many as 25% of new- born infants have serious abnormalities, including congenital anomalies, brain tumors, and neural tube defects in the spinal cord.

The cancer rate in the province of Babil, south of Baghdad has risen from 500 diagnosed cases in 2004 to 9,082 in 2009 according to Al Jazeera English.

In Basra there were 1885 diagnosed cases of cancer in 2005. According to Dr. Jawad al Ali, director of the Oncology Center, the number increased to 2,302 in 2006 and 3,071 in 2007. Dr. Ali told Al Jazeera English that about 1,250-1,500 patients visit the Oncology Center every month now.

Not everyone is ready to draw a direct correlation between allied bombing of these areas and tumors, and the Pentagon has been skeptical of any attempts to link the two. But Iraqi doctors and some Western scholars say the massive quantities of depleted uranium used in U.S. and British bombs, and the sharp increase in cancer rates are not unconnected.

Dr Ahmad Hardan, who served as a special scientific adviser to the World Health Organization, the United Nations and the Iraqi Ministry of Health, says that there is scientific evidence linking depleted uranium to cancer and birth defects. He told Al Jazeera English, "Children with congenital anomalies are subjected to karyotyping and chromosomal studies with complete genetic back-grounding and clinical assessment. Family and obstetrical histories are taken too. These international studies have produced ample evidence to show that depleted uranium has disastrous consequences."

Iraqi doctors say cancer cases increased after both the 1991 war and the 2003 invasion.
Abdulhaq Al-Ani, author of “Uranium in Iraq” told Al Jazeera English that the incubation period for depleted uranium is five to six years, which is consistent with the spike in cancer rates in 1996-1997 and 2008-2009.

There are also similar patterns of birth defects among Iraqi and Afghan infants who were also born in areas that were subjected to depleted uranium bombardment.

Dr. Daud Miraki, director of the Afghan Depleted Uranium and Recovery Fund, told Al Jazeera English he found evidence of the effect of depleted uranium in infants in eastern and south- eastern Afghanistan. “Many children are born with no eyes, no limbs, or tumors protruding from their mouths and eyes,” said Dr. Miraki.

It’s not just Iraqis and Afghans. Babies born to American soldiers deployed in Iraq during the 1991 war are also showing similar defects. In 2000, Iraqi biologist Huda saleh Mahadi pointed out that the hands of deformed American infants were directly linked to their shoulders, a deformity seen in Iraqi infants.

Many US soldiers are now referring to Gulf War Syndrome #2 and alleging they have developed cancer because of exposure to depleted uranium in Iraq.

But soldiers can end their exposure to depleted uranium when their service in Iraq ends. Iraqi civilians have nowhere else to go. The water, soil and air in large areas of Iraq, including Baghdad, are contaminated with depleted uranium that has a radioactive half-life of 4.5 billion years.

Dr. Doug Rokke, former director of the U.S. Army’s Depleted Uranium Project during the first Gulf War, was in charge of a project of decontaminating American tanks. He told Al Jazeera English that “it took the U.S. Department of Defense in a multi-million dollar facility with trained physicists and engineers, three years to decontaminate the 24 tanks that I sent back to the U.S.”
And he added, “What can the average Iraqi do with thousands and thousands of trash and destroyed vehicles spread across the desert and other areas?”

According to Al Jazeera, the Pentagon used more than 300 tons of depleted uranium in 1991. In 2003, the United States used more than 1,000 tons.

A Free School Breakfast, But Oakland Kids Aren't Biting

Just after 8:30 on a Tuesday morning, kindergarten students at Melrose Academy in Oakland are sitting at tables of four in their classroom, munching on bananas and drinking orange juice or eating crunchy cereal with milk. Then they clean up and go to the carpeted area where they choose a book off the bookshelf.

In a 7th grade English classroom down the hall, students eat the same breakfast while engrossed in their novels. The room is completely quiet except for the two designated breakfast helpers who hand out the food. Most students barely look up from their books until they start to eat.

This is the daily routine at Melrose Leadership Academy, but it is unique within the Oakland Unified School District, where no other school offers in-class, free breakfasts. Melrose principal Myra Contreras started the program because her middle school students weren’t using the free breakfast program offered in the cafeteria before classes started. She says on average only five or six students out of nearly 200 would partake, and probably 90 percent of her students weren’t eating breakfast at all. Now, 85 to 90 percent eat breakfast. She believes the change has been positive for her students, the majority of whom are Latino and low income.

A report released in December by the Food Research and Action Center, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group, found that the federally funded School Breakfast Program is under-utilized by low-income children in California, and the Oakland district was identified as particularly problematic.

Approximately one million low-income California children participated in the school breakfast program in 2008-2009, compared to the 2.4 million students who participated in the lunch program, according to the report, “School Breakfast Scorecard.” For the second year in a row, California ranked 33rd across the nation in school breakfast program participation by low-income students.

Twenty-five urban districts across the country were examined closely in a companion report, and the three California districts included were San Diego, L.A. and Oakland. Of the three, Oakland has by far the fewest children using their breakfast program and it is the only district where breakfast participation has actually declined.

The reason, many say, is that most public schools in Oakland have yet to offer alternatives to early morning breakfast programs, such as in-class breakfasts or “second-chance" breakfasts where a break to eat is offered during the morning.

“In California, where they’ve started to offer breakfast in the classroom or second-chance breakfast, you do see a dramatic increase in participation,” says Tia Shimada, a nutrition policy advocate with California Food Policy Advocates. “This happens for a number of reasons. The main thing is, you are not asking kids to get to school early. If the family has a tight schedule or the child has to ride the bus, they don’t necessarily have 10 minutes to spare.”

Jennifer Le Barre, nutrition services director for the Oakland schools, says there are several reasons the breakfast program is under used.

“First, we’ve seen a decrease in enrollment. Second, we’ve done parent surveys and we find that our Asian and Hispanic families want to serve their children breakfast at home,” she said, particularly for elementary school children. “And for the last several years, our focus in the nutrition program has been on the quality of the meals.” Now she wants to focus on improving participation in the breakfast program.

Le Barre attributes the Melrose program’s success to the leadership at the school. “They are willing to add extra time to the day because of a committed principal. In order to do more non-traditional services, it takes a commitment on the part of administrators.”

Roma Groves, a first-year principal at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in West Oakland, says roughly one-third of her students participate in the breakfast program, while almost all of them eat the school lunch. All of the students are eligible for free lunch because of the high numbers of low-income students who attend. Nearly 70 percent of the students are African-American, and the majority live in Acorn community housing, a large public housing complex down the street.

Groves is frustrated by the fact that many parents can’t get their children to school on time, let alone early enough to eat breakfast. “We’re here, we are doing our part,” she says. “The only reason kids don’t get access to food is their parents. Tardiness is an issue at our school. A lot of kids come in late. They say they got up late, they had to take siblings to school. But to me these excuses are not acceptable.”

Even with the success Melrose’s principal Contreras has seen, she doesn’t believe that in-class breakfasts should be mandated.

“There are a lot of problems with the system,” she said. “The main thing is to service the problem: malnutrition and kids not eating. It’s about a school community and how they want to deal with it.”

A Doctor's Word--Tips from Al on Managing Diabetes

Editor’s Note: In this column, Dr. Erin Marcus offers practical information on one of the most prevalent and potentially harmful diseases from the perspective of a patient who is managing his chronic Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Marcus is associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. A Doctor's Word is supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation.

“Self-management” isn’t a term you’ll hear doctors use much when they’re discussing illnesses such as cancer or heart disease. But when doctors talk about diabetes - a blood sugar condition that affects more than one in 10 Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinos - the conversation is different. To stay healthy, most people diagnosed with diabetes need to make lots of changes in their everyday life. They often need to modify the food they eat, get more physical activity, and frequently check their blood sugar levels.

These changes sound daunting, but many diabetics have been able to incorporate them into their daily lives - without giving up their favorite foods or changing jobs. Al Whitaker, 54, an associate church pastor in Boston, is one. Al was diagnosed with diabetes nine years ago, after he found himself too thin to fit into a suit he had purchased five days earlier. He had lost 30 pounds in eight months, but had delayed getting a check-up because he was afraid he might have cancer - and felt unprepared to cope. Instead, his doctor told him that his sugar was four times normal, and that he had Type 2 diabetes, the most common type.

“I had never thought about diabetes,” he said recently. “And lo and behold, my sugar was 450.”

The diagnosis was a bit scary at first. One of Al’s cousins with diabetes had had a toe amputated, and Al experienced several episodes of low blood sugar after beginning medication. But Al felt reassured after reading about diabetes on the web and in brochures he found at his pharmacy.

“The fear I had subsided once I realized that if I changed my diet I could manage” diabetes, he said. “There’s such a wealth of knowledge out there.”

A year ago, Al took a job with the American Diabetes Association, organizing community programs to educate the public about diabetes. Below is some of his advice, as well as tips from other diabetics and from Kellie Rodriguez, a veteran nurse educator at the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (full disclosure - I work for the same school, in a different department):

• Regularly check your blood sugar, and write the results in a log book. This is important because your blood sugars can be dangerously high or low without your experiencing any symptoms. Persistently elevated sugars increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and circulation and nerve problems in your feet.

Glucometers, the machines that test blood sugar levels, usually cost less than $100, and sometimes you can get these for free from a diabetes educator. But the test strips, which cost up to $1 each, can add up. Medicare and Medicaid and private insurance plans usually cover test strips and glucometers. If you lack insurance and can’t afford to test your sugars every day, Kellie recommends checking at different times - one day before breakfast, another day before lunch or dinner, and another day two hours after your largest carbohydrate meal (more on carbohydrates later). If you and a family member are trying to economize, it’s okay to share a glucometer, but you should never share the lancets that you use to stick your fingers since the blood could transmit disease.

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, a group of specialist doctors, recommends a blood sugar goal of 110 or less in the morning before eating and a blood sugar rise of no more than 140 points at 2 hours after a meal. But it’s important to try to remain calm about your numbers and not get upset if they’re not at goal. Kellie urges people to think of their sugars as “high,” “low,” or “target,” not “good” or “bad.” “Don’t be afraid to go to the doctor because you’re embarrassed,” she told me recently. “We need the numbers to identify the problem. It’s not about me being happy, it’s about your sugar.”

• Make sure you meet with a diabetes educator, or enroll in a diabetes class, to learn how to manage your disease successfully. “It’s really important for people to understand diabetes, to break down some of the mystery of it all,” Al said. The American Association of Diabetes Educators lists diabetes educators on its website (http://www.diabeteseducator.org/). The American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org/) also has a toll-free number you can call for more information - 1 800-342-2383 (1-800-DIABETES).

• Learn to recognize carbohydrate-rich foods (which make your blood sugar rise quickly), to read food labels, and to identify how much certain foods will increase your blood sugar. High carbohydrate foods include breads, cereals, fruits, juices, vegetables, pastas, rice and milk, as well as sugar-containing sodas and sweet deserts. Kellie advises people to shop mainly on the perimeter of the supermarket, where they’re more likely to find fresh produce, meats and fish, and avoid the center, where processed foods are usually stocked. Al said he always eats a meal before going to the grocery store, because if he’s hungry he’s more likely to buy impulsively.

• Ask a diabetes educator or dietician about ways to alter your favorite foods to make them a bit healthier. Al recently prepared collard greens and black eyed beans and rice for the holidays using turkey broth instead of ham hock, for example. When he orders food at restaurants, he immediately requests a to-go container - and puts half his meal in it before he eats. Kellie tells patients they can eat smaller portions of foods like rice, but should check their sugar two hours after the meal to see how much they can tolerate.

• Stop smoking This adds to your risk of heart and blood circulation problems.

• Prepare before doctor appointments by writing down your questions in advance, and don’t be afraid to ask. Al recommends bringing a friend or relative. “You feel empowered, and also the doctor’s going to say, ‘Wow, here’s someone who cares about their condition,’” he said.

Kellie recommends asking about the following numbers: glycohemoglobin (a blood test measurement that indicates long-term sugar levels); blood pressure (the goal for diabetics is less than 130/80) and cholesterol, including the LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol.

• For Type 2 diabetics: don’t be unduly afraid if pills aren’t enough, and if you need insulin. Many doctors now prescribe insulin pens, devices that usually aren’t painful and that generally control blood sugar better than syringes. Unfortunately, pens can be expensive and aren’t always covered by insurance plans. Some drug companies have patient assistance plans that provide pens for free; check www.needymeds.org for more information.

• Find ways to move your body. For Al, this means walking for a short errand instead of taking his car and using the stairs instead of the escalator. Kellie recommends walking around the room while watching TV and lifting heavy cans or bags of rice while sitting in a chair, as well as going for walks with a friend or neighbor.

• Take care of your eyes (by getting eye exams annually) and feet (which are at increased risk of infection and poor circulation). Avoid going to the beach barefoot and check your feet each night.

• Find a buddy who can provide you with emotional support. Al was able to talk with a woman in his church who also had diabetes. “I could call her up and say, ‘I’m feeling miserable,’” he said. “A lot of people don’t understand how when your sugar levels are high you can become cranky. I appreciated having her around to share.”

State’s Budget Cuts Jeopardize Children’s Healthcare Program

Healthy Families California from New America Media on Vimeo. SAN FRANCISCO -- Last November, Michelle Mandujano was dreading her son’s upcoming 6th birthday.

On that day, she was warned by state health care officials, her child Anthony, stricken with asthma since he was an infant, would “age out” of the Medi-Cal program he and his mother had been on since 2005.

“I freaked out when I heard that that was the cutoff age,” the 32-year-old, Hispanic single mom said. “Luckily, they also told me about the Healthy Families program.”

Nearly one million children and teens in California depend on Healthy Families, a federal-state partnership for working poor families. The program was launched in 1998 for parents who earn too much to receive MediCal coverage but who are priced out of the private insurance industry.

Healthy Families is the name under which California operates the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) created by Congress in 1997 for low-income families.

For every $1 a state spends on the program, the federal government puts in $2. Of the roughly $1.1 billion dollars spent on the Healthy Families program annually, $225 million comes out of California’s budget.

In the budget proposal unveiled Jan. 8, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has threatened to pull the plug on the Healthy Families program entirely if he does not receive $6.9 billion in new federal funds he says the state is owed. The governor said getting that money would be the only way the state could keep many programs alive, including Healthy Families.

“It’s a reckless move,” asserted Kelly Hardy, associate director of health with Children Now, a California-wide program that aims at ensuring that children’s issues are a top public policy priority. “He’s turning back the $800 million the state gets from the federal government to fund Healthy Families.”

Under the proposed national health care legislation Democratic leaders hope to pass this year, it appears that there is no place for CHIP within the framework of comprehensive health care reform.

The House bill would eliminate the program by the end of 2013, forcing millions of kids whose parents make incomes below 400 percent of poverty –- or $88,000 for a family of four -– to either transition to Medicaid or shift into private plans contained on a proposed health insurance marketplace, dubbed the exchange.

The Senate bill on the other hand continues CHIP through 2019, but does not include authorization of funding beyond 2013. As it stands now, the program expires Oct. 1, 2013.

The Senate bill, too, has the exchange provision, and children whose parents make less than 150 percent of the poverty level will move into Medicaid.

Both bills require the Health and Human Services Department to provide Congress with a cost and benefit analysis of CHIP plans versus those on the exchange by 2011.

Lawmakers want “to ensure that the exchange will be as good before they transition,” noted Hardy.

In her current job with the Salvation Army in San Francisco, Mandujano’s $1,300-a-month salary is just enough to take care of her car payment, the one room she rents in the Excelsior District, food and utility bills.

She cannot afford to put Anthony on her employer-sponsored health insurance program, she maintains, even though she realizes how risky it is to keep him uninsured.

“He has already been hospitalized twice for his asthma,” said Mandujano. “What if he has to go to the hospital again?”

The program has been a lifeline for families like Mandujano’s, which is why there was widespread panic earlier last year when Gov. Schwarzenegger and lawmakers, facing a severe budget crisis, put it on the chopping block.

But a last minute reprieve in September, thanks to a concerted push by some Democrats -– Assembly Speaker Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Senate President pro Tem Darrel Steinberg of Sacramento and Chairman of the Assembly Health Committee Dave Jones among them -– saved it from elimination.

“It’s the sole source of health care coverage for low- and moderate-income families,” said Jones. “That’s why the legislature felt it should be saved.”

Shared contributions from the State First 5 Commission, which will contribute $82 million to cover the state’s share of premiums for children 5 years and younger, premium increases from $4 to $7 per child per month, and increases in co-payments for emergency room visits and brand name drugs, have kept the program alive until December 2010.

“We found a bipartisan way to keep the Healthy Families program alive, without adding a new burden to the state’s general fund,” Steinberg said, noting that the state could “not afford to kick vulnerable children off of health care.”

Leslie Cummings, executive director of the state’s Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB), which runs the program, said that in mid-July, the state’s budgetary distress forced her agency to close enrollment, resulting in placing nearly 93,000 children on a waiting list within two months.

“We had to make those adjustments,” Cummings maintained.

If you look at the home where Emily To, her mechanic husband and two children –- Kyle, 11, and Chloe, nine months -– live in Alameda, Calif., you will not think they need any government handouts. But actually they do, and the pretty two-story home in a cul-de-sac is actually To’s parents’ home.
“We’re staying with them because we can’t afford to live on our own,” said To, 36. Her husband’s gross annual salary is $30,000.

When she first enrolled Kyle in Healthy Families five years ago, To was paying a monthly premium of $4. But that has gone up each year. She is currently paying $26 for each child. In addition, she has a co-payment of $10 for each hospital visit, twice what she was paying until the state budget was passed.

Kyle requires expensive inhalers and other medications to keep his asthma in check. He needs regular counseling for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

A few months ago, the clinic she had been taking her son to all these years told her they could no longer provide him counseling sessions because they no longer get reimbursed for them by Healthy Families. If she wanted counseling for Kyle, she would have to pay with cash.

And when she took her son for a tooth extraction, the dentist told her the Healthy Families’ plan doesn’t cover general anesthesia. That would mean an out-of-pocket expense of $800.

“That’s a lot of money for us,” To said. “Still, having Healthy Families is better than not having any insurance.”

Called for a comment, MRMIB’s Cummings asserted that the Healthy Families program includes mental and dental health services for its clients and that there must have been some “miscommunication” between To and her health care providers.

Darlene Thomas, who works as a maintenance assistant for the city of Pasadena’s Public Works Operations Department, makes just a little over $10 an hour. Her three youngest children – ages 8, 7 and 5 -- are enrolled in Healthy Families. Her husband cannot work because of a disability, she said.

Because families earning less that 150 percent of the federal poverty level don’t have to pay premiums or co-payments, Healthy Families is working out well for Thomas. Just having her three children on the program makes her feel “secure,” said the 40-year-old African American woman.

“Knowing that they have somewhere they’ll be taken care of makes me feel good,” Thomas said. “We never know what health issues come up.”

The high number of layoffs California has seen since the onset of the recession two years ago has made hundreds of thousands of families turn to state-subsidized health care programs. Enrollment in Healthy Families has averaged around 27,000 a month during the past year, but enrollment figures “have been fairly constant in the last few years,” insisted MRMIB’s Ernesto Sanchez, deputy director for eligibility.

Children Now’s Hardy speculates that many low-income families don’t even know they are eligible. She said there are some 225,000 eligible children who are not enrolled.

“The state is not opening all the doors and doing enough outreach,” Hardy asserted, noting that the situation could worsen because California has cut outreach funding by $20 million from its budget.
Fabiola Magdaleno, a resident of Orange County, said she didn’t know her children qualified for Healthy Families even when her husband, Gilbert, was employed full-time.

Gilbert was laid off from his $30,000-a-year job last January. He and his family didn’t qualify for Medi-Cal because they had too many assets: a retirement account and two cars. And he couldn’t draw unemployment because he still had a part-time job.

Their youngest daughter, Eva, now 3 ½ years old, was born with craniosynostosis, a congenital condition in which the sutures of the skull close too early. Children afflicted with that condition require a series of surgeries. Three of them were done while Eva, her older sister and mother were on Gilbert’s employer-sponsored health plan.

“We were paying $400 a month for the three of us to be on his plan,” Magdaleno said. “Somehow, we managed to make those payments.”

When her husband was laid off, Magdaleno worried about how she would be able to pay for the surgeries Eva still needed, until one day she received a call from Children’s Health Initiative (CHI), a non-profit dedicated to providing California’s children access to health care. Before long, Magdaleno’s children were on the Healthy Families program.

Concerned about the financial future of California, last September Assembly member Jones succeeded in getting the legislature to pass a bill that would draw about $2.3 billion in federal funds to support the state’s health care programs, including Healthy Families.

AB 1383, which has the governor’s approval, requires California hospitals to pay a provider fee for each Medi-Cal admission, and could generate more than $2 billion a year. That amount would be eligible for enhanced federal matching funds. California’s Healthy Families would stand to receive as much as $320 million annually.

“The beauty of my bill is there is no share from the state,” Jones said, noting that while his legislation has a shelf life of three fiscal years, “we’re looking to place an initiative on the ballot to make permanent the hospital provider fee.”

California is still awaiting approval of the legislation from the federal government. But in the meantime, people like Magdaleno are thinking short term. They worry whether cash-strapped California will be able to continue to financially support the Healthy Families program next year. Even if national health care reform goes through, it will take at least four years before it is implemented.

“My daughter has a pre-existing condition, and she is considered uninsurable,” Magdaleno said. “We would be devastated if we couldn’t get health coverage for her.

Why Health Care Reform Could Leave Us All Worse Off

The health care reform bills being debated in Congress threaten to shut out millions of immigrants. But Congress’ exclusionary policies toward immigrants will not simply leave immigrants worse off. They will inevitably jeopardize the nation’s economy and the health of all of us.

President Obama has prioritized health care reform to ensure that millions of Americans have a fair, affordable and efficient health care system. For immigrants, this vision is far from a reality. First, the current health care reform bill treats legal immigrants unfairly. Individuals who have waited years to come to the United States will be required to wait years in order to obtain affordable health care.

Immigrants are generally younger and healthier than the U.S. population at large. However, no one is immune to falling ill or having an accident. The current health care bill would require recently arrived, legal immigrants to wait five years to obtain the only option for affordable health care coverage, Medicaid. While low-income citizens will have access to Medicaid, the most vulnerable among us will continue to wait for affordable health care despite the fact that they pay taxes for the very programs from which they are excluded. There is no sound reason for Congress to discriminate against these individuals and prevent them from receiving basic medical care.

Congress and the White House also took an unprecedented step to prohibit individuals from buying -- with their own hard-earned money -- an American good that could help their families. The Senate version of the health care bill forbids undocumented immigrants from purchasing private insurance at full cost in the newly created insurance marketplaces. As a result, undocumented immigrants as well as their family members, who are often U.S. citizens or legal immigrants, will likely remain uninsured and will be forced to seek care in the emergency room.

The costs of providing health care for undocumented immigrants will not disappear after passing health care reform. It is unlikely that millions of immigrants, whose contributions keep up our standard of living and our economy functioning, will be deported. Instead, the cost of care will become the financial responsibility of the patient, the provider, the local and state governments, and every single taxpayer. Moreover, in order to exclude a few, there will be additional forms, documents, and bureaucrats that the rest of us will be subjected to. Buying the mandated health insurance could feel like a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Taxpayers will have to pay millions for this additional red tape and delay, all to keep a few people from buying health insurance with their own money.

Providers, employers, consumers, religious leaders, and state and local governments recognize that these policies are short-sighted and will cost all of us more in the long-run. Policies that attempt to exclude and ostracize immigrants also disproportionately harm all communities of color and immigrant-rich states like California and New York, further widening existing inequities in our nation. Yet because immigrants live in all 50 states, the intended and unintended consequences and costs of these restrictions will be far-reaching.

Ending discriminatory and exclusionary policies in this final round of negotiations is not only a matter of fundamental fairness and sound economics. It is required in order to not leave all of us worse off. Congress has a short window of opportunity to remove the restrictions on legal and undocumented immigrants in the health care reform bill. Doing so will not jeopardize the passage of the bill. Failing to doing so, however, will leave all of us, immigrant or not, worse off and wondering what happened to the promise of health care reform.

Rush to Aid Haiti's Earthquake Victims

WASHINGTON - Individuals, aid organizations, and governments worldwide are rallying to aid the people of Haiti after Tuesday's devastating earthquake that has killed tens of thousands of people and crippled the infrastructure of the island nation, already the poorest in the western hemisphere.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck right outside Haiti's capital city. The devastation in Port-au-Prince is severe -- a major hospital reportedly collapsed, much of the capital is in ruins, and untold thousands are feared dead or injured. A Haitian Red Cross official estimated that between 45,000 and 50,000 people were killed, reported the Washington Post Friday, though others have said the toll may ultimately rise well over 100,000.


"There is a blanket of dust rising from the valley south of the capital. We can hear people calling for help from every corner. The aftershocks are ongoing and making people very nervous," described Kristie van de Wetering, a former Oxfam employee based in Port-au-Prince.

"The situation is overwhelming," said Ambassador Michel Tommo Monthe of Cameroon, acting president of the UN General Assembly. "We need to mobilize all our resources and to coordinate all our efforts to help the people of Haiti in the most urgent and effective manner."


One of the Largest International Relief Efforts Ever

Rescue efforts in Haiti are underway as teams, funding, and supplies arrive from around the world. The international community's quick response to assist victims of the earthquake is "most heartening," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.


Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, with over half of the population living in extreme poverty. The recent earthquake threatens to make conditions worse in the struggling island nation. © Mikelli! (flickr)

On Thursday a plane from China and three French planes landed in Port-au-Prince carrying search-and-rescue teams, medical staff, and much needed supplies, reported the Associated Press. The United States has also sent emergency response teams to Haiti and President Obama pledged Thursday to provide $100 million in aid for the country. Obama has asked his two predecessors, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, to raise private donations for the relief effort as well. That effort was launched by all three presidents at the White House earlier today

But even before the launch of the Clinton-Bush fund, individuals were already donating money in overwhelming support of the relief effort. Via text message alone, Americans have pledged well over $4 million so far to organizations like the American Red Cross and Yele Haiti Foundation, reports news outlet MSNBC.

Amadi Ajamu, a reporter for Black Star News in New York City, which has a very large Haitian population, said there are many organizations in the city coordinating aid for people in Haiti. In an interview with New America Media, Ajamu said the relief effort he is organizing among Haitian Americans would begin Friday with a rally in New York City.

Despite this huge international effort, reports from Haiti describe a difficult situation as Haitians -- who were in dire straits even before Tuesday's earthquake -- become more desperate for relief.

Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis in Haiti

Tuesday's earthquake is sure to drastically increase the needs of Haiti's people, already plagued by hunger, poverty, and years of political instability.

Almost half of the population lacked access to clean water even before the quake. Combined with poor housing and a shortage of doctors, these factors contribute to poor health conditions, especially in rural areas. Additionally, Haiti has the highest malnutrition, child and infant mortality, and HIV/AIDS rates in the Americas. Almost 54 percent of the population lives in extreme poverty and 40 percent of households are unable to purchase adequate food. Approximately three quarters of the population lives on less than $2 dollars per day, according to the UN News Center.

Violent riots in April 2008 encapsulated the severe impact of the global food crisis on the struggling nation, and the humanitarian crisis intensified due to four tropical storms that swept across the Caribbean country the following August and September. For more information on poverty, development, and human rights in Haiti, visit OneWorld UK's Haiti country guide.

The cancellation of Haiti's $1.2 billion debt last July was considered by humanitarian groups as a turning point for the impoverished country. Debt cancellation is expected to allow Haiti's government to invest greater resources in desperately needed human needs like health care, infrastructure, and education. But the opportunity for progress in Haiti is threatened by the immense damage caused by the earthquake, warns the Jubilee USA Network, a group working for debt relief and cancellation.

"It is becoming clear that Haiti will need support for relief and reconstruction from the U.S. and international community at unprecedented levels," states a Jubilee call to action.

Filipino Scientist Makes New Vaccine Against Malaria

Rhoel Dinglasan, an entomologist and biologist from John Hopkins University hospital, has developed a new vaccine against malaria, bringing the medical world a step closer to eradicating the disease.

Dinglasan’s vaccine was recently featured in the Health and Science section of TIME magazine, which explains that traditional vaccines work by introducing a killed or weakened version of a disease into the body, provoking the immune system to crank out antibodies against it. "Then, if a wild strain of the pathogen comes along later — one that has the power to sicken or kill — the body is ready for it. " Dinglasan's new approach would instead work within the mosquito gut.

Dinglasan has found an antigen, called AnAPN1, that causes humans to create antibodies that lodge in the mosquito's gut. When the mosquito bites a human with the antibodies, the antigen locks up the malaria and sidelines the mosquito from the transmission chain.