Cancer Free eBook we reviewed. See below for the link.Will an inexpensive supermarket cleaning and baking product kill cancer cells better than chemotherapy?Is this the Cure for Cancer?Itallian doctor is healing cancer patient after cancer ... Another first person anti-cancer Book: "Killing Your Cancer without Killing Yourself -- using natural cures that work!" by Allen Chips. Search for this book. I read it and highly recomment it.
Cancer Free eBook we reviewed. See below for the link.
Will an inexpensive supermarket cleaning and baking product kill cancer cells better than chemotherapy?
Is this the Cure for Cancer?
Itallian doctor is healing cancer patient after cancer patient with Sodium Bicarbonate. Now for a short Lesson in Cancer and General pH Management.
Most of us are going to be surprised to find out that there is an oncologist in Rome Italy, Doctor Tullio Simoncini , destroying cancer tumors with sodium bicarbonate.
"Sodium bicarbonate is safe, extremely inexpensive and unstoppably effective when it comes to cancer tissues. It��s an irresistible chemical, cyanide to cancer cells for it hits the cancer cells with a shock wave of alkalinity, which allows much more oxygen into the cancer cells than they can
atlerate. Cancer cells cannot survive in the presence of high levels of oxygen.
Sodium bicarbonate is, for all intent and purposes, an instant killer of tumors.
Full treatment takes only days, as does another cancer treatment that heats the
cancer cells with laser generated heat. (see combining ph shift with the application of heat on this same web site below.)
To learn more about simple cancer treatments: go to the International Medical Veritas Association
http://www.imva.info/essay_sodium_bicarb.shtml
Additional Cure Cancer information
Learn why 75% of the physicians refuse chemotherapy themselves
http://www.curenaturalicancro.com/2-physicians-refuse-chemo.html
The great lack of trust is evident even amongst doctors. Polls and questionnaires show that three doctors out of four (75 per cent) would refuse any chemotherapy because of its ineffectiveness against the disease and its devastating effects on the entire human organism.
This is what many doctors and scientists have to say about chemotherapy:��The majority of the cancer patients in this country die because of chemotherapy, which does not cure breast, colon or lung cancer. This has been documented for over a decade and nevertheless doctors still utilize chemotherapy to fight these tumors.�� (Allen Levin, MD, UCSF, ��The Healing of Cancer��, Marcus Books, 1990).
��If I were to contract cancer, I would never turn to a certain standard for the therapy of this disease. Cancer patients who stay away from these centers have some chance to make it.�� (Prof. Gorge Mathe, ��Scientific Medicine Stymied��, Medicines Nouvelles, Paris, 1989)
��Dr. Hardin Jones, lecturer at the University of California, after having analyzed for many decades statistics on cancer survival, has come to this conclusion: ��%26hellip; when not treated, the patients do not get worse or they even get better��. The unsettling conclusions of Dr. Jones have never been refuted��. (Walter Last, ��The Ecologist��, Vol. 28, no. 2, March-April 1998)
��Many oncologists recommend chemotherapy for almost any type of cancer, with a faith that is unshaken by the almost constant failures��.(Albert Braverman, MD, ��Medical Oncology in the 90s��, Lancet, 1991, Vol. 337, p. 901)
��Our most efficacious regimens are loaded with risks, side effects and practical problems; and after all the patients we have treated have paid the toll, only a miniscule percentage of them is paid off with an ephemeral period of tumoral regression and generally a partial one�� (Edward G. Griffin ��World Without Cancer��, American Media Publications, 1996)
��After all, and for the overwhelming majority of the cases, there is no proof whatsoever that chemotherapy prolongs survival expectations. And this is the great lie about this therapy, that there is a correlation between the reduction of cancer and the extension of the life of the patient��. (Philip Day, ��Cancer: Why we��re still dying to know the truth��, Credence Publications, 2000)
��Several full-time scientists at the McGill Cancer Center sent to 118 doctors, all experts on lung cancer, a questionnaire to determine the level of trust they had in the therapies they were applying; they were asked to imagine that they themselves had contracted the disease and which of the six current experimental therapies they would choose. 79 doctors answered, 64 of them said that they would not consent to undergo any treatment containing cis-platinum a��� one of the common chemotherapy drugs they used a��� while 58 out of 79 believed that all the experimental therapies above were not accepted because of the ineffectiveness and the elevated level of toxicity of chemotherapy.�� (Philip Day, ��Cancer: Why we��re still dying to know the truth��, Credence Publications, 2000)
Cancer Is A Fungus
-- The Cure for Cancer Has Been Discovered --
http://www.curenaturalicancro.com/
Tullio Simoncini (1951) is a roman doctor specialising in oncology, diabetology and in metabolic disorders.
He has a strong opposition to any type of intellectual conformity, which is often based on suppositions without foundation or worse, on lies and falsities.When, considering the total failure of official oncology, which is obvious to all, one can understand his strongly critical position of an Italian and global medical system that operates in what is a scientific dead end that is of no help whatsoever to the patients.
Dr. Simoncini cultivates sports and takes care of his mind and body by following elementary natural rules such as a healthy diet, physical activity and the practice of moral responsibility. He favourite sports are jogging, skiing and soccer.His tendency to medical and scientific synthesis also stems from a natural sensitivity that tends to perceive the harmony of the whole as distinct from the value of its constituent parts. This quality is reinforced and expressed by his propensity for music, and cultivated by his practice of musical instruments such as piano and classical and modern guitar.When a student in high school and university, his musical abilities led him to form various musical bands that toured central Italy.
Simoncini��s personality is pervaded by a strong humanitarianism, which triggered him to reflect, because of the impotence of medicine when faced by the pain of patients, on how little and inadequate medicine��s fundamental knowledge is. This empathy for the pain of others has been the constant motivator on the path of his personal life.
He��s always travelling throughout the Italy to explain his theory in congresses, conferences and interviews, and to show how many patients healed from cancer. Dr. Simoncini diecovered that the cause of this terrible illness is a fungus and tried hard to persuade scientists how wrong are the actual theories on cancer. His therapy based on the strongest antifungal substance, sodium bicarbonate, is harmless and very effective and should be adopted all over the world.
Cancer-Free (eBook) http://www.beating-cancer-gently.com/aboutme.html
About The Author: "Hi. My name is Bill Henderson. In November 1990, my former wife, Marjorie, began her four-year bout with ovarian cancer. She died on November 1, 1994. Her many operations, chemotherapy treatments and intense pain made her wish often in her last two years for a quick death, or "transition," as she called it. "
Roi just read the eBook: "Cancer Free -- your guide to gentle non-toxic healing." He thought it was a great resource for alternative healing. http://www.beating-cancer-gently.com/buybook.html
Please do your research... people do not always have to follow the 3 only approved AMA cancer procedures of: surgery, chemo or radiation.
There are hundreds of success stories where people try healthy alternative treatments and change their lifestyle to feel good again.
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2/15/2009
Cancer Tumors Grow in an Acid Condition
Tests & Diagnostics for Leukemia & Lymphoma
Here is a list of some of the common tests and diagnostics for Leukemia & Lymphoma: Bone Marrow TestPlatelet CountOf course, these are just some of the common tests and diagnostics for Leukemia & Lymphoma.You can connect with experts and ot... Here is a list of some of the common tests and diagnostics for Leukemia %26 Lymphoma: Of course, these are just some of the common tests and diagnostics for Leukemia %26 Lymphoma.
Platelet Count
You can connect with experts and other people who have Leukemia %26 Lymphomain the Wellsphere communities.
If you're interested in finding more information, tips, news and videos about Leukemia %26 Lymphoma, go to the Leukemia %26 Lymphoma WellPage or the Tests for Leukemia %26 Lymphoma WellPage.
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New Role of NK Cells may Lead to Improved Treatment for Cancer
A new role for natural killers (NK) has been discovered by scientists at the University of York. This may lead to improved treatments for chronic infections and cancer.Natural Killer cells are abundant white blood cells that were recognized...
Natural Killer cells are abundant white blood cells that were recognized over 30 years ago as being able to kill cancer cells in the test tube.
Since that time, a role for NK cells in activating other white blood cells (including 'T' lymphocytes and phagocytes) and in directing how the immune system responds to a wide range of infections has also been established.
Because of these properties, NK have been widely regarded as being of benefit in the fight against cancer and infection, and methods to increase NK cell activity underpin a range of new experimental anti-cancer drugs and anti-infectives.
However, a research team in the University of York's Centre for Immunology and Infection and led by Professor Paul Kaye, has now demonstrated that NK cells also make chemicals that inhibit immune responses.
The research has shown that in an experimental model of the tropical disease visceral leishmaniasis, too many NK cells can actually make the disease worse.
They have identified that NK cells produce a chemical called interleukin-10 that can counteract many of the otherwise beneficial effects of these cells.
According to Professor Kaye, %26quot;Other researchers have suggested in the past that NK cells might not always be good for you, but we now have the first direct evidence that this can actually be the case.%26quot;
%26quot;Although we have worked on an infectious disease, the same is likely to be true for NK cells in cancer. So, in practical terms, it means that we need to consider more carefully exactly how we use therapies that affect NK cells, to maximize their beneficial role,%26quot; he said.
The new findings also open up the potential of developing new drugs that specifically target the beneficial properties of NK cells, and which leave their inhibitory properties switched off.
Conversely, in autoimmune diseases, where the immune system is too active, it may be possible to stimulate NK cells to turn it off.
Source-ANI
RAS/L
You are reading a Blog Post from %26quot;Reflections%26quot; Thoughts about Medicine, Community, India, Tamil Nadu, Exams, Computers by Dr.Bruno
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How do tumors metastasize?
Research published in the journal Cancer Research sheds new light on the formation of metastases.Metastasis is the ability of cancer cells to spread from a primary site, to form tumors at distant sites. It is a complex process in which cell...
Research published in the journal Cancer Research sheds new light on the formation of metastases.
Metastasis is the ability of cancer cells to spread from a primary site, to form tumors at distant sites. It is a complex process in which cell motility and invasion play a fundamental role. In order to understand how metastasis develop one must identify the molecules, and characterization of the mechanisms that regulate cell motility.
Until now there has been minimal understanding of these mechanisms. Now, a team of researchers lead by Professor Marco Falasca at The London School of Medicine and Dentistry has shown not only that the enzyme phospholipase C%26amp;gamma;1 (PLC%26amp;gamma;1) plays a crucial role in metastasis formation, but that down regulation of PLC%26amp;gamma;1 expression is able to revert metastasis progression.
The team investigated the role of PLC%26amp;gamma;1 in cell invasion and metastasis using different approaches to modulate its expression in highly invasive cancer cell lines. Their results showed that PLC%26amp;gamma;1 is required for breast cancer cell invasion and activation of the protein Rac1. They revealed a functional link between PLC%26amp;gamma;1 and Rac1 that provides insight into processes regulating cell invasion.
Professor Falasca explained: %26quot;Consistent with these data we detected an increase in PLC1 expression in metastases compared to primary tumours in breast cancer patients. Therefore PLC%26amp;gamma;1 is critical for metastasis formation, and development and inhibition of this enzyme has a therapeutic potential in the treatment of metastasis dissemination.%26quot;
%26quot;This is an exciting discovery. He has shown that turning off this molecule prevents metastasis. The simple fact is that if you stop metastasis, you stop cancer from killing people. We now need to focus on developing drugs that can block PLC%26amp;gamma;1.%26quot;
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2/12/2009
Tumor Cell Profiling...the tests ...
Tumor Cell Profiling... the tests show if your cancer cells were killed by exposure to one or more of the 20 or so different anti-cancer drugs that might otherwise have been considered as possible treatments for your type of cancer.A test t... Tumor Cell Profiling... the tests show if your cancer cells were killed by exposure to one or more of the 20 or so different anti-cancer drugs that might otherwise have been considered as possible treatments for your type of cancer. A test that can help determine which cancer drugs would appear to be the best treatment plan. He has an office and lab and is currently providing tests in this area. To have the test done, first of all you need a biopsy to delivery the cells for the study. Fees for a complete 20 to 25 drug Functional Tumor Cell Profiling analysis will be in the neighborhood of $5,000. The procedure is covered by Medicare and some insurers as well. BD According to Dr. Weisenthal,therapeutic levels of ethanol in the bloodstream theoretically could be achieved simply by drinking wine or another alcoholic beverages in prescribed doses concurrent with receiving angiogenesis-inhibiting drugs. The concept might please some patients and alarm others but Dr. Weisenthal finds support in actual case studies reported in the medical literature. However, he warns that further clinical studies are required. Dr. Weisenthal says that he would like to see the test become available to patients worldwide through service agreements with larger laboratory companies or with a biotechnology company which might develop a testing kit for sale to hospitals and laboratories. He also would like to license the test to pharmaceutical companies for use in new drug development. Cancer Physician Invents Test For New Drugs That Cut Off Tumor's Blood Supply http://www.weisenthalcancer.com/index.htm
Today's online edition of the Journal of Internal Medicinereports discovery of the first practical laboratory test to guide the use of new-generation drugs that kill cancer cells by cutting off their blood supply. The new test, called the Microvessel Vascular (MVV) assay, was developed by Larry Weisenthal, MD, PhD., a medical oncologist who operates a cancer testing laboratory in Huntington Beach, California. The test works by measuring drug effects upon endothelial cells which make up blood vessels. Its use could prolong lives, save money, and spare patients exposure to harmful side-effects of ineffective chemotherapy treatments.
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Bladder Cancer - UK Biopsy Procedure
The inspiration (and much of the content) of today's post is brought to you courtesy of David F. in Kent (near London). He has managed to describe the UK bladder biopsy process, atmosphere, and capture the essence of the event with good hum... The inspiration (and much of the content) of today's post is brought to you courtesy of David F. in Kent (near London). He has managed to describe the UK bladder biopsy process, atmosphere, and capture the essence of the event with good humor, considering the circumstances. One major difference between US and UK medical care, besides how its funded, is the fact that in the UK you work with a National Health Service %26quot;Consultant,%26quot; assigned randomly based on who is on duty and what your condition is. This person, who may be a specialist (depending on the factors) arranges everything - dates, doctors, assistants, in-hospital scheduling, bureaucracy running, etc. On no occasion do you choose WHO does WHAT to you. Other doctors, surgeons, and nursing staff are all assigned by who's on duty when you are there, and perhaps within that subset the consultant may have a little influence. Where you go, hospitals, clinics, etc. are a matter of negotiation rather than convenience. Only the consultant follows your personal case from beginning to end. In the US you the patient call all the shots. You choose the doctors... CLICK HERE to read the entire post on my blog: http://gotbladdercancer.blogspot.com
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Genetic Mutations Linked to Deadly Cancers
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter10 minutes agoTHURSDAY, Sept. 4 ( HealthDay News ) -- Potentially groundbreaking discoveries involving genetic mutations of two deadly cancers -- the brain cancer glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer -- may... By Steven Reinberg THURSDAY, Sept. 4 ( HealthDay News ) -- Potentially groundbreaking discoveries involving genetic mutations of two deadly cancers -- the brain cancer glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer -- may lead to new treatments and even cures, researchers say. %26quot;These studies represent the most complete genetic analysis to date of any tumor type and provide a detailed genetic map of these deadly cancers,%26quot; Kenneth Kinzler, a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University, and co-author of the study on pancreatic cancer, said during a teleconference Wednesday. Click on the title link to read this entire story.
HealthDay Reporter10 minutes ago
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Somatic mutations in cancer and genetic syndromes
As for clinical geneticist, traditionally concerned more with germline (hereditary) mutations and disease, it might be strange to search through somatic mutation (or acquired) databases. But it is obvious that understanding of cancer geneti... As for clinical geneticist, traditionally concerned more with germline (hereditary) mutations and disease, it might be strange to search through somatic mutation (or acquired) databases. But it is obvious that understanding of cancer genetics can not be limited to only germline or somatic mutations - it must be combined approach. And then you start to think in systemic way, or in other words, you think inpathways or patterns(pretty much the same way as main character fromD. Aronofsky%26#8217;s notorious %26#8220;Pi%26#8221; Anyway, currently I%26#8217;m gliding through Ras-MAPK signaling pathway and in a future some posts will be related to it. Interestingly, lot of things in genetics are connected or in other ways, as a friend of mine once stated, %26#8220;traditional geneticsis dead%26#8221; Just take a look: Ras-MAPK pathway is probably one of the most upregulated pathway in sporadic cancers. And there are bunch of syndromes with inherited altered mutations in a genes from there: Among other symptoms, Neurofibromatosis type 1 have up to 13% risk for developing maligancy (mostly forMPNST), Costello syndrome have about 17% increased risk of cancer (particularly rhabdomyosarcomas and bladder Ca), in Noonan there is increased risk for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. LEOPARD (which is allelic for Noonan s.) and CFC syndrome seems do not have increased cancer risk. For somatic mutation in cancer invaluable tool seems to beCOSMIC database - Catalogue of Somatic Mutation In Cancer by Wellcome Trust institute.COSMIC is designed to store and display somatic mutation information and related details and contains information relating to human cancers. Enjoy.
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Study: Phytochemicals in natural olive oil suppress breast cancer cells
Phytochemicals found in extra-virgin olive oil may suppress the gene HER2 which is responsible for the formation of breast cancer cells, say authors of a new study published in the peer-reviewed open access journal BMC Cancer.Numerous studi... Phytochemicals found in extra-virgin olive oil may suppress the gene HER2 which is responsible for the formation of breast cancer cells, say authors of a new study published in the peer-reviewed open access journal BMC Cancer. Numerous studies over the past few years have tied Mediterranean diets, rich in olive oils, to a lower risk of heart disease, Alzheimer%26rsquo;s disease, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease and cancer. Two researchers in Spain, Javier Menendez of the Catalan Institute of Oncology, and Antonio Segura-Carretero from the University of Granada, set out to investigate which parts of olive oil -- believed to be the key beneficial ingredient in the Mediterranean diet -- were most active in inhibiting growth of breast cancer cells in culture. %26ldquo;Our findings reveal for the first time that all the major complex phenols present in extra-virgin olive oil drastically suppress over-expression of the cancer gene HER2 in human breast cancer cells,%26rdquo; according to Menendez. Instead, they suggest that lignans and secoiridoids, already safely consumed by people, might be a good basis for future development of drugs to fight breast cancer.
Only extra-virgin olive oil contains lignans and secoiridoids, the phytochemicals that inhibit HER2. Phytochemicals are lost if olives are refined using heat or chemical treatments. Menendez and his team separated the oil into fractions and tested them against breast cancer cells in lab experiments. All the fractions containing the major extra-virgin phytochemical polyphenols were found to effectively inhibit HER2.
While the findings offer insights into how olive oil might contribute to lowered breast cancer risk, the researchers caution that the concentration of phytochemicals used to kill cancer cells in culture were much higher than what a human could consume from a diet alone.
Javier A Menendez, Alejandro Vazquez-Martin, Rocio Garcia-Villalba, Alegria Carrasco-Pancorbo, Cristina Oliveras-Ferraros, Alberto Fernandez-Gutierrez, Antonio Segura-Carretero
BMC Cancer 2008, 8:377 (18 December 2008)
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My Cancer, Hodgkin's Lymphoma. What Are the Symptoms?
First of all, I don't really think I was the norm. I go through the list of symptoms and I don't know if I had many if any. Also called Hodgkin Disease, was named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who recognized it in 1832. It is not to be confused...
First of all, I don't really think I was the norm. I go through the list of symptoms and I don't know if I had many if any. Also called Hodgkin Disease, was named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who recognized it in 1832. It is not to be confused with non-Hodgkin's which is not the same thing. The lymph system is made up of lymphoid tissue, lymph vessels, and a clear fluid called lymph. According to the American Cancer Society: Lymphatic tissue includes the lymph nodes and other organs that are part of the body%26rsquo;s immune and blood-forming systems. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped organs found in many places throughout the body. Other parts of the lymphatic system include the spleen, the bone marrow, and the thymus gland.
The lymph nodes make and store lymphocytes, which are special white blood cells that fight infection. There are 2 types of lymphocytes: B lymphocytes (or B cells) and T lymphocytes (or T cells). Most cases of Hodgkin disease start in B lymphocytes.
Most often it starts in the upper part of the body such as the chest and neck or under the arms. Hodgkin disease can spread through the lymphatic vessels in a stepwise fashion from lymph node to lymph node. Rarely, and late in the disease, it gets into the blood vessels and can then spread to almost any other place in the body.
The cancer cells in Hodgkin disease are unique. They are called Reed-Sternberg cells (or Hodgkin cells). They are an abnormal type of B lymphocyte that is much larger than normal lymphocytes.
The 2 main types are classical Hodgkin disease (which has several subtypes) and nodular lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin disease. The types differ in the way the cancer cells look under a microscope. The types are important because each grows and spreads in a different way. Often they are treated differently. Ask your doctor about the exact type of Hodgkin disease you (or your loved one) has. All types of Hodgkin disease are cancerous (malignant) because as they grow they may compress, invade, and destroy normal tissue and spread to other tissues. Hodgkin disease occurs in both children and adults.
Back to the symptoms. Typically you'll hear this:
Drenching Night Sweats
Frequent Fever that comes and goes
Itchy Palms and Feet
Lump under the skin
You may notice a lump in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin. Sometimes this may go away, only to come back. Although it doesn't hurt, it may finally not go away, and lead you to see a doctor.
I never had a night sweat. I only once had a fever of about 99.9 that was unexplained. It was not long before I was diagnosed. I don't remember having itchy palms and feet. From what I hear, this itchiness is extreme and hard to relieve. Some people feel like they are just crazy.
I had a lump or pressure in my throat. That wasn't really how it started. I remember oddly enough the very first ever time I felt a fullness in my chest. I was driving. I felt a sort of odd sensation in my chest followed by a full sort of feeling. I can't properly explain it. I remember it was odd but it was followed by pressure and it never went away. I remember thinking what if I have cancer, immediately followed by me thinking I was crazy and then letting it go. I saw a regular doc for a regular checkup when he found a thyroid nodule. I figured that was what caused my pressure and let it go at that. I had sonograms on my thyroid but every single day almost this pressure was feeling worse. I felt like someone was squeezing on my neck and it was very uncomfortable. I found out later that even my family thought it was in my head! I am not one to rush to the doctor. I don't get crazy about myself being sick. I do worry about my kids, but not me really. Anyway, I also developed wheezing. It was on the exhale and my breathing was getting a little more labored. It was way worse late at night and when I was lying down. I had tests on my thyroid, saw endocrinologists, Ear Nose and Throat specialists and my gynecologist even sent me in for tests. I let this go on for four years.
My husband had to move for his job. The move was very hard on me physically. I was a couple of weeks pregnant while moving and didn't know it. I was so tired, wheezing, coughing and having a very hard time breathing. I felt lazy and didn't know what was wrong with me. We officially moved out in April and by the end of that month I couldn't get out of bed. I had to see doctors to find out what was wrong and it was hard. I had the fine needle biopsy on my throat. I mentioned it before. I definitely have to save the details of that procedure for another day. I have had that done twice. The second time with no anesthesia. I had this camera shoved up my nose on a long tube and down my throat too. I had that done twice. They charge me about $200 just for that tube up my nose not counting the numbing spray, the doctor, and all the other things they did just to tell me I was ok.
Regardless, the endocrinologist did schedule the MRI and finally found the tumor. By the time we had those results back (which was only about a week) I could not lie flat at ALL for an MRI. So we couldn't do any more testing. The doctor said it would be pointless to do one after chemo began because it wouldn't be accurate and the treatment was the same. I want to know what stage I was but I don't think I'll ever know for sure. I know it was considered bulky and that automatically puts me at stage II. We just don't know how much it spread without the full body MRI. I suppose it doesn't matter since I am in remission. Still, I am going to discuss with my doc when I see him again just exactly what stage HE considered me. I don't know what to tell people who ask. Especially those who have had cancer as well.
So, I guess my point of this post is to inform. I want to help anyone else who is going through this cancer. I want to inform those who are looking for information and to know my experience. I do remember something I read a few times about drinking alcohol causing pain in the tumor area. I have had some wine and it never caused me pain. I may have felt more pressure though and I specifically remember after having a glass of wine, the next day I coughed up a little blood. I did that more than once though. I was pretty scared when that happened as I was still undiagnosed.
Hmmm I just found something new myself. I discovered this on the American Cancer Society site.
Overview: Hodgkin Disease
After the Tests: Staging
Staging is the process of finding out how far the cancer has spread. This is very important because the treatment and the outlook for recovery depend on the stage of the cancer.
Hodgkin disease most often starts in one set of lymph nodes and then spreads to a nearby set without skipping areas, at least until late in the disease. Growth into nearby organs can sometimes happen too. The current staging system is based on these facts.
If a biopsy has confirmed that Hodgkin disease is present, the next step is clinical staging. This includes taking a medical history, doing a physical exam, and then doing imaging studies.
Imaging Tests Used to Stage Hodgkin Disease
One or more of the following tests may be used to help determine the extent of the Hodgkin disease in the body.
Chest X-ray
Hodgkin disease often causes swelling of lymph nodes in the chest which can usually be seen on a plain chest x-ray.
Computed Tomography (CT)
This test gives your doctor a better look at lymph nodes in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, as well as other organs. The CT scan is like an x-ray but instead of taking one picture like an x-ray, a CT scanner takes many pictures as it rotates around the patient. A computer combines these pictures into an image of a %26quot;slice%26quot; of the body.
Often after the first set of pictures is taken, you or your child will get an injection of a contrast dye, or you may also be asked to drink a liquid of contrast material. This helps better outline structures in the body. A second set of CT scan pictures is then taken. Some people are allergic to the dye and get hives or a flushed feeling or, rarely, have more serious reactions like trouble breathing and low blood pressure. Be sure to tell the doctor if you or your child has ever had a reaction to any contrast material used for x-rays.
CT scans take longer than regular x-rays. You need to lie still on a table while they are being done. You might feel a bit confined by the ring you have to lie in when the pictures are being taken.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
This test is rarely used in Hodgkin disease, but if your doctor is concerned about spread to the spinal cord or brain, MRI is very useful for looking at these areas. MRI scans use radio waves and strong magnets instead of x-rays. MRI scans take longer than CT scans -- often up to an hour. You may have to lie inside a narrow tube, which is confining and can upset people with a fear of enclosed spaces.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
PET scans involve injecting a form of sugar that contains a small amount of radioactivity into the blood. This sugar collects in the cancer cells. A special camera can then detect the radioactivity and show the areas of cancer in the body. PET scans can help tell if an enlarged lymph node contains Hodgkin disease or is benign. Recently, newer devices have been developed that combine the PET scan with a CT scan. PET/CT scans can help pinpoint the exact location of the lymphoma.
Gallium Scan
During this test, a small dose of radioactive gallium is injected into a vein. It goes to lymph tissue in the body. A few days later a special camera is used to find the gallium. This test can find tumors that might be Hodgkin disease in lymph nodes and other organs.
The gallium scan can be useful in finding lymphoma that the PET scan may miss. It can also tell the difference between infections and lymphomas.
Other Tests
Blood Tests
Blood tests aren't used to stage Hodgkin disease, but they may be useful in getting a sense of how advanced the disease is and how well a person might withstand certain treatments. Hodgkin disease cells do not appear in the blood, but a complete blood count (CBC) can sometimes show signs of the disease. A shortage of red blood cells (anemia) can be a sign of more advanced Hodgkin disease. A high white blood cell count is another sign, although it can also be caused by infections. Blood tests of liver function might also point to Hodgkin disease in that organ.
Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration
Tests of the bone marrow (a bone marrow biopsy) may be done to tell if Hodgkin disease is in the marrow. To do the test, a long thin needle is used to remove small bits of bone marrow. A piece of bone might also be removed with a thicker needle. The 2 samples are usually taken at the same time from the back of the hip bone. The area is numbed first. But even with the numbing, many people feel some pain. The whole process takes only a few minutes.
Ann Arbor Staging System
The staging system for Hodgkin disease is known as the Ann Arbor system. It has 4 stages, labeled with the Roman numerals I, II, III, and IV. The higher the number the more advanced the disease is. If Hodgkin disease affects an organ outside of the lymph system, but is next to a known area of lymph node involvement, the letter %26quot;E%26quot; is added to the stage. If it involves the spleen, the letter %26quot;S%26quot; is added.
%26quot;Bulky%26quot; Disease
This term is used to describe tumors in the chest that are at least 1/3 as wide as the chest or tumors in other areas that are at least 4 inches across. If bulky disease is present the letter %26quot;X%26quot; is added to the stage. Bulky disease may require more intensive treatment.
So....I know for a fact mine was considered bulky. I had a tumor between the size of a %26quot;baseball and a volleyball in my chest%26quot; according to my doctor and my charts said bulky. I saw it. I have a small chest, as I am a pretty small person. So, I guess that puts the letter X on my stage. I knew it was bad at the time. I just always hoped it hadn't spread. It kills me to not know for sure.
And here is what scares me folks:
The terms resistant or progressive disease are used when the disease does not go away or keeps on growing while you are first being treated. Recurrent or relapsed disease means that Hodgkin disease responded well to treatment at first and went away, but it has now come back. If Hodgkin disease returns, it may do so in the area of the body where it first started or in another part of the body. This may happen shortly after treatment or years later.
My doctor does NOT think it will return so I hold onto that faith. He knows what he is doing. If it does, I'd fight it same as before. The cure rate for Hodgkin's IS good though.
Stage 5-year relative survival rate
I 90% to 95%
II 90% to 95%
III 80% to 85%
IV About 60% to 70%
You really do not get good statistics like that on too many cancers. That gave me hope through it all too.
It does repeatedly say that the treatment is more intense and the statistics lower if the stage is bulky. That's kinda scary but oh well. I am in remission and I have faith that is where I'll stay. I hope I have clarified some things for some people and hopefully helped out some new people. I feel great and I breathe fine. My neck has never felt 100% like it did before. I have scar tissue and I do have four thyroid nodules in my throat that cause some pressure. I still feel 100% better than I did before with no wheezing or shortness of breath so I am very very thankful. I'll post more on this disease later because I really didn't cover much of it at all! I'll go over the treatments and all that in a later post.
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Study: Phytochemicals in natural olive oil suppress breast cancer cells
Phytochemicals found in extra-virgin olive oil may suppress the gene HER2 which is responsible for the formation of breast cancer cells, say authors of a new study published in the peer-reviewed open access journal BMC Cancer.Numerous studi... Phytochemicals found in extra-virgin olive oil may suppress the gene HER2 which is responsible for the formation of breast cancer cells, say authors of a new study published in the peer-reviewed open access journal BMC Cancer. Numerous studies over the past few years have tied Mediterranean diets, rich in olive oils, to a lower risk of heart disease, Alzheimer%26rsquo;s disease, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease and cancer. Two researchers in Spain, Javier Menendez of the Catalan Institute of Oncology, and Antonio Segura-Carretero from the University of Granada, set out to investigate which parts of olive oil -- believed to be the key beneficial ingredient in the Mediterranean diet -- were most active in inhibiting growth of breast cancer cells in culture. %26ldquo;Our findings reveal for the first time that all the major complex phenols present in extra-virgin olive oil drastically suppress over-expression of the cancer gene HER2 in human breast cancer cells,%26rdquo; according to Menendez. Instead, they suggest that lignans and secoiridoids, already safely consumed by people, might be a good basis for future development of drugs to fight breast cancer.
Only extra-virgin olive oil contains lignans and secoiridoids, the phytochemicals that inhibit HER2. Phytochemicals are lost if olives are refined using heat or chemical treatments. Menendez and his team separated the oil into fractions and tested them against breast cancer cells in lab experiments. All the fractions containing the major extra-virgin phytochemical polyphenols were found to effectively inhibit HER2.
While the findings offer insights into how olive oil might contribute to lowered breast cancer risk, the researchers caution that the concentration of phytochemicals used to kill cancer cells in culture were much higher than what a human could consume from a diet alone.
Javier A Menendez, Alejandro Vazquez-Martin, Rocio Garcia-Villalba, Alegria Carrasco-Pancorbo, Cristina Oliveras-Ferraros, Alberto Fernandez-Gutierrez, Antonio Segura-Carretero
BMC Cancer 2008, 8:377 (18 December 2008)
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2/11/2009
Study: Phytochemicals in natural olive oil suppress breast cancer cells
Phytochemicals found in extra-virgin olive oil may suppress the gene HER2 which is responsible for the formation of breast cancer cells, say authors of a new study published in the peer-reviewed open access journal BMC Cancer.Numerous studi... Phytochemicals found in extra-virgin olive oil may suppress the gene HER2 which is responsible for the formation of breast cancer cells, say authors of a new study published in the peer-reviewed open access journal BMC Cancer. Numerous studies over the past few years have tied Mediterranean diets, rich in olive oils, to a lower risk of heart disease, Alzheimer%26rsquo;s disease, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease and cancer. Two researchers in Spain, Javier Menendez of the Catalan Institute of Oncology, and Antonio Segura-Carretero from the University of Granada, set out to investigate which parts of olive oil -- believed to be the key beneficial ingredient in the Mediterranean diet -- were most active in inhibiting growth of breast cancer cells in culture. %26ldquo;Our findings reveal for the first time that all the major complex phenols present in extra-virgin olive oil drastically suppress over-expression of the cancer gene HER2 in human breast cancer cells,%26rdquo; according to Menendez. Instead, they suggest that lignans and secoiridoids, already safely consumed by people, might be a good basis for future development of drugs to fight breast cancer.
Only extra-virgin olive oil contains lignans and secoiridoids, the phytochemicals that inhibit HER2. Phytochemicals are lost if olives are refined using heat or chemical treatments. Menendez and his team separated the oil into fractions and tested them against breast cancer cells in lab experiments. All the fractions containing the major extra-virgin phytochemical polyphenols were found to effectively inhibit HER2.
While the findings offer insights into how olive oil might contribute to lowered breast cancer risk, the researchers caution that the concentration of phytochemicals used to kill cancer cells in culture were much higher than what a human could consume from a diet alone.
Javier A Menendez, Alejandro Vazquez-Martin, Rocio Garcia-Villalba, Alegria Carrasco-Pancorbo, Cristina Oliveras-Ferraros, Alberto Fernandez-Gutierrez, Antonio Segura-Carretero
BMC Cancer 2008, 8:377 (18 December 2008)
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2/10/2009
My Cancer, Hodgkin's Lymphoma. What Are the Symptoms?
First of all, I don't really think I was the norm. I go through the list of symptoms and I don't know if I had many if any. Also called Hodgkin Disease, was named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who recognized it in 1832. It is not to be confused...
First of all, I don't really think I was the norm. I go through the list of symptoms and I don't know if I had many if any. Also called Hodgkin Disease, was named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who recognized it in 1832. It is not to be confused with non-Hodgkin's which is not the same thing. The lymph system is made up of lymphoid tissue, lymph vessels, and a clear fluid called lymph. According to the American Cancer Society: Lymphatic tissue includes the lymph nodes and other organs that are part of the body%26rsquo;s immune and blood-forming systems. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped organs found in many places throughout the body. Other parts of the lymphatic system include the spleen, the bone marrow, and the thymus gland.
The lymph nodes make and store lymphocytes, which are special white blood cells that fight infection. There are 2 types of lymphocytes: B lymphocytes (or B cells) and T lymphocytes (or T cells). Most cases of Hodgkin disease start in B lymphocytes.
Most often it starts in the upper part of the body such as the chest and neck or under the arms. Hodgkin disease can spread through the lymphatic vessels in a stepwise fashion from lymph node to lymph node. Rarely, and late in the disease, it gets into the blood vessels and can then spread to almost any other place in the body.
The cancer cells in Hodgkin disease are unique. They are called Reed-Sternberg cells (or Hodgkin cells). They are an abnormal type of B lymphocyte that is much larger than normal lymphocytes.
The 2 main types are classical Hodgkin disease (which has several subtypes) and nodular lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin disease. The types differ in the way the cancer cells look under a microscope. The types are important because each grows and spreads in a different way. Often they are treated differently. Ask your doctor about the exact type of Hodgkin disease you (or your loved one) has. All types of Hodgkin disease are cancerous (malignant) because as they grow they may compress, invade, and destroy normal tissue and spread to other tissues. Hodgkin disease occurs in both children and adults.
Back to the symptoms. Typically you'll hear this:
Drenching Night Sweats
Frequent Fever that comes and goes
Itchy Palms and Feet
Lump under the skin
You may notice a lump in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin. Sometimes this may go away, only to come back. Although it doesn't hurt, it may finally not go away, and lead you to see a doctor.
I never had a night sweat. I only once had a fever of about 99.9 that was unexplained. It was not long before I was diagnosed. I don't remember having itchy palms and feet. From what I hear, this itchiness is extreme and hard to relieve. Some people feel like they are just crazy.
I had a lump or pressure in my throat. That wasn't really how it started. I remember oddly enough the very first ever time I felt a fullness in my chest. I was driving. I felt a sort of odd sensation in my chest followed by a full sort of feeling. I can't properly explain it. I remember it was odd but it was followed by pressure and it never went away. I remember thinking what if I have cancer, immediately followed by me thinking I was crazy and then letting it go. I saw a regular doc for a regular checkup when he found a thyroid nodule. I figured that was what caused my pressure and let it go at that. I had sonograms on my thyroid but every single day almost this pressure was feeling worse. I felt like someone was squeezing on my neck and it was very uncomfortable. I found out later that even my family thought it was in my head! I am not one to rush to the doctor. I don't get crazy about myself being sick. I do worry about my kids, but not me really. Anyway, I also developed wheezing. It was on the exhale and my breathing was getting a little more labored. It was way worse late at night and when I was lying down. I had tests on my thyroid, saw endocrinologists, Ear Nose and Throat specialists and my gynecologist even sent me in for tests. I let this go on for four years.
My husband had to move for his job. The move was very hard on me physically. I was a couple of weeks pregnant while moving and didn't know it. I was so tired, wheezing, coughing and having a very hard time breathing. I felt lazy and didn't know what was wrong with me. We officially moved out in April and by the end of that month I couldn't get out of bed. I had to see doctors to find out what was wrong and it was hard. I had the fine needle biopsy on my throat. I mentioned it before. I definitely have to save the details of that procedure for another day. I have had that done twice. The second time with no anesthesia. I had this camera shoved up my nose on a long tube and down my throat too. I had that done twice. They charge me about $200 just for that tube up my nose not counting the numbing spray, the doctor, and all the other things they did just to tell me I was ok.
Regardless, the endocrinologist did schedule the MRI and finally found the tumor. By the time we had those results back (which was only about a week) I could not lie flat at ALL for an MRI. So we couldn't do any more testing. The doctor said it would be pointless to do one after chemo began because it wouldn't be accurate and the treatment was the same. I want to know what stage I was but I don't think I'll ever know for sure. I know it was considered bulky and that automatically puts me at stage II. We just don't know how much it spread without the full body MRI. I suppose it doesn't matter since I am in remission. Still, I am going to discuss with my doc when I see him again just exactly what stage HE considered me. I don't know what to tell people who ask. Especially those who have had cancer as well.
So, I guess my point of this post is to inform. I want to help anyone else who is going through this cancer. I want to inform those who are looking for information and to know my experience. I do remember something I read a few times about drinking alcohol causing pain in the tumor area. I have had some wine and it never caused me pain. I may have felt more pressure though and I specifically remember after having a glass of wine, the next day I coughed up a little blood. I did that more than once though. I was pretty scared when that happened as I was still undiagnosed.
Hmmm I just found something new myself. I discovered this on the American Cancer Society site.
Overview: Hodgkin Disease
After the Tests: Staging
Staging is the process of finding out how far the cancer has spread. This is very important because the treatment and the outlook for recovery depend on the stage of the cancer.
Hodgkin disease most often starts in one set of lymph nodes and then spreads to a nearby set without skipping areas, at least until late in the disease. Growth into nearby organs can sometimes happen too. The current staging system is based on these facts.
If a biopsy has confirmed that Hodgkin disease is present, the next step is clinical staging. This includes taking a medical history, doing a physical exam, and then doing imaging studies.
Imaging Tests Used to Stage Hodgkin Disease
One or more of the following tests may be used to help determine the extent of the Hodgkin disease in the body.
Chest X-ray
Hodgkin disease often causes swelling of lymph nodes in the chest which can usually be seen on a plain chest x-ray.
Computed Tomography (CT)
This test gives your doctor a better look at lymph nodes in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, as well as other organs. The CT scan is like an x-ray but instead of taking one picture like an x-ray, a CT scanner takes many pictures as it rotates around the patient. A computer combines these pictures into an image of a %26quot;slice%26quot; of the body.
Often after the first set of pictures is taken, you or your child will get an injection of a contrast dye, or you may also be asked to drink a liquid of contrast material. This helps better outline structures in the body. A second set of CT scan pictures is then taken. Some people are allergic to the dye and get hives or a flushed feeling or, rarely, have more serious reactions like trouble breathing and low blood pressure. Be sure to tell the doctor if you or your child has ever had a reaction to any contrast material used for x-rays.
CT scans take longer than regular x-rays. You need to lie still on a table while they are being done. You might feel a bit confined by the ring you have to lie in when the pictures are being taken.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
This test is rarely used in Hodgkin disease, but if your doctor is concerned about spread to the spinal cord or brain, MRI is very useful for looking at these areas. MRI scans use radio waves and strong magnets instead of x-rays. MRI scans take longer than CT scans -- often up to an hour. You may have to lie inside a narrow tube, which is confining and can upset people with a fear of enclosed spaces.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
PET scans involve injecting a form of sugar that contains a small amount of radioactivity into the blood. This sugar collects in the cancer cells. A special camera can then detect the radioactivity and show the areas of cancer in the body. PET scans can help tell if an enlarged lymph node contains Hodgkin disease or is benign. Recently, newer devices have been developed that combine the PET scan with a CT scan. PET/CT scans can help pinpoint the exact location of the lymphoma.
Gallium Scan
During this test, a small dose of radioactive gallium is injected into a vein. It goes to lymph tissue in the body. A few days later a special camera is used to find the gallium. This test can find tumors that might be Hodgkin disease in lymph nodes and other organs.
The gallium scan can be useful in finding lymphoma that the PET scan may miss. It can also tell the difference between infections and lymphomas.
Other Tests
Blood Tests
Blood tests aren't used to stage Hodgkin disease, but they may be useful in getting a sense of how advanced the disease is and how well a person might withstand certain treatments. Hodgkin disease cells do not appear in the blood, but a complete blood count (CBC) can sometimes show signs of the disease. A shortage of red blood cells (anemia) can be a sign of more advanced Hodgkin disease. A high white blood cell count is another sign, although it can also be caused by infections. Blood tests of liver function might also point to Hodgkin disease in that organ.
Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration
Tests of the bone marrow (a bone marrow biopsy) may be done to tell if Hodgkin disease is in the marrow. To do the test, a long thin needle is used to remove small bits of bone marrow. A piece of bone might also be removed with a thicker needle. The 2 samples are usually taken at the same time from the back of the hip bone. The area is numbed first. But even with the numbing, many people feel some pain. The whole process takes only a few minutes.
Ann Arbor Staging System
The staging system for Hodgkin disease is known as the Ann Arbor system. It has 4 stages, labeled with the Roman numerals I, II, III, and IV. The higher the number the more advanced the disease is. If Hodgkin disease affects an organ outside of the lymph system, but is next to a known area of lymph node involvement, the letter %26quot;E%26quot; is added to the stage. If it involves the spleen, the letter %26quot;S%26quot; is added.
%26quot;Bulky%26quot; Disease
This term is used to describe tumors in the chest that are at least 1/3 as wide as the chest or tumors in other areas that are at least 4 inches across. If bulky disease is present the letter %26quot;X%26quot; is added to the stage. Bulky disease may require more intensive treatment.
So....I know for a fact mine was considered bulky. I had a tumor between the size of a %26quot;baseball and a volleyball in my chest%26quot; according to my doctor and my charts said bulky. I saw it. I have a small chest, as I am a pretty small person. So, I guess that puts the letter X on my stage. I knew it was bad at the time. I just always hoped it hadn't spread. It kills me to not know for sure.
And here is what scares me folks:
The terms resistant or progressive disease are used when the disease does not go away or keeps on growing while you are first being treated. Recurrent or relapsed disease means that Hodgkin disease responded well to treatment at first and went away, but it has now come back. If Hodgkin disease returns, it may do so in the area of the body where it first started or in another part of the body. This may happen shortly after treatment or years later.
My doctor does NOT think it will return so I hold onto that faith. He knows what he is doing. If it does, I'd fight it same as before. The cure rate for Hodgkin's IS good though.
Stage 5-year relative survival rate
I 90% to 95%
II 90% to 95%
III 80% to 85%
IV About 60% to 70%
You really do not get good statistics like that on too many cancers. That gave me hope through it all too.
It does repeatedly say that the treatment is more intense and the statistics lower if the stage is bulky. That's kinda scary but oh well. I am in remission and I have faith that is where I'll stay. I hope I have clarified some things for some people and hopefully helped out some new people. I feel great and I breathe fine. My neck has never felt 100% like it did before. I have scar tissue and I do have four thyroid nodules in my throat that cause some pressure. I still feel 100% better than I did before with no wheezing or shortness of breath so I am very very thankful. I'll post more on this disease later because I really didn't cover much of it at all! I'll go over the treatments and all that in a later post.
More......
Bladder Cancer - UK Biopsy Procedure
The inspiration (and much of the content) of today's post is brought to you courtesy of David F. in Kent (near London). He has managed to describe the UK bladder biopsy process, atmosphere, and capture the essence of the event with good hum... The inspiration (and much of the content) of today's post is brought to you courtesy of David F. in Kent (near London). He has managed to describe the UK bladder biopsy process, atmosphere, and capture the essence of the event with good humor, considering the circumstances. One major difference between US and UK medical care, besides how its funded, is the fact that in the UK you work with a National Health Service %26quot;Consultant,%26quot; assigned randomly based on who is on duty and what your condition is. This person, who may be a specialist (depending on the factors) arranges everything - dates, doctors, assistants, in-hospital scheduling, bureaucracy running, etc. On no occasion do you choose WHO does WHAT to you. Other doctors, surgeons, and nursing staff are all assigned by who's on duty when you are there, and perhaps within that subset the consultant may have a little influence. Where you go, hospitals, clinics, etc. are a matter of negotiation rather than convenience. Only the consultant follows your personal case from beginning to end. In the US you the patient call all the shots. You choose the doctors... CLICK HERE to read the entire post on my blog: http://gotbladdercancer.blogspot.com
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Somatic mutations in cancer and genetic syndromes
As for clinical geneticist, traditionally concerned more with germline (hereditary) mutations and disease, it might be strange to search through somatic mutation (or acquired) databases. But it is obvious that understanding of cancer geneti... As for clinical geneticist, traditionally concerned more with germline (hereditary) mutations and disease, it might be strange to search through somatic mutation (or acquired) databases. But it is obvious that understanding of cancer genetics can not be limited to only germline or somatic mutations - it must be combined approach. And then you start to think in systemic way, or in other words, you think inpathways or patterns(pretty much the same way as main character fromD. Aronofsky%26#8217;s notorious %26#8220;Pi%26#8221; Anyway, currently I%26#8217;m gliding through Ras-MAPK signaling pathway and in a future some posts will be related to it. Interestingly, lot of things in genetics are connected or in other ways, as a friend of mine once stated, %26#8220;traditional geneticsis dead%26#8221; Just take a look: Ras-MAPK pathway is probably one of the most upregulated pathway in sporadic cancers. And there are bunch of syndromes with inherited altered mutations in a genes from there: Among other symptoms, Neurofibromatosis type 1 have up to 13% risk for developing maligancy (mostly forMPNST), Costello syndrome have about 17% increased risk of cancer (particularly rhabdomyosarcomas and bladder Ca), in Noonan there is increased risk for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. LEOPARD (which is allelic for Noonan s.) and CFC syndrome seems do not have increased cancer risk. For somatic mutation in cancer invaluable tool seems to beCOSMIC database - Catalogue of Somatic Mutation In Cancer by Wellcome Trust institute.COSMIC is designed to store and display somatic mutation information and related details and contains information relating to human cancers. Enjoy.
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2/09/2009
New Role of NK Cells may Lead to Improved Treatment for Cancer
A new role for natural killers (NK) has been discovered by scientists at the University of York. This may lead to improved treatments for chronic infections and cancer.Natural Killer cells are abundant white blood cells that were recognized...
Natural Killer cells are abundant white blood cells that were recognized over 30 years ago as being able to kill cancer cells in the test tube.
Since that time, a role for NK cells in activating other white blood cells (including 'T' lymphocytes and phagocytes) and in directing how the immune system responds to a wide range of infections has also been established.
Because of these properties, NK have been widely regarded as being of benefit in the fight against cancer and infection, and methods to increase NK cell activity underpin a range of new experimental anti-cancer drugs and anti-infectives.
However, a research team in the University of York's Centre for Immunology and Infection and led by Professor Paul Kaye, has now demonstrated that NK cells also make chemicals that inhibit immune responses.
The research has shown that in an experimental model of the tropical disease visceral leishmaniasis, too many NK cells can actually make the disease worse.
They have identified that NK cells produce a chemical called interleukin-10 that can counteract many of the otherwise beneficial effects of these cells.
According to Professor Kaye, %26quot;Other researchers have suggested in the past that NK cells might not always be good for you, but we now have the first direct evidence that this can actually be the case.%26quot;
%26quot;Although we have worked on an infectious disease, the same is likely to be true for NK cells in cancer. So, in practical terms, it means that we need to consider more carefully exactly how we use therapies that affect NK cells, to maximize their beneficial role,%26quot; he said.
The new findings also open up the potential of developing new drugs that specifically target the beneficial properties of NK cells, and which leave their inhibitory properties switched off.
Conversely, in autoimmune diseases, where the immune system is too active, it may be possible to stimulate NK cells to turn it off.
Source-ANI
RAS/L
You are reading a Blog Post from %26quot;Reflections%26quot; Thoughts about Medicine, Community, India, Tamil Nadu, Exams, Computers by Dr.Bruno
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The adenoma-carcinoma sequence C...
The adenoma-carcinoma sequence Colorectal cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in developed countries.A person's lifetime risk of ending up with this tumor is 1 in 20.Virtually all colon cancers arise from a pre-existing polyp, a phenomenon...
Colorectal cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in developed countries. A person's lifetime risk of ending up with this tumor is 1 in 20. Virtually all colon cancers arise from a pre-existing polyp, a phenomenon known as the adenoma-carcinoma sequence.
So here's the deal on colonoscopies. Much as you do not want to go through the icky prep, and much as you do not want someone touring your colon via a tube stuck up your backend, the fact is that colonoscopies are one of the most effective cancer screening tools we have. If a polyp (aka adenoma) is found during the procedure, it's removed on the spot.
Adenoma snagged, cancer averted. It's that simple. I've had mine, go have yours.
_____
Check out the fun at Colonoscopy city!
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Blocking The Effect Of Inflammation-Causing Cells Lowered Prostate Cancer Cells Invasion
Inflammation is at the root of many ��incurable�� 1st world specific diseases.Why?According to Floyd H. Chilton, Ph.D. more than 50% of all Americans suffer from some kind of Inflammatory Disease .The proof is in the research findings!Science... Inflammation is at the root of many ��incurable�� 1st world specific diseases. Why? According to Floyd H. Chilton, Ph.D. more than 50% of all Americans suffer from some kind of Inflammatory Disease . The proof is in the research findings! ScienceDaily (2008-04-11) �� Recent studies have suggested an association between chronic inflammation and cancers of the prostate, colon, stomach and liver. Now scientists report success in blocking an early step in metastasis of prostate cancer cells by interrupting the communication between the cancer cells and other cells that promote inflammation. The good news is that there are simple, easy to follow diet solutions that can stop, reverse and prevent this debilitating condition. Your health Popularity: 8% [ ? ]
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Scientists deliver toxic genes to effectively kill pancreatic cancer cells
Link: Scientists deliver toxic genes to effectively kill pancreatic cancer cells. Promising cancer research Link: Scientists deliver toxic genes to effectively kill pancreatic cancer cells. Promising cancer research
...
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Celiac disease patients have a significantly increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)
Ying Gao, M.D., of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues studied 37,869 patients with NHL, 8,323 with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and 13,842 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who were diagnosed between 1965 and 2004, ... Ying Gao, M.D., of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues studied 37,869 patients with NHL, 8,323 with Hodgkin%26rsquo;s lymphoma, and 13,842 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who were diagnosed between 1965 and 2004, and also 236,408 matched controls and 613,961 first-degree relatives. Overall, the researchers found that celiac disease patients had a significantly increased risk of NHL (5.35-fold) but not a significantly increased risk of Hodgkin%26rsquo;s lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia. But they found that the risk of NHL significantly decreased in patients diagnosed with celiac disease in 1995-2004 (3.84-fold increased risk) compared with those diagnosed in 1975-1984 (13.2-fold increased risk). The investigators also found that siblings of celiac disease patients had a 2.03-fold increased risk of developing NHL. %26ldquo;Our observation that NHL risk was increased among persons with a sibling affected with celiac disease suggests shared susceptibility for celiac disease and NHL,%26rdquo; the authors conclude. %26ldquo;There is a great need to improve our understanding regarding underlying mechanisms of our findings and to develop better biomarkers for prediction of lymphomagenesis among patients with immune-related and inflammatory conditions.%26rdquo;
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Breast cancer cells switch to ‘survival mode�?to escape death
New research has revealed how breast cancer cells avoid being killed by antiestrogen drugs, such as tamoxifen.Dr Patricia V Schoenlein and colleagues at the Medical College of Georgia found that breast cancer cells that possess estrogen rec...
Dr Patricia V Schoenlein and colleagues at the Medical College of Georgia found that breast cancer cells that possess estrogen receptors have the ability to reorganize themselves and switch to a survival mode called macroautophagy %26ndash; a strategy also used by normal cells when faced with starvation %26ndash; in the presence of antiestrogen drugs. The researchers found that breast cancer cells took just one week to reorganize their cellular components and switch to macroautophagy, a state in which they cannot grow or replicate. The cells were found to remain in survival mode until antiestrogen treatment ended, or until they mutated and became resistant to the drugs, then they would switch back to normal mode and begin growing and dividing again.
Laboratory tests showed that just 20-25% of cancer cells were killed when continuously exposed to antiestrogen drugs. Thus, meaning that approximately 75% of cells survive the treatment, however adding a macroautophagy inhibitor to the treatment %26ldquo;promoted robust cell death.%26rdquo;
%26quot;We believe targeting the autophagosome function will significantly improve the efficacy of hormonal treatment for estrogen-positive breast cancer,%26quot; said Dr Schoenlein in a news release issued by the Medical College of Georgia. The researchers believe that the malaria drug chloroquine may be able to block macroautophagy, and they hope to test its effectiveness in combination with antiestrogen drugs.
You are reading a Blog Post from %26quot;Reflections%26quot; Thoughts about Medicine, Community, India, Tamil Nadu, Exams, Computers by Dr.Bruno
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Molecular/Energy Healing: New Theory Sheds Light on Cancer Cells
Cancer; that immutable disease that has eluded the healing powers of modern medicine. Cancerous cells seem to have minds of their own, their DNA brains churning out mutations on a mission to infiltrate the healthy cells and tissues of our b...
Now there is a new theory about cancer. Dr. Heinrich Kremer sees the origin of cancer differently than the mainstream. He terms his new theory Cell Dyssmybiosis. According to Kremer cancerous cells do not originate from DNA mutations, but from a functional process that occurs in the mitochondrion (a cell organelle or "organ of the cell" if you will). The mitochondrion makes energy for the body in the form of ATP. We need lots of ATP to keep living. In fact we use about our bodies weight in ATP each day in order to survive.
The process of making ATP in the mitochondrion is a complicated one and has caused much stress for many a medical, biology or physiology student (I remember those days of seeing hieroglyhpic biochemical equations in my dreams). But what is really interesting is the role of good ole electromagnetic energy (light) in the process. It appears that the complex matrix of reactions that make ATP absorb light.
According to Kremer "in fact a low frequency pulsating electromagnetic field is induced by the constant flow of uncoupled, paramagnetic aligned electrons in the respiratory organelles." hot dog!!
What this means in English is that the source of the light is not sunlight but a field of energy that permeates everything. The likely candidate for this energy source is the zero-point energy field. The zero-point field is a ubiquitous field of energy resulting from the birth and death of particles in our universe.
So what does this have to do with cancer? Well if the chain of reactions producing ATP goes awry then a host of harmful molecules is produced such as free radicals.
Kremer cites a study conducted in 2003 at the Anderson Cancer Research Center of the University of Texas in Houston that examined the effects of curcumin (a spice and bioflavinoid) on cancer cells in animals. The results were that the curcumin inhibited the cancer cells. What is interesting is that curcumin absorbs light that is the same wavelength as an important molecule in the ATP producing process.
Kremer states "In cancer cells curcumin, so to say, bridges the III and IV complex photon switch ��short-circuit�� of the respiratory chain in mitochondria and thus normalizes the information transfer for maintaining modulation of ATP."
The implications of Kremer's theory include the development of a therapeutic regimen based on the light absorbed by substances. These substances (like curcumen) would support the ATP process and more specifically the information exchange that occurs throughout the process.
A very different idea than the DNA mutation theory.
For Kremer's paper click here.
For more information on alternative medicine, natural healing and wellness as well as free podcast downloads visit my site:
www.informationalhealing.com
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Grape Seed Extract Triggers Leukemia Cell Death
In a new in vitro experiment, grape seed extract caused human leukemia cells to commit cell suicide (a process known as apoptosis).In past studies, grape seed extract has shown activity in a number of laboratory cancer cell lines, including...
In a new in vitro experiment, grape seed extract caused human leukemia cells to commit cell suicide (a process known as apoptosis).
In past studies, grape seed extract has shown activity in a number of laboratory cancer cell lines, including skin, breast, colon, lung, stomach and prostate cancers. However, until now, the extract had not been tested in hematological cancers such as leukemia. In addition, the precise mechanism of action by which it has demonstrated activity against other cancer lines has never been revealed. Consequently, researchers undertook a new study on grape seed extract to determine what effects grape seed extract has on leukemia cells.
The scientists, who report their findings in Clinical Cancer Research, treated human leukemia cells with varying doses of grape seed extract. Their findings indicated that within 24 hours, 76 percent of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the higher dose of the extract. The extract did not affect normal cells.
The researchers also investigated the cell signaling pathway associated with use of grape seed extract that led the cancer cells to commit suicide. They found that the extract activates JNK, a protein that regulates the apoptosis pathway. To confirm this finding, they used an agent to inhibit JNK and found that the grape seed was then ineffective. Additionally, they silenced the JNK gene and found that this too canceled out grape seed extract%26rsquo;s ability to cause cell suicide in the leukemia cells, confirming that the extract does indeed work by activating JNK.
%26quot;These results could have implications for the incorporation of agents such as grape seed extract into prevention or treatment of hematological malignancies and possibly other cancers,%26quot; said the study%26quot;s lead author, Xianglin Shi, Ph.D., in a press release issued by the American Association for Cancer Research. %26quot;What everyone seeks is an agent that has an effect on cancer cells but leaves normal cells alone, and this shows that grape seed extract fits into this category.%26quot;
After calling for more studies to confirm the results of the findings, Shi said, %26ldquo;%26quot;This is a natural compound that appears to have relatively important properties
reported by www.griffinmedical.com
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Vaccine Against Cancer - By Tijn Touber- Using Patients' Own "Killer" Cells To Battle Cancer
Six months. That was how long 59-year-old Joe Pacini was expected to live��at least according to the doctors who were treating him for pancreatic cancer. Pacini, who could barely walk, wrote his will and waited for the inevitable end. Then h... Six months. That was how long 59-year-old Joe Pacini was expected to live��at least according to the doctors who were treating him for pancreatic cancer. Pacini, who could barely walk, wrote his will and waited for the inevitable end. Then he got a call from his son, who had attended a lecture by Robert Gorter, a Dutch cancer specialist working in Cologne , Germany . Gorter, who studied at the University of Amsterdam and University of California medical school in San Francisco , had developed a new treatment for cancer that raised hopes for the family.
So Joe Pacini flew from the U.S. to Germany . After a single treatment, he was able to walk a little. Two days later, he no longer needed any pain medication. On the third day, Gorter suggested they might be celebrating his 80th birthday together.
Gorter��s breakthrough came in 1999 when he developed a procedure to cultivate so-called dendritic cells, which play a key role in fighting off cancer cells. The method attracted international attention, causing quite a positive stir among his colleagues at the conference of the American Society for Clinical Oncology��the international symposium for cancer specialists.
He tested his findings in a study involving 171 women with metastasized breast cancer who had undergone many forms of chemotherapy and radiation treatment and were considered hopeless cases. Following Gorter��s treatment, about 10 percent of the patients were in remission��a surprising result in patients considered terminal. In 60 percent of the women, the treatment greatly extended and enhanced the quality of their lives although they did not recover. According to Gorter, no other treatment offers similar results.
But he isn��t one to rest on his laurels. For 35 years he has been working seven days a week, 14 hours a day, to develop new therapies and refine current treatment methods. His patients can call him any time. Whether he��s in San Francisco, where he is a professor at the University of California, or one of the clinics he heads in Cape Town, Istanbul, Cologne or (shortly) Dubai and Shanghai��he is always on hand to help.
Gorter developed the cancer treatment using dendritic cells in co-operation with Professor Wolfgang K%26ouml;stler of the University of Vienna in Austria and Professor Hinrich Peters of the University of G%26ouml;ttingen in Germany . These cells are vital to fighting cancer because they systematically scan all the body��s cells searching for aberrations. Gorter explains, ��When they discover an abnormal cell, they move at lightning speed to the nearest lymph node, where hundreds of thousands of ��killer�� cells are stored like soldiers in a barracks. These cells go out on the attack if they are so instructed by the dendritic cells, like generals commanding an army.��
One dendritic cell can simultaneously inform 5,000 ��killer�� cells of the characteristics of a cancer cell that must be destroyed. The dendritic cells, which look like little octopi, do this by spreading their tentacles. Gorter adds, ��The ��killer�� cells then swarm out and kill every cell with cancerous characteristics. As a result of this process, all the cancer cells that patients produce every day are dead within 24 to 36 hours.��
According to Gorter, cancer often takes root when dendritic cells are malfunctioning. ��We��re all a bit cancerous�� is his way of explaining that everyone has cancer cells in his or her body. ��But things really start to go wrong when the body no longer recognizes or can kill these cells.��
That insight inspired Gorter and his colleagues to develop a method of producing large numbers of healthy, dendritic cells, which are reintroduced into the patient��s system. It works like this: ��We take five tablespoons of blood and isolate the monocytes [undifferentiated or immature white blood cells produced in the bone marrow] that can be developed into dendritic cells. One week later we have 15 to 20 million extremely vital cells that are given back to the patient. These are well tolerated. Many people��even when their cancer has metastasized�� do much better or recover completely. The therapy works on all types of tumours: both solid tumours��as is the case with colon, breast and lung cancer��as well as non-solid tumours such as lymphomas and leukemia.��
The treatment (which costs 2,600 euros or $3,300 U.S. ) is repeated six times with one-month breaks in between. This is why Gorter refers to it as a vaccine: ��When the immune system has to learn something new, or change a particular function, the lesson must be repeated a number of times. The same thing is true with childhood illnesses. You have to repeat the vaccine several times. The patient often shows real signs of recovery after the third or fourth vaccination.��
And indeed, sometimes even after the first treatment, as was the case with Joe Pacini.
When Pacini arrived in Cologne via special transport, he was on his deathbed. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and difficult types to treat. His Californian doctors had given up hope because 80 percent of his liver had been destroyed. Pacini underwent three days of getting vaccinations containing dendritic cells along with hyperthermia treatments (a method which artificially raises the patient��s body temperature) . After that, he says, ��I was even able to walk up to the third floor of my hotel without help. After the second day here I didn��t take any more pain medication because I was feeling so good.�� Now, three months later, as Pacini returns to Cologne for his second treatment, he feels wonderful: ��I feel so fit I��m walking three to four hours a day.�� A smile lights up his face. ��Yesterday I walked back and forth to Cologne ��s cathedral.��
After the first series of treatments, Pacini��s oncologist in the United States measured his tumour markers��abnormal proteins made only by cancer cells that demonstrate the presence of cancer and its degree of aggressiveness. The doctor was surprised to see a sharp drop in the markers when he had expected a rise. Pacini notes, ��My oncologist said: ��I don��t know what they��re doing, but it��s working.����
Despite promising results like this, research into treatments with dendritic cells is barely getting off the ground. ��There��s not a lot of money to be earned from the research,�� Gorter states. ��You can��t get a patent on it because dendritic cells are autologous [drawn from and reintroduced to a patient��s own body]. Which is why pharmaceutical companies aren��t interested. Classic, random studies have never been done because this type of research is very expensive.�� Gorter worries that his treatment, like other alternative methods, will not be approved by influential authorities like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because these treatments run counter to the pharmaceutical- based philosophy of the medical establishment. He worries that legal charges may even be brought against doctors applying the therapy.
That��s the reason Gorter ended up working in Germany . The flamboyant professor feels more at home in a climate of professional freedom. All of his life he has lived by his own rules: ��I used to wear jeans and shirts with flower prints. But when everyone started wearing them, it was time for a change.�� In Germany he can wear his dicky bow ties and experiment with new therapies without any problem. Gorter: ��In Germany , doctors enjoy a unique, constitutionally protected freedom to practise.�� Recently, in fact, Germany ��s High Court in Karlsruhe ruled unanimously that qualified physicians have complete freedom to treat seriously ill patients as they see fit and that insurers must pay for the prescribed treatments.
this therapeutic freedom means that German doctors are not limited to the standard cancer protocols imposed in other Western countries: operations, radiation or chemotherapy. New treatments can be used alongside conventional ones, and even some traditional healing methods are employed. Gorter, for instance, makes frequent use of hyperthermia or fever therapy, which has been used since ancient times. Hippocrates said: ��Give me a fever and I��ll heal every illness.��
This therapy was rediscovered around 1880 by the American doctor William Coley. While researching the relationship between fever and tumour growth, Coley chanced to find a man who��d had several unsuccessful operations to remove tumours on his face and neck. His condition become further complicated by a serious skin infection that went hand in hand with a high fever. Yet the patient survived the high fever and, even more amazingly, discovered his tumours had disappeared.
Coley looked at the medical literature and discovered this was not an isolated case: As soon as patients developed a high fever, their tumours sometimes vanished. Coley started successfully experimenting with artificial fevers among cancer patients. He did this by giving them bacilli. Sometimes these bacilli even erupted into the worst inoperable tumours, only to disappear within hours.
��Fever therapy works amazingly well��alone and in combination with other therapies,�� Gorter states. ��When you combine chemotherapy with fever therapy you��ll have fewer side effects from the chemo.
��Cancer is a so-called ��cold illness�� and often disappears when the body��s temperature rises,�� he continues. ��The immune system also works optimally when a fever strikes. The only down side of Coley��s therapy was that he couldn��t precisely determine the level of the fever. We can now, thanks to special beds in which patients are wrapped to their necks and the temperature is controlled using infrared lamps, rising to around 40 degrees Celsius [104 degrees Fahrenheit].��
When Gorter calls cancer a ��cold�� illness, he��s not simply referring to the temperature. ��The characteristic of many modern illnesses is that they are cooling, debilitating, hardening and chronic. Until recently, nearly all epidemics��such as tuberculosis, malaria and the flu��were caused by parasites or bacteria. But particularly after World War II, bacteria slipped increasingly into the background. They��re still there, but nowadays no one dies of pneumonia. But what has taken its place are the debilitating, degenerative diseases that are mainly caused by viruses like hepatitis B and C. The distinguishing characteristics of these illnesses are hardening or sclerosis. When viruses are isolated, they take on the form of a crystal; it looks like fine table salt.��
Ninety-nine percent of all cancers also show hardening properties, according to Gorter. ��If you��ve got a little lump in your breast but you can press into it��if it��s a little spongy��doctors say: ��We��ll wait a month and see.�� But when a lump is hard and you regularly see calcification in the mammogram, there is cause for concern and usually a malignancy.��
Gorter says this hardening is not only seen in modern diseases like cancer, hardening of the arteries, multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome, but also in our values, norms and language use. Gorter observes, ��In our society, you��re not well paid for having a warm heart but for being smart. We have to be cool and efficient and above all we must not show too much warmth and enthusiasm. Those who do are quickly considered a little nuts or over the top. It��s a sign of our times.��
But these are the reasons why softness��or love��and warmth are particularly healing when it comes to cancer. Gorter nearly always asks his patients if there��s something that excites them; if they still have ideals. ��I ask them: ��Do you ever do anything for other people?�� Many look at me and say they��ve been busy working for decades and haven��t done anything all those years to help others.��
Gorter knows from experience the healing power of enthusiasm, love and optimism. When, at the age of 26, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that had spread to his stomach and lungs, he decided to heal himself. He took very hot baths��something he doesn��t necessarily advise for older patients as the heat can cause strong heart palpitations and low blood pressure as well as severe dizziness. He also started to live life with even more joy and optimism. Now he says he has learned this: ��If something makes you enthusiastic you have a reason to live. Ultimately that is the way to break the vicious circle of hardening and cooling.��
http://www.odemagaz ine.com/article. php?aID=4350
Robert Gorter can be reached via Medical Center Cologne, Hohenstaufenring 30-32, 50674 Keulen, Germany. Phone: +49 (0)221 7886301.
(PLEASE NOTE: DIFFERENT FROM PAPER VERSION OF ODE MAGAZINE)
Email: r.gorter@cologne- model.com.
www.cologne- model.com and www.anthroposophica l-medicine. info
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Early Stem Cell Mutation Linked to Rett Syndrome
A communication release by the Burnham Institute for Medical Research claims that a study by Burnham scientists shows that neural stem cell development may be linked to Rett Syndrome. The study published todayin the early online edition of ... A communication release by the Burnham Institute for Medical Research claims that a study by Burnham scientists shows that neural stem cell development may be linked to Rett Syndrome. The study published today in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reports that mice lacking the myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) protein in neural stem cells had smaller brains, fewer nerve cells and showed behaviors similar to those seen in humans with Rett Syndrome. The communique claims that the study represents the first direct link between a developmental disorder of neural stem cells and the subsequent onset of autism.
The research team was led by Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., a clinical neurologist and Professor and Director of the Del E. Webb Neuroscience, Aging and Stem Cell Research Center at Burnham who expressed optimism that the results of the study could lead to correction of the mutation in mice and ultimately in humans:
"These results give us a good hint of how to look at Rett Syndrome and potentially other forms of autism in humans," said Dr. Lipton. "Having identified a mutation that causes this defect, we can track what happens. Perhaps we can correct it in a mouse, and if so, eventually correct it in humans."
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