Archive for the 'Cancer' Category

Cancer in Females

Cancer of breast tissue is breast cancer. It is a highly common and fatal cancer in females. Breast cancer can affect males too, as their un grown breast is composed of identical tissues as females. The incidence is less than one percent.

History of breast cancer can be traced back to 1600 B.C. it is considered as one of the oldest known tumors. In Papyrus writing tumors or ulcers of the breast and its cure were mentioned. For very long time there was no cure for the condition. Then in 1749-1806 the Scottish surgeon Benjamin Bell and the French surgeon Jean Louis Petit were the first one to remove the affected breast tissue, and underlying chest muscle.

The first work on the cause of breast cancer was done by Janet Lane-Claypon. The major cause was attributed to damaged or mutated DNA. The reason stated for the same may be due to exposure to ionizing radiation, exposure to estrogens and repaired BRCA1, BRCA2 and p53 genes. Though these causes are stated for the onset of cancer but the underlying factor is not yet proved.

Other causes which are responsible for breast cancer are: Aging – Due to aging the cell no longer are healthier and some un grown calls can develop in to tumors. Previous history of breast cancer- Previous occurrence increases the risk of developing breast cancer again. Family history of breast cancer- patients sister, mother, close female relative had diagnosed for breast cancer. When their female relative developed their first cancer before the age of 50. Late menopause, Early menarchy, Women with dense breast tissue due to dense breast tissues, the fat ratio decreases. This results in more breast cells and the connective tissues.

So they have high chances of developing breast cancer. Alcohol and smoking, Gaining too much weight after menopause. What ever may be the case if you had developed breast cancer or have a high risk for developing breast cancer, first thing is do not panic! Things will come to your control when you have the confidence in you. Each woman has the capacity to deal with it differently. There are many tests like An annual clinical breast examination, Monthly breast examination, Annual mammogram, to detect the condition in each and every woman.

Science and technology has improved so much that treatment for all problems pop up every minute. But always remember there is life after its diagnosis. We hold lot of hope than ever in the age we live in.

The Connection Between Sheryl Crow Breast Cancer and Plastic Water Bottles

This article about Sheryl Crow and her breast cancer experience is one I posted on a blog of mine eons ago (July 2007). To this day, I STILL get a tremendous number of people reading and commenting on this article! I guess it truly demonstrates the need for fresh thinking when it comes to breast cancer.

Isn’t it fantastic, by the way, that Sheryl Crow has flourished since her encounter with breast cancer? I think she’s amazing!

Anyhow, since it’s apparently so popular, I wanted to share it once again, with the hope that it might help someone else experiencing the journey of cancer.

Here’s the original article from 2007:

I have received several copies now of an email that continues to re-circulate – it talks about, in an excruciatingly oversimplified way, how Sheryl Crow developed breast cancer because of drinking water from plastic water bottles that she had a habit of leaving out in her hot car.

OK. This was almost too silly for me to respond to. But it had just enough validity that thousands of

women would believe it in it’s current out-of-context form.

Have plastics been linked to cancer, especially hormonal cancers like breast and prostate? You bet!

What frightened me about this email circulating around the world wide web was that many people would read it and either stop drinking bottled water, or stop drinking bottled water that they had left in their cars,and they’d erroneously think they were “good to go”.

The issue of toxic xenoestrogens and plastics goes FAR beyond water bottles. Consider: food storage, cooking in the microwave using plastic containers or plastic wrap, packaging of processed foods, the off-gassing of every plastic item in our homes, the list goes on and on.

Of course we also know that water itself is not the culprit in those plastic bottles. Fruit juice, pop, sports drinks, kids’ drinks, if it’s in plastic, it’s toxic. (Add to that the toxicity of the ingredients

like high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners in those other drinks and, YIKES! Now

you’ve got some real causes for the body to move away from health and toward dis-ease!)

We live in a very toxic culture and an incredibly toxic time on our planet, where dangerous chemicals

surround us every second of the day. To isolate one toxic component, like heated plastic water bottles, is a rookie move. I understand that it was probably meant to help many people. But, again, taken out of context, this is ridiculous and lacks much value.

As an interesting side note: Yesterday was 94 degrees where I live. As I was stopped at a light, I noticed that both gas stations on the corner were storing cases upon cases of plastic water bottles outside on the sidewalk, in the blazing sun! Lovely.

Our health and our ability to prevent and heal from disease are all dependent on the millions of interconnected factors that comprise how we move (exercise, stretching, proprioception, rest, breathing, etc.), how we eat (healthy foods, nutritional complements, cleansing and detoxification,

etc.) and how we think (mental, emotional, spiritual, social and relationship health).

Our levels of purity and sufficiency in these 3 lifestyle categories must always greatly exceed our levels of toxicity and deficiency in order for us to experience true health. That’s how we create health and prevent dis-ease.

When our toxic and deficient lifestyle choices and environment become too much of a burden for our

bodies and minds, we move away from health. This is how sickness is created. Our internal environment becomes overburdened by our overall environment.

The solution? Do our best to make pure and sufficient choices in the way we move, eat and think. In other words, “fill up with health”.

I firmly believe that our health, or lack thereof, is an expression of an unfathomable number of cellular memories and responses to our cumulative environment. Cancer can’t possibly be due to “one” thing. It’s silly to assume so.

So, taking all of that into consideration, I consider the following when it comes to a famous rock star, like my girl, Sheryl: What are the chances that she has had peaceful, rhythmic sleep patterns in order to properly function all the years that she was on the road, touring? I know I wouldn’t get my best sleep, in different hotels, different time zones and going to bed so late night after night.

Did Sheryl bring a shower filter wherever she went? Lots of experts say that chlorine is directly

linked to hormonal cancers as well. Chlorine from pools, tap water (especially from hot showers)gets absorbed right into our tissues and cells. What kind of personal care products was she using? Did they contain petroleum or other carcinogenic ingredients?

Did she eat all fresh, locally grown, organic-whenever-possible “real” foods? Did she exercise with intensity and variety? Did she effectively offset her stress with consistency? Did she build her emotional, mental and spiritual health and balance with the same consistency?

Also, I remember reading an interview with Sheryl in a fitness magazine, back when she was dating Lance Armstrong. She was discussing how she had shed some pounds and burned off a lot of fat since dating Lance. She made reference to doing more cardiovascular exercise, in addition to resistance training, than ever before and eating WAY more vegetables than she ever had!

So, what had she been doing for the 40+ years before that? Who knows! And that’s exactly my point! Was she emotionally balanced? Did she have a happy, healthy childhood? Did she ever experience trauma? How many toxins has she unknowingly been exposed to in her life? And on and on and on.

It’s a crazy, overwhelming, massive puzzle that adds up to our current condition, isn’t it? Kinda’ silly to label ONE cause.

None of us could possibly know what ONE thing causes cancer in someone… because it’s NEVER one thing. It’s a myriad of intricately woven life experiences and lifestyle choices, resulting in your unique cellular memory, that will determine if your “breast cancer gene” will ever be expressed.

This is why those of us who have family members with breast cancer don’t need to automatically assume

they’ll be stricken with the same condition. Science now consistently shows that lifestyle plays a significantly larger role than genetics.

This is also why we can be optimistic and hopeful that a “cure” comes from a variety of sources. There is no one “right” way. We all respond differently. That’s a fabulous thing.

Our focus should be to add more and more holistic, balanced health – move well, eat well and think well! Create purity and sufficiency in these areas at all costs. Then you can start to reduce or eliminate your toxicities and deficiencies. We know for certain that this is the pathway to creating significantly better health. When health is abundant dis-ease simply cannot flourish.

Oh, and drink your bottled water joyfully! (Preferably from a glass container!)

Cancer Prevention Is Easier Than You Think

Cancer prevention is not like rocket science. It begins with taking a look at your lifestyle and deciding where to make changes. Change can be as simple as adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet or it can mean putting down your pack of cigarettes for good. Whatever you choose to do as a means to ward off cancer, remember to tailor your prevention methods to fit your body.

The first step in the fight against cancer is to take a look at your family history. The University of Texas’ MD Anderson’s Cancer Center web site reports that five to ten percent of cancer cases can come from a person’s genetic make-up. The flip side of this statistic is that ninety percent of cancer cases can be controlled by the individual.

If someone in your family has battled cancer, researchers are now able to perform specific tests to find out if you carry altered genes which can cause certain types of cancers. The responsibility of getting the necessary tests and screenings lies with the individual.

Part of cancer prevention comes with heeding this responsibility and not ignoring the warning signs cancer gives to its victims. Research like this will help you to know if you should focus your efforts on breast and cervical cancer prevention or arthritis cancer prevention.

Aside from genetics, the most important part of cancer prevention is eating a well-balanced diet. This means incorporating more fruits and vegetables, meats that are low in fat and plenty of heart-healthy whole grains into your diet. Certain vegetables, such as tomatoes and broccoli, carry antibodies that support cancer prevention of the prostate for men.

If you can’t eat all your servings at one sitting, try to snack on them throughout the day. And because today’s society is surrounded by processed foods, reading nutrition labels is important when going to the store. Avoid foods that tend to be high in saturated fats, high fructose corn syrups and hydrogenated oils of any kind.

Exercising may not be an activity you thoroughly enjoy, but it is important to find time as a way to prevent cancer. Medical research suggests doing some form of activity for at least half an hour several times a week to keep your body in good shape.

To make exercising fun, find activities you enjoy such as hiking or gardening. Even simple tasks, like shopping at a mall, can be a form of physical activity. Being creative is the best way to keep your workouts fun and entertaining, leaving you less likely to forgo a brisk walk after dinner for the couch.

Cancer prevention involves changing habits, especially the bad ones. The University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Research web site reports that 87 percent of lung cancer victims were smokers.

The Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation’s fall 2006 newsletter conveyed that even second-hand smoke can increase a person’s risk of heart disease by twenty-five to thirty percent and can increase a person’s risk of developing lung cancer by twenty to thirty percent.

More and more research comes out every year about the harmful affects of smoking, and stopping this degenerative habit is a crucial part in the fight against cancer.

Cancer prevention means making significant lifestyle changes. Simple decisions, such as snacking on fresh fruit and vegetables, can help you find room for healthier food choices. Getting your family involved in exercising helps physical activity become more fun and less of a chore for your loved ones.

Taking small steps towards big transformations will aid you in the fight against cancer and provide you with the opportunity to live a long and healthy life.