The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering through research, education, advocacy, and service. This organization has over two million volunteers nationwide and is one of the oldest and largest voluntary health agencies in the United States.Its home office is established in Atlanta, Georgia and they have state divisions and more than three thousand four hundred local offices.  

The American Cancer Society’s international mission concentrates on capacity building in developing cancer societies and on collaborations with other cancer-related organizations throughout the world in carrying shared strategic directions.

The American Cancer Society fights cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service. The research programs of the ACS are aimed in determining the causes of cancer and to support efforts to prevent and cure the disease. It is the largest source of private, nonprofit cancer research funds in the United States, second only to the federal government in total dollars spent.  The research program focuses primarily on peer-reviewed projects initiated by beginning investigators working in leading medical and scientific institutions across the country. Educational efforts of the ACS include tobacco control, relationship between diet and physical activity and cancer, skin cancer safety, and comprehensive school health education. The society offers up courses of study to help educate the public about cancer risks, early detecting techniques, and prevention. Knowing the information about cancer can save lives. What you consume and drink, how you live, wherever you do work, all these factors can bear upon the risk for cancer and basic cancer prevention entails acquiring the necessary precautions to prevent the occurrence of cancer.  The society’s advocacy efforts work in concert with research, education and service initiatives to strengthen the nation’s law, regulations, and programs in a way that will increase federal funding for cancer research, help more people benefit from advances in prevention, early detection,signs of cancer, and treatment, make it easier for patients to navigate the health care system, and improve the quality of life of cancer patients, survivors, and their families. Because cancer takes a toll on the person diagnosed as well as family and friends, the society offers support and service programs to try to lessen the impact.  These programs cover wide range of needs, from connecting patients with other survivors to providing a place to stay when treatment facilities are far from home.

The American Cancer Society, Inc. It is regulated by two national groups with identifying roles: the National Assembly and the National Board of directors.The voting members of both are unpaid workers from medical and lay communities of interests.  The society takes its mission seriously and therefore works to protect resources entrusted to it by the public.  An appropriately structured system of organizational governance ensures proper checks and balances of the input of appropriate experts in decision-making and strategic oversight of comprehensive nationwide operations.

Technorati Tags: signs of cancer, skin cancer safety

Patients with advanced cancer often have pain as their chief complaint. Although advances in cancer treatment have lengthened survival among cancer patients, cancer pain remains under treated in patients. It has been estimated that 25% of all cancer patients who die, do so without adequate pain relief, despite the fact that the tools for adequate pain control are available. With advanced disease, 90% of patients with cancer require strong opiates to control their pain. However, many physicians remain concerned about inadvertently making a patient an addict if they prescribe narcotics to treat pain. Cultural and attitudinal barriers, knowledge deficits among health care professionals, and the influence of state and federal drug regulatory agencies also contribute to the fact that the pain experienced by cancer patients, all too often, is under-treated.

Cancer pain is classified according to pain duration and quality. Duration of pain can denote the acute or chronic nature of pain. It is common to experience anxiety, apprehension and depression in patients with cancer pain. The types of pain most commonly experienced by cancer patients are:

- Acute cancer related pain

- Chronic cancer related pain

- Pain unrelated to cancer

- Pain in opiod tolerant cancer patients

- End of life pain

After an appropriate medical history review and a physical, a pain physician will tailor a suitable pain treatment program. Because everyone has a different response to medications and therapies, the other types of drugs with pain relievers. They include anti-inflammatory steroids, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants. These drugs may be effective treatments for specific types of pain or pain with specific causes. For example, the doctor may prescribe antidepressants to help relieve certain types of pain. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the patient is suffering from depression. Similarly, steroids often are effective in relieving pain associated with inflammation.

Cancer pain can be controlled effectively through therapies already available today. Pain treatments range from mild, nonprescription pain relievers, to stronger prescription medications, to neurological surgery, to alternative therapies such as relaxation, biofeedback, guided imagery, and acupuncture.

Oncologists and pain specialists can devise a treatment plan based on the type and severity of pain, side effects, and how the patient responds to the treatment. Some common approaches to treat cancer pain include:

1. Oral Medicines- Aspirin & NSAIDs, Opiods, Adjuvants

2. Intravenous drugs

3. Transdermal drug delivery systems

4. Nerve blocks

5. Interthecal drug pumps

6. Neuroablstive procedures

Although they have cancer pain, many patients are afraid of getting addicted to pain medicines. When cancer pain medicines are given and taken in the right way, patients rarely become addicted to them. To be sure, they should talk to the doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about how to use pain medications safely. Many patients only need pain medicines for a time, until the cause of the pain goes away due to other treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. When they are ready to stop taking the medicine, the doctor gradually lowers the amount of medicine they take. By the time they stop using it completely, the body has had time to adjust. Some patients will need to take pain medicines for the long-term. Taking medicines regularly should not make patients feel like an “addict.”

Physical dependence, tolerance to medication and addiction are three different issues in people treated with strong pain medications. The patient’s physician can explain the subtle but important difference between them. It’s often easier to control pain in its early stages, because it becomes severe. Therefore, it is better for cancer pain patients to ask for adequate pain relief.

A primary care physician or oncologist can help explain the possible options for pain relief and can make a referral, when necessary, to a pain medicine specialist for optimal pain management.

About Walton Rehabilitation Health System:

Walton Rehabilitation Health Systems (WRHS) is a leading not-for-profit comprehensive, multi-specialty, dedicated provider of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Our mission is to be an advocate for wellness by providing a continuum of services to treat the whole person. WRHS, whose reputation extends throughout the south, is a trusted partner with just the right expertise and treatments to help people with disabling injuries and illnesses return to work and to a fulfilling life. By pursuing its mission, WRHS has grown to include Walton Pain and Headache Centers, Walton Community Services, Walton Options for Independent Living, Walton Foundation for Independence, and Walton Technologies. We are located at: 1355 Independence Drive, Augusta, GA 30901-1037. For more information visit www.wrh.org or call 866-4-WALTON.

Hemant Yagnick, M.D.
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/coping-with-cancer-pain-139658.html

In today’s fast paced world, it has become common to hear about many different, and sometimes scary, types of diseases that show their heads every now and then. AIDS was unheard of until around 20 years ago, and now suddenly it is the biggest epidemic to hit humans in today’s world. Similarly, another disease to become widespread recently is cancer. Although also a daunting disease to be affected with, researchers have been trying to find cures for many different kinds of cancers and have had many a great breakthrough. But to this day there are no specific reasons that can be named to cause cancer. There are many risk factors involved which are said to increase the chances of causing cancer, like use of tobacco, some pollutants found in the environment or types of radiation, but those exposed to any of these risk factors may still not develop cancers. It all seems to be left to chance.

What is cancer? All living cells in our body go through a cyclic process of being made (born), living and then finally dying. These dead cells are then removed from our body through various mechanisms that take place in our body. For some people however, for no known reasons as yet, the ‘reproduction’ of these new cells takes place at a faster rate. This means that while there are already healthy, living cells more and more keep adding on. These cells take on irregular shapes and form a mass which have no function. This mass of cells is called a tumor, which if malignant (i.e. harmful) is then termed cancer. Depending on which area of the body these tumors form, the cancer is named differently. For example, if found in lungs it is called lung cancer, and if in the bone, then bone cancer. Cancer can remain in the same area it formed, but there are malignant tumors that can spread to other parts of the body. This happens when the cancer cells break free from the mass and move to other parts of the body.

There are various types of treatments used to cure cancer. Surgery is used on some tumors to remove them from the body, but when a mass cannot be separated by surgery, treatments like radiation therapy or chemotherapy are used to kill the cancer cells.

Having cancer can be a terrifying experience, but it does not mean the end of the road for anyone. Getting proper treatment, eating the right kinds of food, making small changes in your lifestyle, and most importantly, ALWAYS being positive are the best ways to make sure you enjoy life for many more years to come!

Technorati Tags: cancer, cancer cells, cause cancer, cure cancer, different kinds of cancers

Cancer is a complex, devastating illness which is responsible for the deaths of millions of people each year. For decades, scientists have been attempting to uncover some of the secrets of cancer in order to find a cure. While, so far, a cure has been out of reach, there appear to be some natural remedies which can prevent or slow cancer growth. One of those remedies is a beverage which is commonplace in many Asian households-tea.

The History of an Anti-Cancer Tool

Tea has been a dietary staple for 500,000 years. People in India and China appear to be among the first to have enjoyed this beloved beverage. But it’s one variety in particular-Camellia sinensis-which appears to have a number of health benefits associated with it. That variety is also known as green tea.

What Makes Green Tea Special

Green tea is unique in that it is produced from unfermented leaves and it contains a high concentration of polyphenols, which are chemicals that can serve as antioxidants. Antioxidants are essentially on a search-and-destroy mission against free radicals, compounds which compromise DNA and destroy cells. Free radicals are often to blame for the development of cancer as well as heart disease. The antioxidants immobilize free radicals and inhibit the damage often associated with them.

Medicinal Uses of Green Tea

For years, Asians have used green tea to promote a healthy lifestyle. It helps to promote good digestion, improve concentration, and promote the excretion of urine. In addition, a number of studies in human beings, animals, and in laboratories suggest that green tea can be effective in combating a number of ailments.

Green Tea’s Effect on Cancer of the Pancreas and Colon

In an article entitled, “Green Tea Consumption and the Risk of Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancers,” researchers B.T. Ji, W.H. Chow, A.W. Hsing, J.K. McLaughlin, Q. Dai, Y.T. Gao, W.J. Blot, and J.F. Fraumeni, Jr. examined the question of green tea’s effectiveness as an antidote to certain types of cancers.

The Columbia University researchers conceded that the effect of green tea on cancer risk is uncertain, although a number of animal studies seem to indicate a positive effect.

In order to test the hypothesis that drinking green tea can, in fact, lessen cancer risk, the researchers conducted an extensive study in Shanghai, China in order to see whether green tea consumption had any impact on cancers of the colon, rectum, and pancreas.

The research team found that the greater the consumption of green tea, the lesser the risk of cancer. As a result, it appears that green tea may, in fact, lower the incidence of both colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Yet, it should be noted that other similar studies have produced conflicting results. As a result, scientists recommend additional research before a definitive statement can be made about green tea as a colorectal cancer prevention tool.

As far as pancreatic cancer is concerned, another study showed that those individuals who consumed the most green tea were far less likely to develop the disease. It appears that the reduced risk is most pronounced in women, who cut their pancreatic cancer rate in half by drinking large amounts of green tea.

In contrast, male green tea drinkers were 37 percent less likely to develop the disease. However, it should be noted that it is impossible to tell from this particular study whether green tea was solely responsible for cutting pancreatic cancer risk.

Green Tea and Other Cancers

But what about other cancers? How effective has green tea been in preventing other forms of the disease? To begin with, cancer rates are often lower in Japan and other nations where green tea consumption is high. Animal studies also indicate that the polyphenols in green tea are effective antioxidants which kill cancerous cells, stopping them in their tracks.

A study of bladder cancer patients found that those who consumed green tea had a much better five-year survival rate than cancer patients who did not drink the beverage. In addition, animal studies appear to confirm that the chemicals in green tea stop the growth of breast cancer cells.

One study of nearly 500 women with breast cancer found that those who drank green tea did not see their cancer spread as much as those who did not consume green tea. Yet, those who were in the later stages of breast cancer who drank green tea saw little or no improvement in their condition.

Animal studies also indicate that green tea can prevent the growth of cancer cells in the esophagus. But studies in human beings have yielded mixed results. For instance, one study showed that green tea could help prevent esophageal cancer-especially in women, while another indicated that the tea could actually increase the incidence of such cancer.

Consequently, additional research is needed before scientists can determine conclusively whether green tea can act as a cancer preventative.

The effects of green tea on lung and prostate cancer remain unclear. However, the beverage does seem to prevent the onset of skin cancer. There is also some evidence to suggest that it can inhibit the growth of stomach cancer cells.

It appears that green tea may be effective in the fight against inflammatory bowel disease. This is significant because people who suffer from this disease are at a greater risk for colon cancer. Specifically, green tea appears to reduce the inflammation characteristic of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, two forms of inflammatory bowel disease.

Green Tea and Chemotherapy

There have been lab tests to indicate that green tea can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin and tamoxifen. But the positive effect has not yet been demonstrated in studies of human beings. In fact, green tea and green tea extracts are not recommended for prostate cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy.

The Final Word

Although scientific studies at this point are not altogether conclusive, there is strong evidence to suggest that green tea can be effective in preventing cancer. That may be particularly true for colorectal and pancreatic cancers. At this point, a number of doctors agree that, for most people, the health benefits of drinking green tea far outweigh the risks.

Marcus Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/could-green-tea-provide-a-cure-for-cancer-99892.html

This is a recent nasdaq ipo and their product improves the abkility to treat tumors with blasts of radiation reducing damamge to surrounding tissue even if the patient or tumor moves during the treatment. Will replace surgery with a scalpel for cancer.

Sounds like CyberKnife, though there may be others.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060725092306.htm

http://www.dukemednews.org/news/article.php?id=9939

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