Can vitamin D help prevent certain cancers and other diseases such as type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain autoimmune and chronic diseases? To answer these questions and more, UCSD School of Medicine and GrassrootsHealth bring you this innovative series on vitamin D deficiency. Join nationally recognized experts as they discuss the latest research and its implications. In this program, Edward Gorham, PhD, discusses the dilemma of skin cancer and sunscreen use. Series: Vitamin D Deficiency – Treatment and Diagnosis [2/2009] [Health and Medicine] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 15770]

Technorati Tags: Cancer/Sunscreen, Dilemma, skin

for short is a new way of treating some skin cancers and certain other pre-cancerous skin lesions. These are basal cell carcinoma’s, Bowen’s Disease and also actinic (or solar) keratosis.

PDT is quick, easy, and does not result in scarring. It is now the preferred treatment for many skin cancers in the UK. Photodynamic therapy is not the preferred treatment for squamous cell skin cancers as these have a high chance of recurrence and we want to be sure that the treatment has succeeded.

Putting it very simply, photodynamic therapy for skin cancers involves applying a special light sensitizing cream to the affected area and a little of the surrounding area and then after a short while shining a bright light onto the treated area. The cells which have absorbed the chemical and are then subject to the bright light will die off leaving fresh normal skin to grow in its place. Normal cells are left relatively undamaged. This is because PDT affects mainly fast growing skin cancer or pre-cancer cells.

Until recently, standard treatments for these particular skin cancers have been either destructive, for example using liquid nitrogen, or surgical. Both of these treatments has its advantages but a major disadvantage of surgical treatments has been the resulting scar left by the surgical cut and stitches. Liquid nitrogen spray or cryotherapy for skin cancer will destroy the tumour cells but is not terribly refined and will destroy other normal tissue also. Photodynamic therapy avoids scars.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is available on the UK NHS in some centres but relatively few and for those NHS units there is a long waiting list. The problem is the usual one of funding. NHS units are limited by their funding and so can see limited numbers of patients. Consequently large numbers of patients are sent via the surgical route and get what is now considered to be good but not the best treatment.

PDT can be used for treating other cancers but at we only treat designated types of skin cancer and pre-malignant or precancerous lesions as recommended by the UK’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). We operate under stringent conditions imposed by the Care Quality Commission and are subject to annual re-licensing and approval.

NICE issued Guidance in 2006 saying that there was good evidence to support the use of PDT for treatment of basal cell cancers, Bowen’s Disease and also solar or actinic keratoses. NICE said that photodynamic therapy for skin cancers was of particular use in situations where a person may need a lot of surgery – for example where there was a large and not too deep skin cancer, or where there were multiple cancers. An obvious use of PDT is for skin cancers that are visible on the face or neck and where a surgical scar would be equally disfiguring as the tumour. You can download a pdf of the .

Basal cell skin carcinoma’s or cancers are very common indeed with skin cancers as a whole being the most common cancer in the UK and of these around 80% of the skin cancers which are not melanoma’s will be basal cell cancers. Basal cell skin cancers are caused primarily by exposure to sunlight. Australians have the highest rates of basal cell skin cancers in the world. Other risk factors include fair skin, blue eyes, red or blonde hair and intermittent intense exposure to sunlight or artificial ultra-violet radiation such as sun beds. One a person has a basal cell skin cancer then the chances of another appearing will be increased by 10 times compared with the general population.

The type of skin cancer is identified using a special magnifying glass called a dermatoscope. This allows the specially trained clinician to correctly identify the skin lesion as a basal cell cancer or as a pre-malignant skin lesion such as Bowen’s disease or an actinic keratosis.

In addition, the clinician will take either a painless scrape from the lesion or a special very thin sample of tissue called a biopsy which confirms the diagnosis and in the case of the skin biopsy, the depth of the tumour, to make sure that it is the correct diagnosis and also confirms the depth is ideal for treatment. These samples are sent to our laboratory for analysis which takes a few days.

Once the diagnosis is confirmed by the laboratory then treatment with photodynamic therapy for your particular type of skin cancer can begin.

A light-sensitising cream made up of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) tradename Metvix, is applied to the target area after the crusting debris has been gently removed. The area is covered with a dressing for three to six hours and then the area is subjected to a strong light for up to 45 minutes or so. A slight tingling is felt whilst the light is being used. A crusted area will then remain and will slowly fall off during the next week or two, depending on the size of the original lesion.

A second or third treatment is sometimes needed.

Technorati Tags: cancer, London, Photodynamic, skin, therapy

Article by RFA Cancer Treatment

Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) is a relatively new therapy for cancer in which tumors are destroyed using heat energy. A needle is placed through the skin and into the tumor. A radiofrequency is sent through the needle which heats and destroys the tumor. This procedure is performed under conscious sedation and most patients can go home the same day.

Two superficial subcutaneous metastatic nodules were treated with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. The patient received significant pain relief and improved quality of life.

RF ablation is a minimally invasive method used to treat multiple types of cancers. RF ablation is ideal for treating multiple tumors of the liver and lung and for relieving the pain of those with metastatic bone lesions. RF ablation is ideal for patients that have too many lesions for surgical removal or who are poor surgical candidates because of other coexisting medical conditions.

Cancer-associated pain is often the most debilitating aspect of malignant disease. Because of the lack of effective treatment options, it is a difficult clinical problem to manage. Treatment of pain from metastatic disease is often palliative in nature and is often limited in effectiveness.

Radiofrequency ablation has been studied in recent years for the treatment and eradication of focal tumors.9 Radiofrequency has long been used to treat painful disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia or osteoid osteoma.

There are many advantages of radiofrequency ablation over an open surgical procedure. Patients with multiple lung lesions are often unable to be treated with surgery because too much healthy lung tissue would have to be removed in order to rid the patient of all of the cancerous tissue. Radiofrequency ablation can be used to destroy the tumor while the remainder of the lung is spared. This means that patients can have multiple tumors in both lungs and can still be successfully treated with RF ablation. The same idea also holds true for liver lesions. The other advantage is that RF ablation can be performed multiple times on different occasions. It is very devastating when a tumor recurs after surgical resection. Recurrence after surgery may require another large surgery or may signal the end of the patient’s battle with the cancer. RF ablation can be easily performed to treat recurrent tumors.

Recent developments in the technology and techniques of ablation as well as in image guidance have allowed application of this treatment to other portions of the body. The use of thermal therapy to induce coagulation necrosis is being explored in a host of tumor types for cure, debunking, and palliation.

Determine the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA), in terms of amount of tumor coagulated and viable cell count, in patients with early invasive breast cancer or low- or intermediate-grade ductal carcinoma in situ.

* Determine the size, configuration, and pathological features of human breast tumors after treatment with RFA. * Determine whether RFA energy applied to breast cancer will result in cancer cell death. * Determine whether tumor-free margins are achieved by RFA in these patients. * Determine the rate of acute toxicities to skin after surgery in patients treated with this regimen.

Surgical resection of RFA area: After RFA is completed, the electrode is removed and patients undergo wide local excision of the residual tumor or mastectomy. Discover how RFA is being used to treat to different cancers.

Technorati Tags: Ablation, cancer, Radiofrequency, Treating

www.thelibertyunderground.net

Technorati Tags: battling, brain, cancer, gives, Marijuana, Medical, year

A new technique called electroporation uses a metal rod containing a bunch of electrodes to aid chemotherapy to penetrate cancer cells. In pre-clinical trials on treating brain cancer with these sophisticated electrodes , the results have been impressive. The next step will be clinical testing. Julie Gehl, one of the scientists involved in developing the technique explains: “You create small cracks in each cell membrane so that the chemotherapy can penetrate better. In fact, it can be 300 times more efficient than normal.” … www.euronews.net

Spanish researchers have made a possible breakthrough discovery regarding the most common malignant brain cancer, the glioma…. www.euronews.net
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Technorati Tags: brain, cancer, euronews, hope, science