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We hear about cancer almost every day on TV or read about it in the newspapers, magazines and on the internet. Even though the public seems to be well informed, there are numerous cancer myths that continue to float around. Many people believe in them, but the truth is totally different. Here are some myths about cancer.

Deodorants and antiperspirants cause cancer. There have been various articles, primarily on the internet, discussing the presence of carcinogenic chemical compounds in these cosmetic products. However, studies carried out by various institutes, including the FDA in the US, have not found any evidence of link between these product and cancer.

Artificial sweeteners cause cancer. This is another one of the huge cancer myths. It has occurred because back in 1969 the FDA banned a sweetener called cyclamate due to research evidence that it can be potentially dangerous. Despite this, further studies showed that there is no link between this sweetener and the condition. In addition, modern day sweeteners have been tested specifically by the FDA and no link between them and cancer has been found.

Cell phones cause cancer and brain cancer in particular. Despite all the talk about the danger of using cell phones, there is no evidence that links their use to the development of both benign and malignant tumors in any part of the body.

The diagnosis is a death sentence. This is one of the worst cancer myths. Firstly, treatment is available for all types of cancer. Furthermore, when the condition is diagnosed in the early stages of development, it can be cured without consequences. Additionally, some types of cancer, such as bladder and prostate cancer are usually diagnosed early and treated effectively. Another fact that should be pointed out is that for many types of cancer the death rate is around 50%.

You can get it from someone else. None of the known types of cancer is contagious. However, there are certain infections that can be passed from one person to another and that can increase the risk of cancer. The most notable ones are hepatitis C, which may lead to liver cancer, and HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical cancer.

Positive thinking can cure the illness. There are various spiritual techniques for coping with an illness and staying positive. However, there is no scientific evidence of any kind that shows positive thinking can kill cancer cells. Despite the popular folklore stories and the promises of "healers", traditional medical treatment is the best option at present.

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Cancer treatment is usually long lasting and has serious side effects that can affect you in many ways. For this reason, many cancer survivors describe their life after cancer as undergoing many changes. It is worth learning more about the things you need to do after treatment as well as the possible problems that can occur and how to solve them.

The regular medical check ups are an important part of every survivor’s life after cancer. These are usually done every three to four months for two or three years after treatment is over. It is essential for you to keep all appointments. It is equally important to pay special attention to any physical and psychological symptoms you have and to report them to your doctor.

Regrettably, cancer reoccurrence is not something uncommon. For this reason the screening is crucial. According to doctors, it is equally important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This can reduce the risk of cancer reoccurrence to an extent. In addition, it can help you feel better sooner after treatment. Quitting smoking and reducing your alcohol consumption to a minimum is essential. Having a nutritional diet full of various fruits and vegetables is equally important. Exercising in line with your physical abilities after treatment is also highly recommended.

There are different physical changes that cancer survivors have to live with. Fatigue is one of the most common problems of life after cancer, especially right after treatment. Having more rest and using various relaxation techniques are the best ways for coping with the problem. The use of natural foods and beverages that can boost energy and exercising are important. Pain can be managed with traditional medications as well as with various techniques from ancient Chinese and Indian medicine, aromatherapy and yoga.

Many cancer survivors experience mouth and teeth problems. These can be avoided or at least reduced with proper dental care and detailed daily cleaning of the mouth and teeth. Drinking water and chewing a sugar-free gum will also help. Any problems with your bladder and bowel control should be discussed with your physician. Various medications as well as Kegel exercises may help significantly.

Memory loss and lack of concentration are not uncommon in the survivor’s life after cancer. These can be particularly irritating, but there are different ways for dealing with them. You can readily consult your doctor to find out what the cause of these problems might be. There are plenty of exercises for boosting memory and concentration that can be of great help. Keeping notes and voice memos is also a solution.

It is equally important how you feel psychologically as well as physically after treatment. Life after cancer can be quite psychologically challenging. Many cancer survivors experience anxiety due to having fears that the condition might return. It is also normal to feel depressed and/or angry, given that your life and your body have undergone a dramatic change. Feeling alone is also not uncommon, since family and friends are not as much around you after treatment.

There are a lot of ways in which you can cope with these psychological problems. Seeking help from a professional psychologist is a very good solution. Joining a support group is also highly recommended. You will be able to share honestly what you are going through and get understanding and advice from people who are feeling or have felt the same way. There are also specifically designed programs that help cancer survivors cope with all changes in their life after cancer. In general, it is extremely important for you to take the initiative and socialize more often, get involved in helping others or simply find a hobby.

Many people who have undergone successful treatment have difficulties with their sex life after cancer. Some cancer survivors lose interest in it while others find it painful and/or psychologically traumatic to have sex. Erectile problems in men can occur as well. Some women worry about their body image.

Talking to your partner about your sex life is particularly important. Seeing a psychotherapist and/or a sex therapist may also help significantly. If the problems are physical, various medical treatments as well as exercising can be used to improve the situation.

Overall, life after cancer is a time of change. It is essential for you to build and plan your life with your own needs and desires in mind.

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The Cancer Research Institute was started in 1953 by Helen Coley Nauts. This was a voyage that had essentially started in 1938 when her dad died. He was Dr. William B. Coley and a respected surgeon. While Mrs. Nauts sifted thru his papers, she found he had been a leader in the non invasive treatment of cancer. She also discovered that Dr. Coley had basically injected live bacteria into a cancer patient who had a growth that was inoperable.

It took an enormous risk, but the patient was going to die anyhow. As it seemed, the patient recovered and lived another twenty-six years before expiring from a coronary. Mrs. Nauts continued her father’s work into cancer research. With no medical coaching, she taught herself oncology. By employing her father’s notes and her very own investigative research, her pop, Dr. Coley, came to be called the daddy of Immunotherapy. It was because of the determination of Mrs. Nauts the Institute exists today.

Powered by her discoveries, she won a grant of $2,000 from Nelson Rockefeller and started the Institute with her buddy Oliver R.

Grace.

She worked unceasingly to get the general public educated in the varied non invasive techniques of cancer treatment. In reality she worked with the Institute right up till she passed away in January 2001. She was 93 years old. Due to Mrs. Nauts’ work, the Cancer Research Institute has demonstrated that cancer immunology offers one of the more upbeat methods of understanding and controlling cancer. The Irvington Institute for Immunological Research combined along with the Institute in the latter part of 2007. When this occurred, it mixed the resources of both these setups. Due to this alliance, the Institute has managed to fund twenty-five % more fellows annually. Because of the heavy competition in educational research funding, the Institute has locked down the future of their research endeavors by having the ability to fund additional fellowship awards. The Cancer Research Institute has made great strides thru the years it’s been in operation. It continues to further the goals of immunological research to help in treatment of cancer. The hope that their research offers to victims of cancer is unbeatable. Many times hope is a massive cure all on its own. When people accept that they can be cured, many times that, in and of itself, will heal them. The hope offered by the Institute may continue to heal cancer victims.

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i am an idiot. last year in october of 2006 or so i guess outside there was like burning of liek the stuff they use to make roads or w/e and i inhaled it, in the summer i smoked a cardboard cigar looking thing with nothing in it. i smoked weed here and there, no cigs. i bet i have lung cancer or some disease. what are the symptoms and how long does it take? i havent had anyhing lately.

Caleb you do not have lung cancer but you may have sustained lung damage.

General symptoms of lung cancer

The symptoms of lung cancer can be

* Having a cough most of the time
* A change in a cough you have had for a long time
* Being short of breath
* Coughing up phlegm (sputum) with signs of blood in it
* An ache or pain when breathing or coughing
* Loss of appetite
* Fatigue
* Losing weight

Less common symptoms of lung cancer

There are other symptoms of lung cancer that are less common. They are usually associated with more advanced lung cancer. You may have

* A hoarse voice
* Difficulty swallowing
* Swelling of the face caused by a blockage of a main blood vessel from the head (SVCO)
* Swelling in the neck caused by enlarged lymph nodes
* Pain or discomfort under your ribs on your right side (from the liver)
* Shortness of breath caused by fluid around the lungs (called pleural effusion)

WHAT CAUSES LUNG CANCER?

Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. Lung cancer may also be the most tragic cancer because in most cases, it might have been prevented — 87% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 different chemicals, many of which are proven cancer-causing substances, or carcinogens. Smoking cigars or pipes also increases the risk of lung cancer.

The more time and quantity you smoke, the greater your risk of lung cancer. But if you stop smoking, the risk of lung cancer decreases each year as normal cells replace abnormal cells. After ten years, the risk drops to a level that is one-third to one-half of the risk for people who continue to smoke. In addition, quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of developing other smoking-related diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Many of the chemicals in tobacco smoke also affect the nonsmoker inhaling the smoke, making "secondhand smoking" another important cause of lung cancer. It is responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually.

Radon is considered to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today. Radon gas can come up through the soil under a home or building and enter through gaps and cracks in the foundation or insulation, as well as through pipes, drains, walls or other openings. Radon causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States — 12 percent of all lung cancer deaths are linked to radon.

Radon problems have been found in every state. The EPA estimates that nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. has indoor radon levels at or above the level at which homeowners should take action — 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) on a yearly average. Radon can be a problem in schools and workplaces, too.

Because you cannot see or smell radon, the only way to tell if you are being exposed to the gas is by measuring radon levels. Exposure to radon in combination with cigarette smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer. That means for smokers, exposure to radon is an even greater health risk.

Another leading cause of lung cancer is on-the-job exposure to cancer-causing substances or carcinogens. Asbestos is a well-known, work-related substance that can cause lung cancer, but there are many others, including uranium, arsenic, and certain petroleum products.

There are many different jobs that may involve exposure. Some examples are working with certain types of insulation, working in coke ovens, and repairing brakes. When exposure to job-related carcinogens is combined with smoking, the risk of getting lung cancer is sharply increased.

A recent study published in the Journal of American Medical Association suggests that particulate matter pollution can cause lung cancer.

Lung cancer takes many years to develop. But changes in the lung can begin almost as soon as a person is exposed to cancer-causing substances. Soon after exposure begins, a few abnormal cells may appear in the lining of the bronchi (the main breathing tubes). If a person continues to be exposed to the cancer-causing substance, more abnormal cells will appear. These cells may be on their way to becoming cancerous and forming a tumor.

HOW IS LUNG CANCER DETECTED?

In its early stages, lung cancer usually does not cause symptoms. When symptoms occur, the cancer is often advanced. Symptoms of lung cancer include:

* Chronic cough
* Hoarseness
* Coughing up blood
* Weight loss & loss of appetite
* Shortness of breath
* Fever without a known reason
* Wheezing
* Repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia
* Chest pain

These conditions are also symptomatic of many other lung problems, so a person who has any of these symptoms should see a doctor to find out the cause. When a person goes for an exam, the doctor ask many questions about the person’s medical history, including questions about the patient’s exposure to hazardous substances. The doctor will also give the patient a physical exam. If the patient has a cough that produces a sputum (mucus), it may be examined for cancer cells. The doctor will order a chest X-ray or specialized X-ray such as the CT scan, which help to locate any abnormal spots in the lungs. The doctor may insert a small tube called a bronchoscope through the nose or mouth and down the throat, to look inside the airways and lungs and take a sample, or biopsy, of the tumor. This is just one of several ways in which a doctor may take a biopsy sample.

A growing number of doctors are using a form of CT scan in smokers to spot small lung cancers, which are more likely than large tumors to be cured. The technique, called helical low-dose CT scan, is much more sensitive than a regular X-ray and can detect tumors when they are small.

More studies on this type of screening will show whether routine screening of smokers and others at risk for lung cancer will save lives.

If you are diagnosed with cancer, the doctor will do testing to find out whether the cancer has spread, and, if so, to which parts of the body. This information will help the doctor plan the most effective treatment. Tests to find out whether the cancer has spread can include a CT scan, an MRI, or a bone scan.

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You can see a doctor and voice your concerns, but you haven’t really listed any symptoms. Your lung function can be tested as well. And lay off cigarettes or weed. Marijuana has many more carcinogens than cigarettes (and RESIN) that sticks in your lungs.

You only have TWO lungs…protect them.

What exactly are the symptoms of Lung Cancer?

& What are the stages of progress?
Thanks!
<3

I can only speak from experience. I thought I had bronchitis, went in for antibiotics, had an xray, suspicious shadow found.. follow up CT scan showed a strong possibility of lung cancer so went for biopsy. Stage iv non small lung cancer was found. Other than that, I had no other symptoms. I had extensive chemo, which had no wide effects on my tumors but have helped keep me stable for the past 3 years. Progression I was told would be distant metastasis eventually to other organs. Prognosis for me was less than a year of life with treatment, its now nearly three years with no progression. Its a daily fight winning one battle at a time, weather I win the war tho is a whole different story and one I am never too sure about. Time frames are different for everyone. I live for the future, and not worry about today. Right now, each day is a gift.