October is Pink Ribbon Month - Breast Cancer Awareness

It's that time of the year again. October is Pink Ribbon Month, the month of Breast Cancer Awareness. The initiative serves as a reminder for women to go for their annual breast examination/mammogram. It also celebrates breast cancer survivors.

Stress contributes to many illnesses including breast cancer. Breast cancer which used to be more prevalent in the West is now part of our lives. Indulgence in fast food, increase intake of processed food in our diet, extended hours of work and having to balance work and family life all contribute to the stress that we go through today. Pesticides and herbicides in our food is also hazardous to our health.

If you are overweight, it puts you at a higher risk of getting breast cancer, according to studies. Also, overweight cancer survivors are at a greater risk of getting a relapse later in life.

However, exercising regularly can reduce the risk of contracting breast cancer.

A woman's lifetime exposure to oestrogen is sometimes implicated in breast cancer risk.

The factors that put a woman at higher risk include:

- If you don't have children, or have given birth to your first child after 35, because pregnancy suppresses oestrogen levels.

- Early menstruation (before12 years).

- Late menopause (after 55 years).

- Have not breastfed before (breastfeeding suppresses oestrogen levels).

- Being overweight.

Here in Malaysia, statistics show that breast cancer is on the rise despite efforts in getting information to the public. More awareness needs to be created for women to take positive action towards early breast screening as the best protection is early detection. Early detection saves lives.


Source: The Star..Pink Ribbon month: Get your breasts checked

Sperm Storage and Egg Storage to preserve fertility

Ever thought of fertility preservation? What this entails is preserving your semen, egg or embryo in the event of a sickness, in particular cancer.

FertileFuture is a California Cryobank program of an organization with a company vision To be the world leader in reproductive and stem cell services by helping to grow and protect healthy families. Their Mission is To provide the highest quality reproductive and stem cell products and services, guided by dedicated customer focus, unmatched scientific excellence and innovative leadership.

California Cryobank's FertileFuture program includes the following fertility preservation services: sperm banking and storage, embryo storage and egg storage. They also offer andrology services and a Directed "Known" Donor program.

Why would men consider banking their sperm? There are a number of scenarios for Sperm Storage including: prior to treatment for cancer, before a vasectomy, or before military deployment. Storing before an upcoming fertility treatment for his partner or for low sperm count patient may be yet another reason.

For a woman, Embryo/Egg Storage may be considered by female cancer patients who may choose to store their eggs or create and store embryos prior to treatment.

California Cryobank is able to perform the following andrology services: semen analysis, sperm washes and cultures. They also provide screening and sperm storage by those individuals who have a specific individual in mind to be their sperm donor.

In addition to their FertileFuture program, California Cryobank offers a variety of services including: their anonymous sperm donor services, cord blood banking, genetic counseling, and post-conception services.

Check out the site for other information including Cancer, financial assistance, Cancer Fertility, immediate needs and more.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Oct 1 - 31, 2010

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). Each year, organizations around the world take steps to support this movement to make people aware of the dangers associated with breast cancer and to highlight the importance of early detection as early detection saves lives.

This article on Pink Ribbons and Breast Cancer Awareness has concrete proof that awareness is key and that many corporations around the world play a major role in getting the message across and funding research that enables huge progress and reaching milestones in early detection, survival rates, treatment options and more. Millions of dollars have been raised from Pink Ribbon product sales in which everyone can contribute in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.

PositivePromotions.com is a website of very unique and high quality, budget friendly fundraising products for businesses to use to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Products including planners and calendars, totes, pens, key tags, coolers, t-shirts, lapel pins, bracelets and lots more can be found on this wonderful site and which can be used in various ways in support. Custom imprints are also available. Everyone can buy something from among the Breast Cancer Awareness merchandise in support of this worthy cause. Support the pink ribbon cause. Support Breast Cancer awareness and research. Spread the word!

Does Exercise Reduce Cancer Risk?

We all know that exercise is good for us. It keeps us fit and our body healthy. What else is new? Based on a new finding, exercise can reduce our cancer risk.

According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Finnish researchers recently concluded that, if you wish to ward off lung or gastrointestinal cancer, you might want to spend your leisure time jogging instead of picking berries, mushroom gathering or fishing.

The study found that the more arduous the exercise was, the more protective it proved for the 2,560 middle-aged Finns studied. The health of these subjects, all men, was studied over the course of about 17 years. They kept diaries of their daily activities for a year. Jogging was the most strenuous activity studied, fishing among the least. The men who jogged or otherwise exercised fairly intensely for at least 30 minutes a day had “a 50 percent reduction in the risk of dying prematurely from cancer.

Results of other findings include:

The most active people are 24 percent less likely to develop colon cancer than sedentary people are, regardless of their diets, smoking habits or body weight.

Women over age 30 who defined themselves as “highly competitive” by disposition and who exercised more than the average for the group had much less risk of developing breast cancer than women who worked out for less than 60 minutes per week.

In order to use exercise to reduce the risk of cancer, you must make yourself sweat. In the Finnish study, the most beneficial exercise was both frequent and demanding.

If you are not that hardworking when it comes to exercising, at least moderately intense physical activity is more beneficial than low intensity physical activity in the prevention of cancer. The takeaway, in other words, is that jogging trumps berry picking.

How many of you hit the gym a few times a week or go jogging or engage in other active sports? Good for you.


Source: NY Times

Mesothelioma lawyers

Asbestos, despite it causing cancer, primarily lung cancer, it is still used worldwide though to a lesser extent.

According to Wikipedia, asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral with long, thin fibrous crystals. The word asbestos is derived from a Greek adjective meaning inextinguishable. The Greeks termed asbestos the miracle mineral because of its soft and pliant properties, as well as its ability to withstand heat.

Asbestos is toxic. The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illnesses, including malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis (also called pneumoconiosis). Since the mid 1980s, many uses of asbestos have been banned in several countries.

Should one be unfortunate enough to be stricken with cancer of the lungs, called mesothelioma, there are Mesothelioma lawyers who are well-versed in such cases and would be able to advise on legal options, etc.

Cancer - general knowledge

Just received this and thought it's good general knowledge to be shared. Unfortunately, not able to give real credit as actual source is unknown.

Important information about cancer prevention:

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion.When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple
nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic,
environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet
and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells
and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow,
gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver,
kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and
damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often
reduce tumour size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and
radiation do not result in more tumour destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and
radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence
the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and
complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and
become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause
cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells
by not feeding it with the foods it need to multiply.

a Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one
important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like
NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is
harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or
molasses but only in very small amounts.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the
gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk
and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being
starved. Milo, Ovaltine, Horlicks are made with milk and best
avoided.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is
acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than
beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth
hormones, parasites, etc which are all harmful to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains,
seeds, nuts and a little fruits helps put the body into an alkaline
environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have caffeine. Green tea
is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of
digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become
putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining
from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein
walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy
the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence,
Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc) to enable the
body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements
(Maitake e.g ) are known to cause cancer cells apoptosis, that is,
induce cancer cells to commit suicide.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive
and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.
Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and
acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit.
Learn to relax, enjoy and trust God for healing.

16 Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.
Exercising daily and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to
the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to
destroy cancer cells.

17. Cancer can be reversed with nutrition, supplements and clinically
proven complementary and alternative therapies.

18. Cancer can be healed by divine intervention of God the Healer.....

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT INFO:
1. Sugar is a cancer feeder. Avoid sugar Sugar substitutes like
Equal, Spoonful, NutraSweet are made with Aspartame, a chemical that
is harmful to the body. A better natural alternative is Manuka honey
in small amounts.

2. Milk causes the body to produce mucus Cancer thrives on mucus. A
better calcium alternative is unsweetened soya milk.

3. Green tea has anti-cancer properties. It is a better substitute
for coffee and tea, which have caffeine, bad for people with cancer.

4. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour.
Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

5. Meat like pork, beef, chicken contain livestock antibiotics,
growth hormones, parasites, etc., which are all harmful for people
with cancer. It is better to eat fish, or eat a little free-range
chicken. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of
digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines
become putrefied and leads to more toxic build-up.

6. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining
from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein
walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy
the cancer cells.

7. Water - best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known
toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic,
avoid it.

8. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink
fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and
eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at
temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

A little effort on our part will yield great return in the long
run... keep up the discipline and enjoy every single moment in life.