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Pancreatic cancer, which generally has a very poor prognosis, is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths. It killed greater than 32,000 Americans last year. Therefore, researchers are investigating methods to improve the outlook.
A large study recently demonstrated that patients who underwent surgical removal of the pancreas, who were given both radiation therapy and chemotherapy afterwards, derived improved survival.
When radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy are administered to a person who has undergone an operation to remove all the visible cancer, it is termed adjuvant therapy. An example of the routine use of adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy is that of a woman who has had a lumpectomy to remove a malignant breast tumor.
Investigators reviewed the records of 472 people who had complete surgical removal of the pancreas. All had negative margins, meaning a rim of normal tissue surrounded the cancer cells. Patients whose disease spread beyond the pancreas or whose disease could not be removed entirely were excluded from the study. Also excluded were patients who had a slow growing variant of pancreatic cancer.
At the end of the review, the records of 454 patients were eligible for analysis. A comparison was then made of those who received adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy concurrently after surgery versus those who did not.
Over half of the patients received adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy (274 out of 454 patients). 50 percent of these survived two years and 28 percent went on to live at least five years.
This data was in stark contrast to one-third (180 out of 454 patients) who received no additional therapy after surgery and whose survival was significantly less; 39 percent at two years and 17 percent at five years, respectively.
In addition, patients who received further chemotherapy after their course of adjuvant concomitant radiation therapy and chemotherapy seemed to have even better survival; 61 percent and 31 percent at two and five years, respectively. However, only 28 of 454 patients received this regimen, so it is premature to draw conclusions from this limited sized population.
Nonetheless, the findings of this study suggest a significant improvement in survival rates for those who undergo adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy after complete removal of pancreatic cancer. More good news is that the incidence of pancreatic cancer has decreased over the past few years.
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Cancer often strikes fear into the hearts of many. Most people have known someone who has been effected, or even died from cancer. So, is there anything that can be done to avoid cancer, or to help with the prevention of cancer?
The latest information we have on cancer deaths in the U.S. shows the rate going down an average 2.1% a year between 2002 and 2004. Important drops were seen in the three leading causes of cancer deaths for men: lung, prostate and colorectal.
In women, death rates from colorectal and breast cancer was down, while the increase in lung cancer deaths slowed quite noticeably.
Good news to be sure, and a sign that new therapies, early diagnosis and continued research are making a mark against this terrible disease.
Cancer prevention also makes a marked impact on cancer diagnosis, and is the motivation behind ten recommendations made last year by the American Institute of Cancer Research and presented at 2008's annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association.
Written by an international team of scientists, including Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, an epidemiology professor who heads the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, the ten lifestyle tips were reviewed by Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN, the nutritional advisor for the American Institute for Cancer Research. Both Collins and Willett discussed the suggestions with attendees at the American Dietetic Association's annual meeting that's just wrapped in Chicago.
Take a look at the recommendations for yourself... common sense really, but absolutely worth including in your life, especially if you have high risk factors for cancer.
1) Be as lean as possible, but not underweight. Collins suggests not just checking the number on the scales, but also measuring your waist to get a feel for your abdominal fat. Men should have a waist measurement no larger than 37 inches; women's waists should be 31.5 inches or less.
2) Be active for at least 30 minutes every day on most days of the week. If you're out of shape or very sedentary, talk with your doctor first. Then start slow and build gradually over time. And contrary to popular belief, you can break up your workout - 10 to 15 minute sessions, twice a day are just fine according to Collins.
3) Avoid sugary drinks and consumption of energy-dense foods. No one is saying these foods (or their additives) cause cancer, but they do add extra calories to your diet, and can sabotage your healthy weight over time. A treat now and then is fine, all the time can really blow your calorie budget.
4) Eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. You'll want to try to add a lot of different colors (deep green leafy veggies, blueberries, etc.) to your meals. Most Americans, says Collins, are stuck in a rut of eating the same three vegetables over and over. Try something new, you just might like it and be helping your body at the same time!
5) If you drink at all, limit alcoholic drinks to two a day for men and one for women. To do this, you'll need to keep an eye on the bartender as according to Collins, drinks can have a higher alcohol content than expected. Willett was quick to caution that the pros and cons of moderate drinking is something that women should consider carefully, weighing the heart benefits against the increased breast cancer risk from drinking.
6) Limit red meats (beef, pork, lamb) and avoid processed meats. Good as they may taste, you'll want to keep your red meat intake to 18 ounces a week, says Collins. She suggests choosing chicken, seafood, or legumes in place of red meat, and encourages moderation rather than eliminating these meats entirely from the diet.
7) Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with sodium. You'll want to try and keep your sodium intake under 2,400 milligrams a day. To add flavor to food, use herbs and spices instead, says Collins. She points out that processed foods account for a large part of sodium intake today - so don't worry so much about the salt you add when cooking or eating, rather read the labels of the foods you buy.
8) Don't use supplements to protect against cancer. This is a recommendation that is likely to be reviewed, but for now the experts are cautioning against taking a supplement purely for cancer protection benefits. It's not that supplements are bad, but the science doesn't support (except in the Case of vitamin D) the idea that these substances can protect against cancer.
9) Mothers should try to breastfeed babies exclusively for up to six months and then add other foods and liquids. If this is an option for you, it's a good idea and provides the baby with many healthy benefits.
10) After treatment, cancer survivors should follow the recommendations for cancer prevention. This includes patients who are currently undergoing treatment, as well as those who have finished their therapy and are being Monitored. Once you've beaten your cancer back, you need to do all you can to keep your body in top form - healthy and strong enough to resist anything that comes your way.
You need to keep in mind that while these tips are sensible suggestions they are only intended to reduce (not eliminate) your risk of cancer. There are many other things (genetics and environmental factors to name a few) that contribute to cancer risk, but these lifestyle choices give you some control over the aspects you can change and help you to better avoid cancer.
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Most people when first diagnosed with cancer regard cancer as a death sentence but by turning to a genuine natural approach that is not so. Studies have shown that treating cancer by natural ways has a much higher success rate than just shrinking cancer as with our current treatments of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Despite billions of dollars being spent on research over the last 40 years we are no closer to finding a cure for cancer than when war was declared on the disease back in 1971. The majority of cancers are as resistance to the treatments today as they were back then nearly 40 years ago and there is a good reason for this. With that in mind isn't it better to do something yourself to overcome the disease. Cancer is essentially a self help disease so it's certainly possible to achieve a cure for cancer.
Cancer need not be a death sentence and the first thing you must do is have a positive outlook to win over with cancer and not believe any negative information from your health professional. He only makes those assumptions based on the ineffective treatments he is only allowed to use. Making decisions based on their negativity can have disastrous consequences.
In looking for a permanent solution for your problem, the first thing you must realise is that your cancer grew for a reason and it's this reason you must address. When you remove the factors which caused the cancer to grow in the first place it will allow the body to heal and with the strengthened body it will remove the cancer growths naturally without it ever returning.
There is one thing we know our body can do and that is miraculously heal itself if it is given the right conditions and that is through our superbly designed and built in repair system which is called the immune system. The immune system will then effectively attack and destroys the cancer and will return you to heath. So with sound knowledge on cancer you can then make the right treatment choices based on this knowledge and in the end you will become cancer free.
Our 3 orthodox treatments for cancer are unfortunately in place today because of their ability to generate profits and not because of their healing qualities. They have many other faults as well like their toxicity and suppressing our natural immune system. It just doesn't make sense to harm the body further when a person with cancer is already undergoing a major health crisis. What the body needs is gentle natural treatments and they do work.
Cancer takes many years to develop and if your cancer hasn't spread you have time to research the subject and find the information you need to cure yourself of the problem. Don't start looking for a quick fix cure for the problem because there isn't one, you must remove the factors that caused the cancer in the first place and that is what is termed, using common sense.
Briefly, any treatments for cancer has to revolve around the 7 necessities of life and they are; fresh air, clean water, healthy food which is fresh fruit and vegetables, some sunshine and the sun is our friend, not our foe, daily exercise, rest, and hopefully a happy heart which means removing any stress related problems. Nature's ways of treating cancer are simple; man's ways are not and are toxic.
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Hi, have you ever heard of Solar Keratosis?
Many of us rarely think twice about our largest organ - our skin, unless we suffer skin problems such as eczema or become sunburnt. But did you know that by taking just a minute or so longer to actually check your body over after your daily shower could in fact save your life.
Although there is more public awareness about the dangers of sunbathing, very few of us really realise just how much it can damage our health or how to be able to enjoy the sun safely without the worry of solar keratosis.
I myself had concern over a 'place' on my face just recently, and as it was only a short time before the family holiday I made an appointment with my G.P. for when we returned, and who really brought me back down to earth with a thud when he mentioned could be a Solar Keratosis - also known as Actinic Keratosis.
Realistically I know I should have attended before leaving, especially as I intended on sunbathing most days albeit safely - 30 factor sun lotion + 50 sun block over all moles and areas that easily get tender, such as shoulders and face in the high thirty degrees, a very large floppy hat and good quality sunglasses.
Eight weeks ago I had noticed what I thought initially was a spot on my cheek. I never really had spots as a teenager so I watched this spot getting bigger, patiently waiting my time so that I could squeeze it!
After squeezing the spot it turned hastily red and nasty, so I regretted touching it and it took several days to heal over, this sent my little grey cells on overtime, although I knew it did not look anything like pictures of skin cancer that I had seen, I was a little concerned.
When it had healed over it was very raised and a funny shape that several people mentioned it, but as it was not black in colour - it was extremely white and had turned very dry and horny - I ignored it.
Although it never bothered me, subconsciously my fingers would not leave it alone. On holiday I kept it covered completely with sun block as with all of my moles, but again I accidentally knocked the top of it and it healed back larger than it was previously.
Never having smoked or taken drugs - only prescribed, eat good food and drink very little alcohol, consider myself having a healthy lifestyle, but my sunbathing habits - especially in my younger days jeopardise this.
Sunbathing gives most of us the feel good factor, and a little sunshine daily is excellent for us as it allows the body to improve the manufacture of vitamin D in the skin.
Very few of us are aware of the damage that sun worshipping can have. SK or solar keratosis is becoming an increasingly common skin condition but rarely known. This condition left untreated can develop into skin cancer.
The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) recently said although despite years of warnings and increased publicity, half of Britons would not recognise the signs of a possible skin cancer and a quarter never checked their skin for the disease.
Australia is often thought of as the skin cancer capital but it is a fact that skin cancers make up a third of all UK cancers, and the UK death rate is one and half times higher than theirs, this fact alone should put it into perspective and really drive home the danger that can happen.
Solar keratosis is not skin cancer but an indicator of sun damage of which 1 in 10 can go on to develop into cancer. According to the American Academy of Dermatologists 40 per cent of all squamous cell carcinomas begin as SKs.
Caught early, squamous cell carcinomas are treatable but the consequences can be dire if left untreated spreading to other parts of the body.
Regular checks of the body are very important, not just for moles but any changes or unusual marks on your skin. Your GP or practice nurse should be consulted if you have any concerns and who welcome regular checks with themselves to prevent SKs being left untreated and turning into something potentially more serious.
Treatment for Solar Keratosis ranges from topical creams to freezing and scraping the lesion off.
SKs are most commonly found on the scalp, neck, face, ears, lips, back of hands and forearms, and in women also the lower half of legs, but can indeed be found anywhere on the body.
Sun damage accumulates over time; it is a lifetime of sun exposure that adds risk experts say, not just recent or isolated sunbathing.
Many people do not realise that even on cloudy day's skin is subjected to the UVA and UVB rays that cause skin damage, so make sun protection a daily occurrence to reduce any risk.
Solar Keratosis is a reaction to over exposure to the sun, especially when we are young; it changes the shape, size, structure and organisation of our skin cells, and can range in size from a pin head to an inch across.
The lesions texture is dry and rough and so more often can be recognised by touch rather than sight initially. The area may also be tender or itchy and prickly, especially after being in the sun.
Once solar keratosis has been successfully treated; regular checks and examinations are advised to keep the condition under control.
Skin types can also determine the level of risk - fair skin has less protective pigment and therefore burns more easily, making red haired and blondes more at risk in the sun along with blue, green or grey eyed people.
People with darker or olive skin should not assume that they are not at risk either, as these skin types are can be susceptible with prolonged exposure
Moreover men need to realise solar keratosis is not just a female problem, many men still think they do not need to use sunscreen, either because they may work outside year round and are 'used' to the sun or find it not 'cool', and that it is a health issue that needs to be addressed and sunscreen should be made part of the normal daily routine.
There is a higher risk of solar keratosis with people who have a weakened immune system, either through ill health or from bad diets, so eating good food for good health is as always a must.
As you know, we always say you are what you eat and that 'good food good health' should be the basis for everybody for a healthy life and healthy outlook on life with a varied diet of good healthy food to keep your liver well balanced and functioning is essential for whole body health including your skin.
A good food that is excellent for your skin is lycopene found abundantly in tomatoes, the darker the red the tomatoes the higher the lycopene content, and being a powerful anti-oxidant lycopene is great at mopping up harmful molecules -free radicals - that are linked to cancer.
Recent studies carried out have shown evidence that a diet rich in lycopene actually has benefits of naturally helping to protect the skin from damage, tests also suggested that production of collagen had been boosted by a tomato-based diet; this being the protein that keeps our skin supple.
Tomatoes have regularly been linked with warding off cancer of the skin, breast, lung, bladder and pancreas, and even combating prostrate cancer.
Water - melons and grapefruit are another good source of lycopene, but tomatoes are far easier to include in your daily diet as tomatoe puree, ketchup and soup that are condensed are very high in lycopene.
Damage to your skin from the sun cannot be reversed, but sensible precautions can be taken to prevent it being damaged further, reducing the chances of getting solar keratosis.
Avoiding the sun when at its strongest - between 10am and 4pm, wear clothes that cover your arms and legs and a wide brimmed hat, use a sunscreen of at least factor 15 or higher and reapply generously every two hours.
I consider myself very lucky this time as the 'place' was nothing to worry about; my GP removed it for me and insists that I regularly check myself for other places like this, and that it would have been 110% better to have sought his advice before my holiday and not to have squeezed it!
I completely knew this myself and that his advice was correct but I chose to ignore my conscience, and this is what we all have to change. So many people lie in the sun day after day with little protection and may well be aware of the dangers but choose to ignore the consequences until it is too late, so make sure you and your family enjoy the sun safely.
I have taken this advice on board, I know it annoyed my family that there is no way I would have let them wait any time at all before seeking medical advice - 100 per cent true. They say I am already a stickler for safe sunbathing and this will only fuel my lectures to them on the subject!
The girls have heckled me over it but I would rather drill it home to them about the dangers of sunbathing, as we are still perceived as being healthier looking the browner we get. It is far cheaper and safer to get a tan from a bottle and with the new products available it looks like the real thing when applied to exfoliated skin properly.
So remember 'good food for good health' is the best way to keep your body working like clockwork, and a diet made up of a variety of good nutritional food will give you all the vitamins and minerals you should need to keep your skin in tip top condition.
So do not forget early detection of any changes on your skin and safe enjoyment of the sun is the best protection against Solar Keratosis.
Sandra and Ted
Pancreas is responsible for producing insulin which regulates the sugar level in the body. All those who know what diabetes is would know the importance of insulin in body (and hence the importance of pancreas). Pancreas also produces pancreatic juice which helps in digestion of food. When abnormal growth of cells (malignant cells) occurs in the pancreas, it is called pancreatic cancer. Like other types of cancer, pancreatic cancer too is life threatening.
Cause of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is again one of those that happen to older people (generally those above the age of 60). Chronic pancreatitis, which is caused by consumption of large amounts of alcohol, can act as a predecessor of pancreatic cancer. Some people tend to associate pancreatic cancer to genes and family history but there doesn't seem any concrete evidence to suggest one or the other. Generally speaking, pancreatic cancer doesn't seem to have a relation to family history.
Symptoms and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
Again, none of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer are such so as to give confirmatory indications of pancreatic cancer. Pain in the abdomen, tiredness and loss of appetite are said to be symptoms of pancreatic cancer but these can really be caused by so many other things that it might not even occur to you that this could be caused by pancreatic cancer. However, if you are skeptical and want to make sure that everything is ok, you can always consult a qualified doctor to vet out your fears. Jaundice is another symptom of pancreatic cancer but this too can be caused by other things. So, really, it comes to proper tests and diagnosis to detect pancreatic cancer. The doctors would generally go for a urine test (for bile) and a blood test as the first screening tests for pancreatic cancer. In Case these tests suggest pancreatic cancer, there could be need for x-rays and other tests (as deemed fit by the doctor).
Treatment of pancreatic cancer
As is the Case with any type of cancer, the chances of survival with pancreatic cancer is governed by how early you are able to catch the symptoms and diagnose pancreatic cancer. The treatment for pancreatic cancer is dependent on the size of the cancer, the stage of cancer and your general health. A major consideration is the size of the cancer and whether it has spread around or is localized. For pancreatic cancer too, the best treatment is removal of the cancer through surgical procedure (and it's a major surgery). Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are other ways of treating pancreatic cancer.
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