Health

Cancer is one of the world’s deadliest diseases, a cause of pain for those who’ve suffered it and grief for those who’ve lost a loved one because of it. Most of us, directly or otherwise, have been affected by cancer, but we still don’t fully understand this diseaase. Many myths still circulate—myths we should debunk for us to grasp what cancer’s really all about.

The truth behind some cancer myths

Antiperspirants/deodorants: E-mails have been circulating that chemicals from deodorants that get into nicks caused by shaving have a link to the cause of breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute and the Food and Drug Administration have conducted tests on this and found no significant link between the two.

Air pollution a greater risk than smoking: Although air pollution can affect your health, it’s regular smoking that brings a higher risk of getting lung cancer. Even second-hand smoke can cause lung cancer. Air pollution has more impact on heart disease, bronchitis, and asthma.

Cellphones and other electronic devices: Yes, using your mobile can lead to your death—if you’re driving, that is. Otherwise, studies have not found any significant link to electronic devices and the cause of cancer.

Learning more information about cancer

Those are just some of the myths for you to learn more about cancer. Your easiest source is the Internet. The National Cancer Institute has a website full of information on the big C. If you want more details, especially if you’re going through this ailment, find an oncologist you can trust and feel comfortable with. Have him or her explain what you’re going through and what your body is experiencing so you are fully aware. If cancer runs in your family, it’s better to be familiar with it so you’re prepared.

The big C need not be a mystery to you—just be aware of all those myths and rumors so you can separate fact from reality about this deadly disease.

Cancer has been known to be caused by different factors. Some researchers believe that the genes determine whether cancer cells will eventually develop or not. Others hold the view that cancer is determined by the daily food intake that we get because most foods are said to contain carcinogens, the main substances that cause cancer. Still, others say that stress and the pressures of daily life can be a significant factor in many cases of cancer patients.

In rare instances though, cancer is also said to be due to physical injuries. Though this particular area accounts for only a small fraction of many cancer cases, still, several cases have been recorded and verified. And often, the injury involved is of a long-standing nature. For example, skin cancer is known to occur among a number of burn patients, especially those who accidentally got involved in chemical fires. The burn scars tend to develop, in the long run, into cells that carry carcinogenic elements that can lead to full-blown cancer cases.

The research materials on the correlation between cancer and body injury is still limited. More in-depth studies need to be made so we can widen our knowledge as well as understanding of this particular aspect of the phenomenon that is cancer.

Two studies revealed that exercise can protect against skin and bowel cancer, and they have identified new mechanisms that could be responsible for this effect. One study found that female mice that had 24-hour access to running wheels and were exposed to ultraviolet B light (UVB) took longer to develop skin tumors. The mice developed fewer and smaller tumors, and had decreased amounts of body fat compared to mice that did not have access to running wheels. The second study showed that voluntary exercise and a restricted diet reduced the number and size of polyps and improved survival. Doctors said that programmed cell death (apoptosis), triggered by exercise, might explain why the running wheel mice did better.

The previous study suggests that voluntary exercise enhances UVB-induced apoptosis in the skin, and that it also enhances apoptosis in UVB-induced tumors. Ergo, exercise is counteracting the effect by stimulating the death of the developing cancer cells although UVB is triggering the development of tumors. Voluntary exercise decreases body fat which then leads to decrease in the number of tumors. The study also suggested that a negative energy balance, produced by increasing the mice's energy output (by use of a running wheel) while maintaining a restricted calorie intake, appeared to be the important factor in inhibiting the growth of polyps (the fore-runners of bowel tumors). The exercising mice ran an average of 3.8 km a day, and the further they ran the fewer polyps they had, and exercise significantly reduced total polyp number and polyp size, as well as prolonging survival.

Cancer is responsible for one out of four deaths in the US, and one out of three may have the disease. It is indeed one of the most feared diseases that plague Americans and the world. Cancer health inequalities make it difficult for people in an area to sustain one's physical health. I am really quite afraid that I may develop the disease in the long run.

Disparities or inequalities are gauged and determined by statistics such as mortality (the number of cancer-related deaths), rates of survival (survival period after a cancer diagnosis), and incidence (quantity of cancers that are new). Such inequalities happen when mortality or incidence is higher or lower in one area compared with other areas. Disparities take place because people do not get the same basic health services and this might lead to certain health-related problems including mental health. In my opinion, such things should be addressed properly in order to prevent the occurrence of future problems.

I treat all people equally regardless of sex, race, religion, and the likes. That is why I do not understand people who discriminate other people. Such health inequalities are more prominent among ethnic and racial groups such as the natives, Asians, Hispanic, and other groups. It is quite apparent that health services are not the same for such groups. However, disparities may also occur due to environmental, behavioral, and biological factors. Furthermore, educational and social backgrounds may also yield to such inequalities.

Many health experts say that drinking various caffeine products like coffee is really not good for the human body. The different substances found in coffee have various effects that may affect our health. But, coffee contains anti-oxidants which help the immune system and the body itself.

Cancer, along with dreadful diabetes and other diseases, remains to be incurable. Recent studies show the association between cancer and coffee. Studies called epidemiological indicate that the relationship is focused on certain cancers such as urinary bladder, colorectal, and pancreas. However, the relation between bladder cancer and coffee is still a hot issue today. There may be a higher risk in people who drink coffee, though moderate, and may have no relation to dose or duration.

Yet, studies have substantially shown that there is no sound association between pancreatic cancer and coffee. If there are any adverse effects, these are only minimal. The same is true in the case of colorectal cancer. There seems to an association which is inversed between this type of cancer and coffee. Still, the risk pattern is not very sound and clear. Although the evidences are unclear and not sound, they are considered greatly reassuring. Future extensive studies might link certain cancer risks on coffee consumption.

My grandmother had her breast cancer radiation treatment a few years ago. Since then, her skin had become dry and flaky. Also, I noticed that her very light skin had somewhat become reddish and darker. But, all in all, I still think that she looked radiant because she had survived her breast cancer disease. Of course, she had doubled her efforts when it came to good skin care.

It is said that breast cancer radiation really does change a woman's skin tone or skin color. For those who have fair skin, the color would become reddish. For those who have dark and medium skin, the tone would become darker and somewhat ashen. At first, the main area that was affected would have blotches and patches. The area could experience some itching, some tender bruising, and there's this burning sensation in some of the affected areas.

As the skin dries off, there would be peeling of the dry skin. This is just like the usual sunburn peeling. If you have very well-endowed breasts, you would experience peeling that is somewhat, wet. It is just like having blisters in specific spots of the affected area. The solution to this is good skin care. You have to cleanse your skin, moisturize it, exfoliate it, and protect it everyday from the sun.

Cancer diseases are common subplots of many soap operas. This is perhaps because of the dramatic effect of cancer in the otherwise very formulaic storylines of soap operas. In reality, however, cancer is not as glamorous or as clinically convenient heroic struggle of the protagonists. The miseries that are brought by cancer to real people are almost indescribable. It is seldom in real life that miracles happen to good people. Like diabetes mellitus disease, cancer does not recognize the moral difference between an innocent child and a recidivist. Cancer does not recognize the value of wealth. Both the poor and the rich are equally vulnerable to cancer.

The hope for a normal healthy life of some cancer patient is sometimes reduced to regular injections of pain killers. Cancer, in its advance stage, does not anymore respond to treatment. Hence, the only option is the relief from pain. However, waiting for death is not the only realistic option for cancer patients. There are instances wherein cancer remission does happen even in terminal cases. You may call it miraculous. You may call it co-incidence. Nonetheless, the reality of the situation is that we still know very little about the mechanism of cancer. Hence, we cannot yet find any effective cure for all forms of cancer.

On the other hand, cancer prevention is much easier than finding a cure. Even though all of us have cancer predisposition, not all of us develops cancer. This is because of our different lifestyles which include diet and social vices such as alcohol-drinking and cigarette-smoking.

Medical science advancement has brought new hope and new promises for mankind. The lifespan and the quality of life of human beings today have improved tremendously. Plagues such as the bubonic plague of the Middle-Ages and Influenza Pandemic of the early twentieth century all seem to be just part of a nightmare. Global epidemic seems now more controllable. Nonetheless, medical science still has fallen short of expectations. There are still diseases and global epidemic that still have no cure such as the sexually transmitted human immune deficiency virus that cause AIDS and herpes simplex virus. Medical science might have controlled some diseases but we are still far from creating a Utopian society devoid of ailments.

Cancer treatment is one failure of medical science. Knowledge in cancer treatment today is perhaps comparable to the knowledge of leprosy treatment during biblical times. Some people are even convinced that the only real cure for cancer would be a miracle. The present method of cancer treatment is still crude and sometimes ineffective. Restoring the total health of a cancer patient is not entirely dependent on the physical treatment such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery. Restoring health is a combination of mind and body treatment. The support of love ones, friends and church is also vital in the well-being and recovery of a cancer patient. Cancer treatment should be holistic in approach.

We all know about carcinogenic substances or substances that promote cancer cell growth and we also know that there are some ingredients in our food that can help prevent cancer. An Australian researcher, however, has gone a step farther, claiming that eating too much in itself can directly affect the DNA.

A researcher from CSIRO, the scientific research body of Australia, told a conference of nutrigenomics in Singapore that over-abundance of food can alter the genetic code in humans. Over-eating is a normal in human beings who compensate for lack of food at other times. Too much food can damage one's genes, David Topping said. It is also responsible for other diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease being widespread. Too much nutrition causes production of a type of oxygen that can damage DNA.

Meat is one of the main culprits. Early humans didn't have a regular source for this type of food. The high dietary protein in meat products has been shown to be linked with genetic damage that causes cancer. However, seafood is more attuned to the genetic information of human beings. They are a healthier as well as a more ecological source of protein.

Having a lean body mass may lower your risk of developing prostate cancer. Doctors in the University of California studied 439 men with prostate cancer and tested the relationship of body mass index to prostate cancer. As a control group, siblings of the test subjects who do not have prostate cancer were also tested.

The result indicated that a high lean body mass means lower prostate cancer risk. Weight seems to indicate a higher risk, but the correlation is weaker. The development of prostate cancer is dependent to the hormonal activity of the body. Besides one's family history of cancer, age and ethnicity, fat and leanness may be an important contributing factor. The function of testosterone, which is higher in lean men, must be studied in light of research results.

BPH or benign prostatic hyperplasia is a disorder in the prostate gland that occurs among men ion the middle age. It symptoms include frequent urination and difficulty in doing it. If you have already experienced these, don't panic since BPH is not yet at the cancerous phase. However, the symptoms may as well serve as a warning for you to visit your doctor and to focus on your health. The following are helpful tips for you to avoid BPH:

First, urinate when needed. Delaying or controlling urination will only damage your kidney.

Second, drinking liquid is important but over doing it can tire and harm the bladder. Moreover, lessen or control alcohol intake.

Third, refrain from eating too much spicy foods since they can irritate the bladder.

Fourth, observe healthy diet such as vegetables. A vegetarian diet helps in lowering and balancing the level of male hormone.

Fifth, avoid eating oily and fatty foods since cholesterol is transformed into a male hormone. You already know the consequence when there is too much cholesterol or a high level of the male hormone in your body.

When a person is undergoing treatment for a cancer, his or her appetite is greatly affected. He or She experiences appetite and weight loss, sore and dry mouth, nausea, dental problems, vomiting, constipation, fatigue, lactose intolerance, and diarrhea. This is common in people undergoing these treatments.

However, these things can be prevented with the right diet and the correct amount of food you eat. As much as possible, increase your intake of cooked eggs, milk, cheese, and cream. Foods rich in protein are also important.
Include in your diet peanut butter, nuts, beans, as well as legumes. Also, lessen your consumption of foods with high fiber. These only aggravate diarrhea and sore throats problems.

When you are undergoing treatment, there comes a time when you lose your appetite. If this happens, one advice is to drink lots of water. This is to make sure that your stomach is always full.

Let's take a quick break from talking about cancer to talk about the coming holidays. Everyone loves getting gifts, and buying the right one is just as important as the thought behind it. So, here are some great gift ideas for the cancer patient.

An electronic notebook is always a good gift, and can be given to just about anybody. These gadgets are good for those undergoing intense therapy, as they require lots of bed rest and can't sit up to use a computer. Why not let the computer come to them?

A book from the Chicken Soup series, Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul, is always an inspiring source of strength and perseverance. Relating true stories of cancer survivors, this is one book that makes you smile as you read it.

A miniature Zen garden will focus the mind and relieve the stress and nausea related with various therapies. Plus, it looks good sitting on a table.

Stress balls help relieve (what else?) stress from therapy and cancer. Anxiety will be a thing of the past with these colorful, gel-filled balls.

Any good comedy film on DVD will make a great gift, making a glum time a burst of happiness and laughter.

If a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, giving them support is never an easy task. Both of you will have to be strong for each other. It's going to be up to you to help them to see things in a positive way, even with this dreaded ailment.

Even the simple act of listening can help them become stronger. Being a shoulder to cry on is an excellent way to show your support.

While saying, "It's going to be all right" can be comforting, limit the number of times you say it. It can get grating after some time. It would be better to help them reinforce the idea that they will make it through this ordeal.

Acting normal is key to showing a loved one that you love them no matter what. This will show them that they are not ostracized for their illness and are not treated any differently for it.