Cancer, Cancer Treatment

Prednisone, a corticosteroid that mimics a natural steroid produced by the adrenal gland, is a synthetic hormone that can be prescribed for individuals with sub-normal levels of cortisone in their systems. These steroids are needed for healthy bodily function and they play a key role in controlling inflammation, helping with organ transplant recovery, as well as the treatment of other serious diseases.

Prednisone is most often used to treat autoimmune diseases through the suppression of inflammation and immune response. In these patients, the immune system malfunctions and attacks healthy cells or tissues, so a corticosteroid is ideal for relieving the painful and stressful symptoms that accompany these diseases. A few autoimmune diseases that you or someone you know may suffer from include Crohn’s Disease, celiac disease (gluten intolerance), rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Prednisone can even be useful in the treatment of some forms of cancer, and is often combined with antibiotics for the treatment of pneumonia in AIDS patients with weakened immune systems. For those going through an organ transplant procedure, Prednisone moderates inflammation during the standard recovery period. In a healthy individual, the immune system targets any foreign substance that enters the body, but Prednisone disrupts this process in instances where we want the foreign material to continue to grow and function within the new host body.
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Do you know that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women? Breast cancer is also the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in American women. Most cases of breast cancer are diagnosed when a mammogram reveals a lump. A change in the texture of breast tissue can also be a warning sign of breast cancer.

Fortunately, due to public awareness, more women are having mammogram testing on a regular basis. This is enabling doctors to detect cancer while it is still in the early stages. This has resulted in an increase in the survival rate of breast cancer victims. However, breast cancer is still the major cause of death in women between the ages of 45 and 55.
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Nolvadex is given for breast cancer. The medicine is also given for preventing cancer, which has spread to other parts.

Once Nolvadex is prescribed, you should have to strictly follow the prescription. The drug could be taken with or without food. Never crush, chew or break the drug but only swallow the drug as it has to be slowly released into the body. Moreover, never stop the drug in the middle of a dosage as it can only lead to many complications.

If you have missed a dose, never take it and continue with the next dosages. Never go for a double dosage as it can only increase the risk of side effects.
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Arimidex is prescribed for treating hormone receptor positive disease (metastatic breast cancer) and early-stage breast cancer after surgery in postmenopausal women.

While taking Arimidex, follow the doctor’s direction. The prescribed normal dosage is one pill a day. It is also advised not to take larger doses of the drug and also not to take it for longer periods, unless the doctor has prescribed.

Before Arimidex is prescribed, discuss with your doctor about all your present and past health condition. You should not hide from your doctor if you have a history of stroke or heat diseases, liver diseases, blood problems and if menopause has not been completed.

The drug is only for menopause women and should not be taken by pregnant women and also by those who are breast-feeding as the drug is known to cause harm to the unborn and the newly born babe.
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The risk of fatal methotrexate toxictty appears to be markedly increased by previous treatment with cisplatin.

Six out of 106 patients died with clinical signs of methotrexate toxicity 6-13 days after receiving 20-50 mg/m2 in the absence of the usual signs of renal dysfunction and despite having previously been treated with methotrexate without serious toxicity All had had prior treatment with cisplatin Four of the patients were regarded as good-risk. A study in children and adolescents suggested that the cumulative dose of asplatin received appears to increase the risk of methotrexate toxicity. Another study indicated that the sequential use of cisplatin and high-dose methotrexate was nephrotoxic and decreased the amount of methotrexate which could be given. A report on 14 patients on high dose methotrexate indicated that prior treatment with one course of cisplatin sharply increased their serum levels of methotrexate, and after two courses the increase was even more marked (an eightfold rise).
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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7 — Digoxin, a drug used for many years to treat irregular heart rhythms and heart failure, may also be a cancer-fighting agent, researchers report.

Cancer cells need to create new blood vessels to survive. But many of these cells are oxygen-deprived and need to switch on genes that produce a protein called hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1), which help cells survive in low-oxygen conditions.

Digoxin reduces HIF-1, causing cancer cells to die, the scientists from Johns Hopkins University found.

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Researchers at McGill University, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) and the McGill University and Gnome Qubec Innovation Centre, along with colleagues at other Canadian and Belgian institutions, have discovered DNA variations in a gene that increases susceptibility to developing Crohn’s disease.

Their study was published in the January issue of the journal Nature Genetics .

The study was led by McGill PhD candidate Alexandra-Chlo Villani under the supervision of Dr. Denis Franchimont and Dr. Thomas Hudson. Dr. Franchimont, now with the Erasme Hospital in Brussels, Belgium, was a Canada Research Chair formerly affiliated with the Gastroenterology Dept. of the MUHC. Dr. Hudson, former Director of the McGill University and Gnome Qubec Innovation Centre, is now the President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), located in Toronto.

A mammogram is one of the safest ways that is used to check if there is any problem with the breast of a woman. It is actually an x-ray of the breasts, as it involves in using a special and very low dose x-ray machine taking pictures of both breasts. Effective Method of Preventing Cancer
Mammogram is an effective way of breast cancer prevention, as it is the most reliable procedure to detect early stages of breast cancer. However, there are some limitations of mammogram. Many cancers may not be detected by mammograms. Such breast cancers can be detected by breast self-exam. This article will guide you in getting ready for your mammogram. What You Should Watch Out For? Firstly, you should check the place where you are going to have your mammogram, so that you get to know about any special instructions, which you must follow before you arrive there. You should make the appointment for your mammogram for at least one week after the completion of your period. This is because your breast generally hurt less during this time. You should make sure that you tell your mammography facility, if you have ever got any type of breast implants. Things to Remember Before Visiting Mammogram Facility It is better that you wear a shirt preferably with shorts, skirt or pants. This helps you to undress from the waist up, thus leaving your pants, skirt or shorts on while you are getting your mammogram. It is highly advised that do not use any sort of deodorant, lotion, powder or lotion on your breasts or under your arms on the day you are having your mammogram. Using these things may result in shadows on your mammogram, as they contain small aluminium particles. You can use cornstarch in place of talcum powder or deodorant, as it does not interfere with the x-ray image. You should not use any sort skin lotions on your breasts, as it can make them slippery. Hence, it will result in a movement during the process and a blurred image may be produced. What Actually Happens During the Diagnosis Process? After reaching the clinic, you should undress up to your waist. Try wearing clothes that can be easily removed and has loose fittings. Do not wear a bra on the day. Do not forget to take a hairbrush, so that you can tidy up at the time of redressing. After undressing, you will be asked to put on the hospital gown, opening to the front. The technician will help you in positioning yourself in front of the mammogram machine while standing. While taking the mammogram, your technician will rest each of your breasts on a metal plate, arranging maximum of the breast tissue between the top compression plate and the bottom plate. Your breasts will then be imaged and compressed for various lateral and vertical images. It is recommended that women, especially those belonging to the upper age limit of 40 years or more, have a mammogram of their breasts done every year. This helps in early detection of breast cancer in ones breast and ensures proper treatment, which can even cure cancer. To Your Health!

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THURSDAY, Nov. 6 — Cancer-screening messages targeted to minorities that take a negative approach — emphasizing, for instance, that colon cancer is a bigger threat to blacks than whites — can actually make minorities less likely to be screened, a new study found.

“There have been some other studies that have hinted at the same thing,” said study lead author Robert Nicholson, an assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry at St. Louis University School of Medicine.

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Prostate cancer is one of the leading killers of men. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 186,320 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and 28,660 will die from it.

Although it’s one of the most common cancers suffered by men, there are ways to minimize the risk of getting it, said Dr. Ihor Sawczuk, chairman of urology and chief of urologic oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

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