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CANCER: PASSIVE OR ENVIRONMENTAL SMOKING

admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:16:33 +0000

Everybody has had the experience of walking into a smoke-filled room. The coughing and smarting of the eyes that can result is leading many people to ask whether this kind of ‘passive’ smoking may produce the same sort of serious diseases as those seen in smokers themselves. This possibility has been examined in a number of ways. The most obvious method was to look at the occurrence of smoking-related diseases in the husbands or wives of smokers. Studies of this kind were done in the early 1980s and some involved tens of thousands of people. All of these studies were brought together in 1986 by Professor Nicholas Wald and his colleagues in an influential paper published in the British Medical Journal. They added together the results of thirteen epidemiological studies and concluded that there was sufficient agreement between them to conclude that there was significant increased risk of lung cancer for someone married to a smoker. The average effect of a married man or woman smoking would be to increase the risk to the non-smoking partner by about 35 per cent. Much controversy remains, because others have suggested that there might have been biases in these studies. It has for example, been suggested that a non-smoker, when married to a smoker, it more likely to have been given the occasional cigarette during married life and that the explanation of the increased risk might lie in this. This possibility is difficult to reject.

Another approach comes from the laboratory; where work has been done to measure the products of smoking in the urine of non-smokers. These studies show only a few things with any certainty. Products of smoking are to be found in the urine of non-smokers who are married to smokers. Whether there is enough of them to be responsible for an increased risk of lung cancer is not proven.

This controversy is likely to continue and complete resolution is unlikely. We would agree with Sir Richard Doll’s view that ‘the one conclusion that can be drawn with certainty is that reached by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (in 1986): namely, that the presence of several known laboratory carcinogens in environmental smoke, combined with the knowledge that tobacco actively smoked causes lung cancer in humans must lead to the presumption that environmental smoke causes some risk of the disease.

It is worth setting this risk in perspective. A non-smoking woman has about one chance in 10,000 of getting lung cancer in any year. If she is married to a smoker her chance increases to about one and a half in 10,000 in each year. It might be argued that the consequences for her of her husband’s possible lung cancer, which might be as high as 20 in 10,000 in every year, is even worse than the risk to herself. She should try to stop him smoking, but rather more for his sake than for hers.

Risks to children in households where parents smoke are real. The Royal College of Physicians in its recent book Smoking and the Young reported that children who have smoking parents receive the same amount of nicotine as if they smoked 60-150 cigarettes each year. This is damaging: the children of parents who smoke arc shorter, have twice as much asthma, twice as many chest infections, have more time off school, get more chronic bronchitis and are more likely to die than the children of non-smokers.

There are many reasons, apart from the cancer risk, for not smoking in the home.

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OVERCOMING CANCER: PARTICIPATING IN YOUR HEALTH: A CASE HISTORY OF BOB GILLEY

admin — Sun, 15 May 2011 15:04:41 +0000

Sometimes life changes that precede an illness are what might normally be identified as positive changes. Bob Gilley, thirty-nine years old when he received his cancer diagnosis, is a good example of how individual the nature of a person’s response to stress is. When Stephanie first began working with Bob to explore his own emotional participation in his illness, she concluded at the end of his first interview that perhaps our theories did not pertain to him.

On first examination, Bob’s life seemed to be a model of the dynamic and successful young executive. He owned his own corporation and attained national recognition within his profession, receiving an award for maintaining the highest standards of production in his industry for over ten years. Even though in the past Bob had experienced many business difficulties with previous partners, he had formed a new partnership a few years before which seemed ideal.

Bob reported that early in their marriage he and his wife had had considerable difficulties, particularly when he was struggling to become a success. As his career became more and more successful, however, his marriage, on the surface, seemed to improve. Additionally, Bob and his wife had made the decision to adopt children some years before. Just prior to his diagnosis, they had completed the adoption of their second child. For all outward appearances, Bob seemed to have reached the top of the ladder and should have been enjoying the rewards of his years of struggle.

One of the first clues indicating that all was not as it seemed with Bob was a remark he made in his initial interview. He said that one of the few things he could remember in the year prior to his illness was a generalized feeling that was best characterized by the Peggy Lee song, “Is That All There Is?” To a man who had learned that the proof of his attainment and manhood rested in conquering difficulties, the attainment by age thirty-nine of most of his life’s goals and ambitions left him adrift. For someone who had not learned to enjoy the peaceful times in life, the absence of turmoil and struggle was experienced as a loss.

Within a year, Bob was diagnosed as having an advanced cancer and was once again faced with a challenge and a battle to be won. In the months and years after Bob’s diagnosis, much of his own emotional work and exploration has been in learning to enjoy the rewards of his struggles and to accept himself for who he is, rather than constantly needing to prove his worth by overcoming an obstacle or meeting a challenge head-on.

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The statistics on cancer

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:14:45 +0000

The statistics on cancer do not make for pleasant reading, but if we are to take a cool and objective look at this disease, we had better confront them. Cancer intrudes on many individual lives and has a major impact on the national life of many countries. One in three people will develop a cancer and about one in four will die of cancer. These statistics must be viewed against the fact that we can successfully treat and have almost eliminated a number of other diseases. Life expectancy has increased in the richer parts of the world. This will lead to more cancer cases because the disease is commoner in older people. The human and economic cost of the incidence of cancer is enormous and defies accurate assessment. A vast range of cancer treatment services, from surgery to terminal care, are provided by the health-care systems of developed countries. Sometimes these treatments produce cures and sometimes they fail. They are always expensive. A recent conservative estimate by the government of the cost of hospital care for cancer in the United Kingdom was ?2 billion each year. The cost in terms of the suffering for patients and their families cannot be gauged. Over ?100 million is spent annually on cancer research in the United Kingdom, mainly from charitable donations, and large sums are spent by government and international agencies throughout the world on registering, studying and analysing the information about cancer patients.

Above and beyond these daunting statistics lies the very special fear that cancer generates in people’s minds. Even though expert modern cancer care can sometimes cure and almost always control the major symptoms of the disease, many people stiff fear cancer more than the other common serious and life-threatening diseases of our times. They see it as an especially ‘sneaky’ disease, often lurking unrecognized and symptomless until discovered by accident. They may view cancer with despair as ‘the enemy within’ – an uninvited attack by die body on itself. They use euphemisms like ‘the big C’ as if uttering the very word ‘cancer’ will render them vulnerable. Misplaced fears of acquiring cancer by contact with cancer patients still persist and it is not unknown for cancer patients to feel lonely, guilty or inadequate (emotions which are not usually associated with other common diseases).

Health-care professionals themselves are not immune from emotional responses to this disease. For doctors, cancer generates a number of challenges. Some of the surgeon’s largest and most complex operations will be carried out on cancer patients. For the physician, cancer presents some of the most difficult diagnoses and testing questions about appropriate treatment. Experts in diagnostic procedures in the laboratory or in the reading of diagnostic X-rays and scans are faced with the challenge of detecting a cancer when it is early and treatable. It is hardly surprising that cancer care can generate the most tremendous satisfaction for the doctor who is successful in curing or controlling the disease. Nor should it surprise anyone that the most dismal sensations of frustration and failure are sometimes felt by doctors when they confront the results of cancer care. The care of cancer patients may present particular challenges to nurses too, placing heavy demands upon their dedication. Those who manage health care are under constant pressure to find more resources for cancer treatment and care against competing demands on their limited budgets. The very success of modern medical science in understanding, curing or eliminating other diseases which were once viewed with horror raises the emotional stakes for those involved in cancer research and therapy.

Cancer is ‘news’. Unfortunately, the news is often presented with morbid glamour. It can give an impression of cancer as some kind of scourge which has been visited upon us or which we have brought on ourselves. New cancer hazards are presented to us at every turn – in our choice of food, in the nature of our occupations, in the location of our homes, in our technological advances and in the simple act of drinking water from a tap – and we may be left feeling guilty, bewildered or helpless.

Early diagnosis by screening is a very topical subject, but the success of screening remains restricted to a few types of cancer at present. Cancer treatment by surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and, more recently, biological therapy is having an impact and great improvements in outlook have been achieved with some cancers over the last two decades. Great strides are being made in the biological sciences and we need to consider whether these are likely to generate major advances in cancer treatment in the near future.

*2\194\4*

CANCER: INTRODUCTIONThe statistics on cancer do not make for pleasant reading, but if we are to take a cool and objective look at this disease, we had better confront them. Cancer intrudes on many individual lives and has a major impact on the national life of many countries. One in three people will develop a cancer and about one in four will die of cancer. These statistics must be viewed against the fact that we can successfully treat and have almost eliminated a number of other diseases. Life expectancy has increased in the richer parts of the world. This will lead to more cancer cases because the disease is commoner in older people. The human and economic cost of the incidence of cancer is enormous and defies accurate assessment. A vast range of cancer treatment services, from surgery to terminal care, are provided by the health-care systems of developed countries. Sometimes these treatments produce cures and sometimes they fail. They are always expensive. A recent conservative estimate by the government of the cost of hospital care for cancer in the United Kingdom was ?2 billion each year. The cost in terms of the suffering for patients and their families cannot be gauged. Over ?100 million is spent annually on cancer research in the United Kingdom, mainly from charitable donations, and large sums are spent by government and international agencies throughout the world on registering, studying and analysing the information about cancer patients.Above and beyond these daunting statistics lies the very special fear that cancer generates in people’s minds. Even though expert modern cancer care can sometimes cure and almost always control the major symptoms of the disease, many people stiff fear cancer more than the other common serious and life-threatening diseases of our times. They see it as an especially ‘sneaky’ disease, often lurking unrecognized and symptomless until discovered by accident. They may view cancer with despair as ‘the enemy within’ – an uninvited attack by die body on itself. They use euphemisms like ‘the big C’ as if uttering the very word ‘cancer’ will render them vulnerable. Misplaced fears of acquiring cancer by contact with cancer patients still persist and it is not unknown for cancer patients to feel lonely, guilty or inadequate (emotions which are not usually associated with other common diseases).Health-care professionals themselves are not immune from emotional responses to this disease. For doctors, cancer generates a number of challenges. Some of the surgeon’s largest and most complex operations will be carried out on cancer patients. For the physician, cancer presents some of the most difficult diagnoses and testing questions about appropriate treatment. Experts in diagnostic procedures in the laboratory or in the reading of diagnostic X-rays and scans are faced with the challenge of detecting a cancer when it is early and treatable. It is hardly surprising that cancer care can generate the most tremendous satisfaction for the doctor who is successful in curing or controlling the disease. Nor should it surprise anyone that the most dismal sensations of frustration and failure are sometimes felt by doctors when they confront the results of cancer care. The care of cancer patients may present particular challenges to nurses too, placing heavy demands upon their dedication. Those who manage health care are under constant pressure to find more resources for cancer treatment and care against competing demands on their limited budgets. The very success of modern medical science in understanding, curing or eliminating other diseases which were once viewed with horror raises the emotional stakes for those involved in cancer research and therapy.Cancer is ‘news’. Unfortunately, the news is often presented with morbid glamour. It can give an impression of cancer as some kind of scourge which has been visited upon us or which we have brought on ourselves. New cancer hazards are presented to us at every turn – in our choice of food, in the nature of our occupations, in the location of our homes, in our technological advances and in the simple act of drinking water from a tap – and we may be left feeling guilty, bewildered or helpless. Early diagnosis by screening is a very topical subject, but the success of screening remains restricted to a few types of cancer at present. Cancer treatment by surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and, more recently, biological therapy is having an impact and great improvements in outlook have been achieved with some cancers over the last two decades. Great strides are being made in the biological sciences and we need to consider whether these are likely to generate major advances in cancer treatment in the near future.*2\194\4*

WHY THERE IS NO MIRACLE CURE FOR CANCER – LIMITATIONS TO DIFFERENT METHODS OF TREATING CANCER (PART 3)

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:10:11 +0000

Some methods of cancer treatment such as meditation and prayer utilise processes about which very little is known. An exceptional person may be able to rid their garden of weeds by meditating or praying over it. Equally rarely, someone may succeed in ridding their body of cancer by these methods. I don’t doubt that the mind has fantastic abilities which unfortunately remain completely unexplored and untapped by most of us in today’s ‘civilised’ and scientific society. Very few have a natural ability to tap into these powers. It seems unlikely that the rest of us could be taught to do so over a short period of time.

What about starving the weeds by depriving them of some of the nutrients they need? Some dietary methods try to ‘starve’ the cancer cells, for example the ‘grape diet’. Again the problem is that the normal cells need the same nutrients as the cancer cells. They are not so different that we can starve the cancer cells without starving the normal cells as well.

Diet-based cancer treatments are also said to work by cleansing and purifying the body. Contaminated soil certainly can be the reason for getting a lot of weeds in the first place. However, purifying the soil in some way after the weeds are established seems unlikely to get rid of them. Once established, they are likely to flourish in any soil that suits their close relatives, the normal plants, ‘Cleansing’ the body may prevent cancer but seems unlikely to cure established cancer.

In summary, the basic fact that prevents treatments from curing all cancers is that the cancer cells are too similar to our normal body cells. This fact also means that no effective cancer treatment is completely free of side effects—unwanted effects in the form of damage to normal cells and parts of the body.

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UNKNOWN PRIMARY – PART 2

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:01:00 +0000

You will remember from the last chapter that the crucial step in diagnosis of cancer, is to get a sample of the suspicious area for examination under the microscope. This is also true for people with probable secondary deposits and unknown primary. Examination of such a sample is usually necessary to confirm the diagnosis of cancer. In addition, by studying the shape, size, type and arrangement of cells from the secondary growth, the pathologist can often suggest likely primary sites. In deciding what further tests^ to recommend your doctor should consider the appearance and location of the secondary deposits, common cancer types for your age and sex and what treatments might be possible as well as the pathologist’ advice. Once you have ruled out primary cancers which are sensitive to certain particular hormone, chemotherapy or other treatments which go right through the body, there is rarely anything to be gained by searching further for the primary tumour. It may reveal itself later by producing symptoms which can then be dealt with. However, in some cases the primary cancer never causes any problems and is not located before death results from the effects of the secondary growths.

Well, that wasn’t such a difficult or unpleasant chapter, was it? You now have enough background to start thinking about treatment. First of all, it is important for you to understand why certain treatments are recommended. It is also important to understand what sorts of things you will need to know in order to decide whether what is recommended is likely to be best for you. This is what the next chapter is about. It is an extremely important chapter. Don’t miss it.

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NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS TO PREVENT CANCER: FIBRE AND FISH OILS

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:52:05 +0000

Fibre

Fibre is a much-needed component in the human diet. It is extremely useful in preventing disturbances of the intestine and digestive system, including cancer of the colon, rectum and diverticulitis or ulcerative colitis. With the advent of the low fibre Westernised diet, cancer of the colon has become one of the biggest killers amongst people of all ages. Fibre has an amazing ability to remove toxins/carcinogens from the digestive tract, thereby preventing many forms of cancer caused by a build-up of toxins. Fibre is also good for removing certain toxic metals from the body, and is able to remove fats, thereby decreasing the occurrence of breast cancer.

Other functions of fibre include helping to regulate the rate of sugar entering the bloodstream, lowering blood fat levels, preventing the absorption of toxic heavy metals and fats, and controlling weight. There are many different types of fibre including bran, cellulose, gum, hemicellulose, lignin, mucilage and pectin. Each form has its own function. Rice bran, a form of fibre, possesses potent anti-tumour activities and has an ability to stimulate the body’s immune system. Cellulose found in apples, beets, brazil nuts, broccoli, carrots, celery, green beans, lima beans, pears, peas and wholegrains helps to remove cancer-causing substances from the colon.

Pectin found in cabbage, apples, bananas, beets, carrots, citrus fruits, okra and dried peas, may reduce the side effects of radiation therapy, chemotherapy and remove unwanted toxins and metals. Hemicelluose, found in apples, bananas, beets, cabbage, green leafy vegetables, pears, peppers and wholegrain cereals may help to prevent colon cancer and to control carcinogens in the intestinal tract. The best way to obtain adequate fibre is to eat plenty of wholegrains and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Fish Oils (EPA/DHA)

Fish oils hit the health industry in the ’90s with amazing force. They are beneficial in preventing arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Fish oils are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). EPA is believed to inhibit the growth and metastasis of some forms of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer. Fish rich in EPA includes salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring oil, cod, haddock, swordfish, halibut, sardines, eel and trout.

The diet of the Inuit (Eskimos) is rich in fish oils, as is the Japanese diet. Both cultures show a low incidence of breast and colon cancer. A high fish intake is thought to decrease the risk of breast cancer and the development of many types of cancer.

Shark liver oil was discovered in 1922. It contains compounds known as alkyl-glycerols, which are also found in breast milk and bone marrow. These are active substances that provide breast fed babies with protection against infections until their own immunity is developed. Alkyglycerols have been studied as a possible treatment for childhood leukaemia and as a key to reversing cervical cancer in women.

Shark liver oil facilitates the elimination of toxic minerals from the body. It has the ability to also remove toxic organic forms of mercury and may be beneficial in the treatment and prevention of cancer.

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UNDERSTANDING CANCER: CHEMOTHERAPY/RADIATION THERAPY DIET

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:47:08 +0000

General Tips

If you are feeling nauseous try to blend any of the foods featured in the following diet in a food processor or blender and then drink hot or cold. It is important to keep energy and nutrition levels high while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as nutrients are required in large amounts by the body.

If you are in the hospital for long periods, it is advisable to take your own foods. Try to make fresh salads, take in plenty of purified water, soups and fruit.

Try to drink eight glasses of water throughout the day. Pure water helps to flush toxins from the body and cleanses and protects the kidneys.

Upon Rising

Every morning drink two glasses of pure water with 1/2 lemon squeezed into them. Fresh vegetable juice – any combination of the following – carrot, kale, celery, beetroot, garlic, ginger, apple, pineapple, lemon, broccoli, lettuce, wheatgrass

Breakfast

Fresh fruit or vegetable juice.

This may include any combination of the following:

Carrot, kale, celery, beetroot, garlic, ginger, apple, pineapple, lemon, broccoli or lettuce

AND

Cereal made from a combination of oatbran, lecithin granules, psyllium, LSA mix (linseed, soy and almond) and millet, dried apricots, prunes, chopped figs or chopped banana. Use nut milk or soymilk on top.

Grilled or baked fish, preferably mackerel, tuna, cod, sea perch, dory or salmon.

Wholegrain or rye bread with a thin layer of avocado, chopped tomato, sprouts and lemon juice for flavouring.

Energy/protein shake

Mid-Morning

Any of the following:

Vegetable juice diluted half/half with pure water.

Fruit for a snack if you feel hungry.

Herbal teas including echinacea, red clover, chamomile, essiac tea, pau d’arco, chaparral, burdock root or dandelion tea.

Lunch

Vegetable soup made with lentils, brown rice or polenta.

Miso soup made with buckwheat noodles, onions, garlic and ginger.

Fresh vegetable salad. Good vegetables include lettuce, carrot, capsicum, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, celery, spinach, avocado, broccoli, green peas, green beans, and cabbage.

AND/OR

Wholemeal bread, rye bread or yeast-free pita bread. Spread avocado over the base.

Add sun-dried tomatoes, lettuce, cottage cheese, grated carrot, grated beetroot and either salmon, tuna or tofu.

Mid-Afternoon

Any of the following:

Vegetable juice, diluted half/half with pure water

Fruit for a snack if you feel hungry

Herbal teas, including echinacea, essiac tea, pau d’ arco tea, red clover, chamomile, dandelion tea

Dinner

One source of protein, either free-range chicken breast, turkey breast, fish (particularly cod, mackerel, salmon, tuna, halibut or sardines), tofu or tempeh, or organic red meat (no more than 3 times/week). Add this to steamed or raw vegetables. Good vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, spinach, brussel sprouts, and turnips. Choose vegetables in season and organic if possible.

Fresh vegetable soup.

Wild/Brown Rice with fresh vegetables and shitake mushrooms.

After Dinner

Fresh chopped fruit with natural low-fat yogurt. Good choices of fruits include apple, banana, paw paw, pineapple, berries, strawberries, kiwifruit, grapes, and melon. Add LSA mix and lecithin granules for added benefit.

Herbal teas throughout the day are very helpful.

After chemotherapy or radiation therapy stops, it is important for you to detoxify your body of the harmful carcinogenic toxins put into your body during treatment.

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EMOTIONS AND CANCER

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:42:26 +0000

A person’s mood and attitude has a tremendous bearing on the function of their immune system. It has now been significantly proven that the emotions of anxiety and chronic stress negatively affect the function of our immune system and lower our body’s immune resistance, leaving it open to developing cancer.

Other negative emotions such as depression, repressed hostility, resentment, anger, feelings of helplessness and grief also weaken the immune system and enhance the development of illness, cancer and tumours. It has been proven in countless studies that the loss of a spouse, one of the deepest emotional grieving periods in one’s life, causes a depressed immune system and opens the body to an array of illnesses, including cancer.

In the past, stress, also known as the ‘fight and flight’ response, was automatically developed by humans as a method of survival in a ‘wild, primitive world’. When faced with danger during battles, man’s metabolism would increase and his senses would become more acute and alert, allowing him to survive in perilous situations. In those days, stress was short lived and once the danger was past, the body readapted and returned to normal.

The difference in today’s crazy world is that we don’t have the occasional caveman chasing us around with a club but, rather, a continuous onslaught of daily stressful situations to cope with- Rather than being able to release the stress and relax, our bodies stay in ‘stress mode’> constantly on edge. No wonder health has declined so rapidly in today’s society and the occurrence of more serious health conditions such as cancer, high blood pressure, insomnia, strokes, heart attacks, chronic depression, nervous twitches and ulcers have become an almost normal and accepted part of life.

It would be fantastic if we could all just move to the country and build a tepee up on a mountain top to escape our stressful society. However, for most people this is definitely not an option. The key to maintaining optimal health in today’s fast-paced society lies in natural relaxation techniques and stress reduction. Now, this doesn’t mean quick fixes either, such as smoking, drinking five cups of coffee a day, grabbing a sweet or a chocolate for a quick energy burst or excessive eating. It may make us feel better while we are doing these things but in the long run, they place added stress on the body and will actually make us feel worse as time goes by. A good example of this is bingeing on sugar. While it might give us a temporary boost of energy, it also depletes valuable Â vitamins. This can lead to our nervous system weakening, which leads to more susceptibility to stress, a weaker immune system and thus opening the doorway to sickness, and more chronic conditions, such as cancer.

So what is the answer? To release our negativity and emotional stress we need to learn holistic relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, tai chi, positive affirmations, meditation, laughter, exercise and a healthy, nutrient rich diet. By giving your body these beautiful gifts you will not only treat the immediate effects of stress but you will also make your body and mind stronger and more able to cope with the pressures in your everyday life. A stress-free mind that is free from negative emotions will ensure that you remain healthy and cancer-free.

At the other end of the scale, positive emotions such as love, playfulness, bliss, joy, contentment and self-mastery seem to have a beneficial effect on good health and promote healing. It is believed that laughter can heal many chronic conditions including cancer. When we are happy and optimistic, our immune system functions much better. In addition, guided imagery, hypnosis, positive affirmations and meditative states all enhance our immune system and our ability to cope with stress.

When we are stressed, our body increases its production and release of adrenal hormones including Cortisol, cortisone and adrenaline, to cause internal bodily changes that allow us to cope with stress. ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) is released from the pituitary gland and thymosin (a group of thyroid hormones) is also released to increase our coping mechanisms.

If our body is continuously bombarded with these ‘stress hormones’, white blood cell formation and function is inhibited and our thymus gland (the ‘maestro’ gland of the immune system) shrinks. Stress can also decrease lymphocyte count, specifically natural killer cells (‘the front-line soldiers of the immune army’) and T helper cells (‘the commanders of the immune army’), and reduce the body’s ability to produce interferon. This is an obvious suppression of the body’s immune system, leaving a person open to illness and cancer.

*70/34/5*

CANCER: UNDERSTANDING RADIATION THERAPY

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:36:09 +0000

Radiation Therapy Explained

Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, is a widely used method of orthodox cancer treatment. It is commonly employed as a modern treatment for persons afflicted with cancer, in an attempt to kill the malignant tissue that is involved with cancer. It can be used singularly, as the primary method of treatment, or it can be used prior or post surgery, or in conjunction with chemotherapy.

External beam therapy uses a complicated machine called a ‘linear accelerator’ to generate radioactive beams or rays, to damage and kill dividing cells.

Alternatively, a radioactive variant (isotope) of a common element, such as radium or iodine, can be implanted into or close to the cancerous tissue, or injected in. This type of internal treatment is called brachytherapy. It deals mainly with the problem site and therefore with one part of the body, usually where the tumour was first discovered.

Unlike surgery, radiation therapy does not involve an operation and removal of the part affected. It resembles chemotherapy in that it can damage tumour cells. Unfortunately damage to surrounding healthy tissue usually occurs, in particular to bone marrow and the mucosal lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Radiation acts at the cellular level, causing cell death. Radiation exerts its greatest effect on rapidly proliferating cells.

How Radiation Therapy Works

Radiation Therapy consists of an orderly arrangement of steps:

1. Planning

2. Treatment

3. Care and supervision during the course

4. Care and support of reactions and side-effects

5. Periodic review to check on progress

Radiotherapy uses a source of ionizing radiation, such as x-rays, gamma rays, radium or radioactive cobalt (Cobalt-60 or Iodine-131) delivered to the cancerous tissue to kill malignancies. The idea is to bombard the diseased tissue with radiation in the precise area that will destroy the tumour, and hopefully only cause minimal damage to surrounding tissues.

How Radiation Therapy is Given

Planning – In planning for radiation therapy, surface marks are drawn on the skin in red or purple so that the beam of radiation can be aimed at the tumour. These marks are miniature tattoos that are left on throughout the course of the treatment and may take a long time to disappear after treatment. Measurements are taken and doses calculated through diagnostic x-ray exposures with metallic markers. A prescription is then written for the radiographer to follow with treatment.

Treatment – The application of radiotherapy is painless and rapid (often only 30 seconds in length). The linear accelerator (most commonly used x-ray generator) is activated as all operators leave the room. The patient must lie perfectly still to ensure the radiation hits the correct area. Treatment is required several times and usually given daily for a period of three weeks or more. Alternatively, a radioactive variant can be inserted into the body, or injected. An example of this is the insertion of a radioactive element into the vagina for forty-eight hours to kill any cancerous cells.

Care and Supervision – It is recommended that the person receiving radiation therapy should see the doctor and radiographer every week, to check on side effects and results of treatment. Blood tests are taken regularly to monitor blood cell counts, as with chemotherapy.

Why Radiation Therapy is Given

Radiation therapy is commonly used before scheduled surgery to shrink tumours to more operable sizes. It is also used after surgery, to ensure removal of any remaining cancerous tissue and to prevent the onset of further cancerous growths in the future. It is also employed as a method of removing and shrinking small tumours present in the body. Some particular types of cancer respond better to radiation therapy rather than chemotherapy or other cancer drugs.

*46/34/5*

CANCER: QUESTIONS ABOUT CHEMOTHERAPY

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:24:37 +0000

Q. Will I definitely lose my hair?

A. NO. Patients do not always lose their hair. It depends on the amount of chemotherapy drugs the doctors choose to use, the type of drugs being used and the length of the treatment. Chemotherapy affects each person differently. There are no set rules as to who will suffer which particular side effects. Often if you are young, the doctors choose a more intense chemotherapy program and if this is the case, you will most likely lose your hair. Etoposide or Vpl6, a common chemotherapy drug, does cause temporary hair loss. One saving grace is that hair loss is temporary and the hair tends to grow back when treatment is stopped.

Q. If I lose my hair, will it grow back the same?

A. No. Not exactly the same. Often the hair will grow back much thicker, shinier, and healthier, and often a different texture. Many times it grows back curlier, as chemotherapy affects and deforms the hair follicle, making it grow curly and sometimes a different colour altogether. In the beginning, it grows back just like baby’s hair. In a way, after chemotherapy is completed, the overall appearance of your hair and skin is similar to being ‘reborn as a baby’.

Q. Can I still have children after chemotherapy?

A. In most cases yes, although this cannot be guaranteed. In the past, the chemotherapy drugs used were extremely toxic and this often led to infertility. Today treatment is less intense and with time, everything should return to normal. Try to support and protect your reproductive organs during chemotherapy with the right nutritional supplements. Most likely you will not be fertile for one to two years after chemotherapy. It can affect the transport of the eggs to the fallopian tubes and often doctors suggest IVF treatment for a successful pregnancy. For men and women, it is suggested to remove healthy sperm and eggs before chemotherapy to be safe. Before, during and after chemotherapy, it is advisable to use nutritional supplements and a healthy diet to support your reproductive system.

Q. Should I drink lots of water during chemotherapy?

A. YES. Try to drink two to three liters of water during treatment. This is very important, as one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy is damage to the kidneys. By flushing the kidneys with adequate water you will prevent kidney damage. Chemotherapy tends to fill you with large amounts of fluid, yet dehydrates you at the same time.

Q. Is there anything else I should be cautious of during chemotherapy?

A. YES. It is important to maintain your immunity levels during treatment. Chemotherapy kills white blood cells as well as cancerous cells, making your body’s immune system prone to infections, fevers and other illnesses. Keep your immune system strong by avoiding substances which weaken your immunity, i.e. stress, alcohol, smoking, recreational drugs, fats and sugar. Maintain a good and varied diet, rich in nutrients and supplements.

Q. Are there any other procedures I should be aware of during chemotherapy?

A. YES. The nurse will perform a blood test every day to check on nutrient levels, red blood cell count, white blood cell levels and kidney function. You may feel like a pincushion. It is all part of the process in avoiding long-term side effects. They say you become used to needles. I highly doubt this; you may become more tolerant, but that doesn’t mean you’ll ever grow to like them – would anybody?

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