First in a series: Contributing Factors – Colorectal Cancer
Over the last fifteen years, the number of new cases of colorectal cancer has gone down by 2 to 3 percent per year. There are a number of factors that still result in over 140,000 new cases of colorectal cancer being diagnosed each year. The following is an overview of these factors. The incidence of […]
Colorectal Cancer: Being Physically Active is Better
A study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in March of this year and sponsored by the American Cancer Society has reported that patients with localized colorectal (large bowel ) cancer had improved overall survival with increased physical activity; whereas a more sedentary lifestyle was associated with reduced survival. In this study, participants […]
Gender Differences in Grief
It is no surprise that men and women are profoundly different in a variety of ways and one of these key differences is the area of grief. It can be helpful to understand how gender differences play a part in how we grieve, whether we are the person grieving or if it a family member […]
Living Long and Well with Cancer: Can Exercise Help?
A century ago, when illness struck, patients were sent to bed, isolated and ‘let’ of blood. Fortunately, sanatoriums and leeches have been done away with, but the concept of bed rest or inactivity is still one that has been debated until just recently. Historically, there have been concerns that exercise could make cancer spread or […]
Electronic Cigarette Devices
The roots of the modern cigarette go back to the 9th century when the Mayans and Aztecs used tobacco in religious ceremonies. It was not until 1880 a cigarette machine was invented and cigarettes were manufactured in mass numbers. At that time cigarettes became available to many more people. We did not have what […]
Diffuse B-cell large cell lymphoma: Beware of the double hit
Lymphomas are cancers of lymph cells (lymphocytes). B-lymphocytes play an important role in the immune system and are involved in producing antibodies against viruses and bacteria during an infection. When B-lymphocytes become malignant, they can form slower growing tumors (low grade lymphomas) or faster growing tumors (high grade lymphomas). Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is one […]
Stand Up For Your Health
This is not just a “catchy” slogan but is actually a fact. There is a growing body of evidence that has shown that sitting for long periods of time can be extremely bad for your health, almost as much as smoking. Periods of prolonged sitting is being studied by researchers to be linked to multiple […]
Qigong: Improving Quality of Life in Women Undergoing Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer
Qigong (\”qi\” or \”chi\”= energy flow, \”gong\”= skill or achievement) is a practice with its roots in Chinese medicine, martial arts and philosophy. It involves rhythmic breathing coordinated with repetition of fluid movements and a calm mindful state guiding \”qi\” through the body. There are many million practitioners of Qigong in China and the rest […]
Treatment for Medullary Thyroid Cancer
Medullary thyroid cancer is a rare form of thyroid cancer. On November 29, 2012 the FDA announced the approval of an oral drug called cabozantinib (brand name Cometriq) for the treatment of patients with medullary thyroid cancer where the cancer has spread to other sites in the body. It is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor blocking […]
Cancer Related Fatigue
Fatigue is a very common complaint among cancer patients. Everyone experiences fatigue from time to time. This is how our bodies indicate the need for rest and sleep and is an expected feeling after certain activities or at day’s end. Usually a good night’s sleep will solve the problem. However, individuals with cancer can experience […]