There are several things that one can control – one of which is our thoughts about the circumstances we are dealing with at the present time. Stress is, in many cases, as an inevitable by-product of life’s less than pleasant circumstances. How we deal with stress is, truly up to us.
As the growing body of research shows the powerful effects that our mind have on our body, it’s important to find an appropriate way to access those emotions, release them, and reap the positive benefits on the immune system. It is also important to incorporate a complete program that improves upon the assets that are already part of their body – our thoughts being one of many.
Learn to bring forth the elements within your body and mind that will help you with the stress levels you face while helping you reduce their ill effects.
By Rebecca Webber
Mary McGuire-Wien and her husband, Charles Wildbank, had been searching for a new home on Long Island for more than a year, but every place they’d seen was either unsuitable or unaffordable. After one long Sunday of unsuccessful house-hunting with their agent, the couple was anxious to get back home, but got stuck at a traffic light right next to an old barn that was under renovation. “A guy in a hard hat looked over at us and said, ‘Are you looking for a house?’” says Mary.
Though the barn didn’t look like a house—it didn’t even have any visible windows—Mary and her husband got out to take a look. The building turned out to be loftlike, with beautiful historical details (including back-facing windows). “A normal family probably wouldn’t want it,” says Mary. “But it was absolutely perfect for us because we needed a space where I could have a yoga retreat, and where Charles could paint.” They agreed to buy the place from the construction worker, who turned out to be the barn’s owner.
Mary and Charles could be considered fortunate—what are the chances that the owner would stop them when they were most in need of a home? And yet, they were the ones who agreed to investigate an unlikely prospect. Their open-mindedness turned a strange moment into a lucky break.
People who spot and seize opportunity are different. They are more open to life’s forking paths, so they see possibilities others miss. And if things don’t work out the way they’d hoped, they brush off disappointment and launch themselves headlong toward the next fortunate circumstance. As a result, they’re happier and more likely to achieve their goals.
Psychologists are figuring out why some people always seem to juggle incredible opportunities. Their insights can help us all lead luckier lives.
To read about these insights and the rest of the article, click here.
African-American men are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed and 2.4 times more likely to die from prostate cancer. With the stark reality that black men and their families are more more likely to be affected by prostate cancer than any other group of our population, two events provided a fitting end to last week’s Advance on Washington: The African-American Prostate Cancer Health Disparities meeting organized by the Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) as part of the Congressional Black Caucus meeting, and the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program (BBHOP) that was held at select barbershops in the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas on Saturday. To read the entire article, click here.
Men with low PSA levels from a baseline blood test were less likely to develop prostate cancer compared to men whose baseline PSA levels were high, according to a new study.
The simple test may be a strong predictor of who will benefit from future screening and treatment for prostate cancer, according to the study published Monday in the journal Cancer.
More than 85,000 men, ages 55 to 74, with no previous prostate cancer history were the subjects of the study. The authors found that in order to save one life, they needed to investigate almost 25,000 men with low PSA levels but only 133 men with high ones. Similarly, they needed to treat 724 men who had low PSA levels to save one life but only 60 men whose levels were higher.
PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein found in prostate cancer tissue. When that tissue breaks down, the protein seeps into the bloodstream. The heavier the presence of PSA in the blood, the more likely prostate cancer will be dangerous and require some type of treatment, said Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer at American Cancer Society and a contributor to CNNHealth.com.
But aren’t all cancers bad, even if a man’s PSA level is low?
“There are a large number of prostate cancers that don’t need to be treated because they’re not a health threat to the man who has them,” explained Brawley. That makes guidelines for screenings more difficult to set.
The American Cancer Society encourages men to work with their doctors to learn about the test’s benefits and risks before making an informed personal decision around age 50. Research has not yet proven that the potential benefits of testing outweigh the harms of testing and treatment, explains the organization.
The American Urology Association recommends baseline screening for men at age 40 with future screenings determined in conjunction with the patient’s doctor.
“This can’t be done in a vacuum,” said Dr. J. Brantley Thrasher, spokesman for the American Urology Association and the William L. Balk Chair of the Department of Urology at the University of Kansas. “We need to let [patients] know this is an imperfect marker, but we’re getting data that may help us in the future.”
It’s difficult to accept the idea that you could have prostate cancer that doesn’t need to be treated and could be left alone with no harm, while other men have aggressive and deadly prostate cancers. Brawley, who chooses not to be screened, thinks this is why most men get PSA tests regularly, despite the many risks associated treatment.
“By choosing to get screened, there is a guaranteed increase in diagnosis… but there is only a potential decrease in death,” said Brawley.
Some of the risks of treatment include impotence, incontinence and bowel injury.
Still, Thrasher says the importance of the PSA blood test should not be diminished. He tells his patients to get regular screenings every other year or every three years after their initial test.
“I believe knowledge is power to some extent,” said Thrasher. “It’s risks versus benefits… and each decision point is a fork in the road where [me and patients] have to have a discussion.”
|
|
| Prostate cancer survivors, medical and research specialists, government, community and industry leaders will assemble for the sixth annual PHEN summit. The two-day summit, which is open and free to the public, will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building on Thursday, September 16th (9am – 4pm), and at the Washington Convention Center on Friday, September 17th (8:30am – 12 noon). The Friday session is hosted by Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) as a part of the Congressional Black Caucus “Annual Legislative Conference.”
The Thursday session will focus on new prostate cancer treatments along with clinical trials and research efforts which are underway toward future treatments. The session will examine how these new developments can reduce or eliminate the 150% African American death rate disparity. The importance, and the process, of patients making informed decisions about their treatments selections, and participating in clinical trials, will be an important part of the Thursday session. The Friday program will highlight PHEN’s “Rally Against Prostate Cancer” (RAP Cancer) national education and awareness initiatives. Presentations by survivors and church leaders will focus on the highly successful 2010 “Father’s Day Rally” held within churches across the country. They will outline their experiences reaching men and women through this inaugural PHEN / church partnership effort. Plans and strategies for expanding church participation in the 2011 Father’s Day Rally will be presented and discussed. A major emphasis will be on goals and plans to utilize the PHEN / Church partnerships to broaden and accelerate prostate health education and awareness outreach throughout Black America with the highest levels of visibility, priority and effectiveness ever achieved. National leaders and key decision makers will be active participants in the 2010 summit as has been the tradition for the PHEN summits since they were started in 2005. Summit Registration For more information click here: http://www.prostatehealthed.org/ |
|
Welcome to RC Cancer Talk! We’re glad you’re reading our 1st official blog. The RC Cancer Centers’ team is comprised of physicians, physicists, nurses, radiation therapists, medical assistants, developers, financial counselors and many others. Each offers a different perspective, but shares the same passion for treating and caring for cancer patients. We want this blog to provide you with information that inspires, educates, promotes discussion, entertains and offers support in your life. This blog is a place to share your thoughts, ask questions and discuss topics with others.
Please let us know what topics are of interest. We want to include content which you are passionate about and that will be of value. “Remember that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away!” – Author Unknown
Be on the lookout for upcoming posts in the near future and beyond.
Thank you for visiting our blog. Enjoy!
-The RC Cancer Centers Team
©2013 Physician Oncology Services. All Rights Reserved.
Also known as RC Cancer Centers.
