Integrative Oncology is an important part of patient care at Radiotherapy Centers of Georgia.
As a patient, I feel for anyone who is given a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Hearing the “Big-C” word can be upsetting enough. But the complexity of the disease—diagnosing it, trying to characterize it and selecting the appropriate treatment—can feel like insult upon injury. We need to talk about prostate cancers. With 24 known sub-types of this cancer—from non-life-threatening to very aggressive—it’s no wonder so much time is expended on debating PSA screening and the potential for overtreatment.
While debates continue, more than 32,000 American men die from this disease each year, placing it on par with breast cancer in incidence and mortality.
Oddly, I still contend that when I was diagnosed last year, I was “lucky” enough to have clear diagnostic and prognostic data to inform my decision to have a radical prostatectomy, despite potential side effects . My PSA had nearly doubled in a year’s time. As my urologist reviewed my biopsy results, the extent of the cancer’s involvement in my walnut-sized gland and my Gleason scores, I knew where I was headed. He dutifully began sketching out all treatment options currently available to patients when I told him to stop and move to the top two options. He gave me a dubious look before I shared with him that I had learned much about the disease in two years of working at the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
I was lucky once again when my surgeon’s professional instincts prompted him to remove some of my lower lymph nodes during my robotic procedure, something that’s not always done. The post-surgical pathology report upgraded my diagnosis to Stage 4 metastatic disease with single Gleason 5 cells discovered in the nodes. (Not exactly the kind of upgrades I am accustomed to in my life…) As a result, I headed into seven weeks of radiation therapy and three years of androgen deprivation therapy—a palliative treatment that drastically cuts my production of testosterone, a fuel for prostate cancer growth and proliferation. Today, I have a 60 percent chance that I will have to live with recurrent disease. I look forward without second guessing.
Not all patients have such clarity. Through My New York Minute, I meet many readers who are confused by the complexity of this disease. As a fellow patient who also works for world’s leading private accelerator of prostate cancer research, I remind them:
Science will someday, sooner than later, enable us to identify which prostate cancer a patient has and prescribe highly personalized treatments that will work best for their case. Until then, an in-depth understanding of the disease and the advice of a trusted healthcare professional remain the best tools for making treatment decisions with confidence.
From: http://mynewyorkminute.org/?p=1242&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MyNewYorkMinute+%28My+New+York+Minute%29Look around any crowded event and you can spot them. The fashion balds. Years ago, we had Sinead O’Connor. Today you can spot dozens of men who opt to shave their heads and be fashion forward rather than admit to thinning hair or a bald spot. Others find it macho to look like they just jumped off a bottle of Mr. Clean at the local grocery store. On a sunny day it can sometimes be downright blinding if you don’t have a pair of shades to protect yourself from all those reflections. They may indeed be in fashion, but they are not the beautiful balds I am writing about.
The balds I am talking about are the ones who didn’t have a choice. Those whose chemo and/or radiation therapies have not only extracted a heavy physical toll, but took a swing at their outward appearances as well. There is one such patient who I see every afternoon while waiting for my daily radiation. This woman sometimes wears a small scarf but she is clearly not intending to hide anything. She walks from the waiting area into the treatment room freely, sans any attempt to hide her reality. I don’t know her well, but to me she is absolutely stunning inside and out.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not in the least berating those who choose to wear a wig or baseball cap. I couldn’t put up with all of those averted eyes or stares from those who do not know how to react. Of course, as a man, baldness is much easier to get away with these days. Whenever I see a woman or young child without hair, I might wonder what cancer or other disease they are dealing with in their life, but I always see their eyes, their smile, and their face. Instantly their true inner and outer beauty is spoken. More often than not, they reveal a character, confidence, bravery and grace that is enviable.
I always meet their eyes. It’s not a there but for the grace of God moment. (When it comes to cancer, I no longer qualify for such moments, anyway…) It’s pure admiration. I want them to know that I see them and appreciate their battles.
This Friday, there is a campaign, Be Bold, Be Bald. For one day, participants will be wearing bald caps and raising funds to support cancer research and outreach. At first, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the bald caps. Was it mockery? Insensitive? No. The more I think about it, the more I like it. It sends a strong message that cancer patients everywhere should not feel isolated. They are not alone. They are beautiful in their openness and determination.
Sheryl Crow, Cynthia Nixon, and Christina Applegate are just a few of the celebrities who have fought breast cancer.
You know their faces; you heard they had breast cancer. But do you know what really happened to these women? We’ve pulled together the details about how 10 of the world’s top performers and public figures endured breast cancer’s treatments and traumas——all while living in the public eye.
To read about their stories, click here.
Women tend to be more vigilant than men about getting recommended health checkups and cancer screenings, according to studies and experts.
They’re generally more willing, as well, to get potentially worrisome symptoms checked out, says Mary Daly, MD, oncologist and head of the department of clinical genetics at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
But not always. Younger women, for instance, tend to ignore symptoms that could point to cancer. “They have this notion that cancer is a problem of older people,” Daly tells WebMD. And they’re often right, but plenty of young people get cancer, too.
Of course, some women are as skilled as men are at switching to denial mode. “There are people who deliberately ignore their cancer symptoms,” says Hannah Linden, MD, a medical oncologist. She is a joint associate member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle. It’s usually denial, but not always, she says. “For some, there is a cultural belief that cancer is incurable, so why go there.”
Talking about worrisome symptoms shouldn’t make people overreact, says Ranit Mishori, MD, an assistant professor of family medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. “I don’t want to give people the impression they should look for every little thing,” she says.
With that healthy balance between denial and hypochondria in mind, WebMD asked experts to talk about the symptoms that may not immediately make a woman worry about cancer, but that should be checked out. Read on for 15 possible cancer symptoms women often ignore, by clicking here.
Treatment for certain cancers can affect your sexuality, causing a range of signs and symptoms that can make sex with your partner more difficult. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a healthy sex life after cancer treatment. Knowing more about your cancer treatment and how it may affect sexual function can help you find a solution if problems develop.
For more information please visit: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer-treatment/SA00070
Patients have a plans of attack and are engaged in the battle, leaving those who care for them feeling helpless on the sidelines. To read this interesting perspective and blog click here.
Two years after undergoing a double mastectomy and chemotherapy so severe she was hospitalized in intensive care for several weeks, breast cancer survivor Denise Hicks should be following what her doctors call “the plan.”
“I should be taking medication, I should be having tests and lab work,” says the 51-year-old Californian. “But my choice is to pay virtually every cent I have to do that or be able to pay for my rent, food and gas.”
Hicks has health insurance but already reached her coverage limits. So the CT scan that her oncologist “strongly advised” months ago to check a possible recurrence remains undone. “It would cost me $4,700 out of pocket—money I just can’t afford.” She’s also skipping recommended medications. “One drug would cost me $167 a month and another is $200 a month,” she says.
“So what am I doing? Well, I may soon be moving in with my 83-year-old mother, who lives in a trailer. But for now, I pray a lot,” Hicks says. Click here to read the full article.
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye… And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopene and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
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