February 2011 ~ Biotechnology

Question about breast Cancer

9:37 AM

kotesh

I may have breast cancer, what questions should I ask my doctor?

If you have received a positive or possible diagnosis of breast cancer, there are a number of questions that you can ask your doctor. The answers you receive to these questions should give you a better understanding of your specific diagnosis and the corresponding treatment. It is usually helpful to write your questions down before you meet with your health-care provider. This gives you the opportunity to ask all your questions in an organized fashion.

Each question is followed by a brief explanation as to why that particular question is important. We will not attempt to answer these questions in detail here because each individual case is just that, individual. This outline is designed to provide a framework to help you and your family make certain that most of the important questions in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment have been addressed. As cancer treatments are constantly evolving, specific recommendations and treatments might change and you should always confer with your treatment team regarding any questions.

Is the doctor sure I have breast cancer?

Certain types of cancer are relatively easy to identify by standard microscopic evaluation of the tissue. This is generally true for the most common types of breast cancer.

However, as the search for earlier and rarer forms of breast cancer progresses, it can be difficult to be certain that a particular group of cells is malignant (cancerous). At the same time, benign conditions may have cells which are somewhat distorted in appearance or pattern of growth (known as atypical cells or atypical hyperplasia). For this reason, it is important that the pathologist reading the slides of your breast biopsy be experienced in breast pathology. Most good pathology groups have multiple pathologists review questionable or troublesome slides. In more difficult cases, the slides will often be sent to recognized specialists with considerable expertise in breast pathology.

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Breast Cancer

9:36 AM

kotesh

Breast Cancer Slideshow Pictures

Take the Breast Cancer Quiz

Medical Author: Jerry Balentine, DO, FACEP
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

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Treatment & Side Effects of Breast Cancer

9:34 AM

kotesh

In recent years, there's been an explosion of life-saving treatment advances against breast cancer, bringing new hope and excitement. Instead of only one or two options, today there's an overwhelming menu of treatment choices that fight the complex mix of cells in each individual cancer. The decisions — surgery, then perhaps radiation, hormonal (anti-estrogen) therapy, and/or chemotherapy — can feel overwhelming.

Breastcancer.org can help you understand your cancer stageand appropriate options, so you and your doctors can arrive at the best treatment plan for YOU.

In the following pages of the Treatment and Side Effects section, you can learn about:

Planning Your Treatment: What types of treatment are available and which might be appropriate for you.
Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy), mastectomy, and lymph node dissection, and what to expect from each.
Chemotherapy: Who should get it, how it works, different types, side effects, and how to manage them.
Radiation Therapy: What it is, who it's for, advantages, side effects, and what to expect when you get it.
Hormonal Therapy: The link between hormones and breast cancer and how different groups of drugs — including ERDs, SERMs, and aromatase inhibitors — can affect that link.
Targeted Therapies: Including Herceptin: How they work, who should get them, how they're given, side effects, and major studies.
Complementary & Holistic Medicine: How complementary medicine techniques such as acupuncture, meditation, and yoga could be a helpful addition to your regular medical treatment. Includes research on complementary techniques and ways to find qualified practitioners.
Drugs for Treatment and Risk Reduction: A reference list of drugs used to treat and reduce the risk of breast cancer, including how they work, to whom they are typically given, and side effects.
Treatment Side Effects: A reference list of side effects and their explanations.
Clinical Trials: What clinical trials are and how to find trials if you would like to participate.

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How it Pass breast cancer on to daughter?

9:34 AM

kotesh

Question fromTess: I am worried my daughter will end up getting cancer, too, and it will be entirely my fault.: Answers —Patricia Ganz, M.D.: While there is a risk to your daughter because you have had breast cancer, the cause of breast cancer, in most women, is not hereditary, but more what you are exposed to over your lifetime. In particular, your hormones in your own body, and how your body and, particularly, the breast responds to those hormones. Things to think about are to make sure she eats a healthy diet, and that she remains physically active. Young girls will usually exercise throughout their life and have a reduced risk due to the exercise. In addition, preventing obesity can be helped by exercise. The other thing to tell your daughter is that breast cancer, when detected early, is highly curable, and many women can have a normal life span from early detection and treatment. In her lifetime, there may be many more treatments available to prevent breast cancer.; Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: Dr. Ganz is so right to express this optimism about the future. Know that your daughter will take her cues from you. If you keep looking at her with worried and guilty looks, you may make her more anxious than she needs to be. Helping her find the right information, and giving her the necessary guidance to learn how to lead a healthy life will be the most constructive way to help her if she is or if she is not at increased risk for developing breast cancer.

On Wednesday, October 17, 2001, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Quality of Life. Patricia A. Ganz, M.D.,Marisa Weiss, M.D.,answered your questions about how breast cancer can affect physical, emotional, social, and sexual aspects of your life.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

A production of LiveWorld, Inc.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

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How close is breast cancer cured ?

9:32 AM

kotesh

Bio Pat: I guess since having breast cancer myself, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. My greatest wish is for a cure. How close do you think a cure might be?: Answers —Patricia Ganz, M.D.: If I were to be a true optimist, I would say it's just around the corner. However, knowing that breast cancer is a complex disease, and that it is not one disease but has many faces, I am reluctant to say that. Unfortunately, there are many women diagnosed with cancer who have a good outlook who can still have the disease recur many years later. It is not common, but it can occur. Alternatively, some women with small tumors can expect to be cured with the treatments that they have had. It is hard to generalize when and how the cure may be here.; Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: We have all seen an explosion of new information, a much deeper understanding of what causes breast cancer, and what might eradicate it. The progress is strong and steady.

A production of LiveWorld, Inc.

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The Psychology of Smoking of Humans

9:29 AM

kotesh

Why did you start smoking?
Every pack of cigarettes has a warning from the Surgeon General stating that smoking can be harmful to your health. You are not stupid. You understand this. You feel the harmful effects every time that you cough or have a sore throat, but this has not stopped you from smoking. Why? Because the reasons for smoking are mostly psychological. People are seduced to try tobacco by the glamorization of smoking in the movies and in advertisements. Addiction to nicotine makes it hard to quit smoking once you have started, but this addiction can be overcome in two weeks once the psychological reasons for smoking are eliminated.

You need to understand and eliminate the psychological root of the problem. Here is a list of the reasons why people start smoking. Look at them carefully and think about your own experience. Most of these reasons are related to how you perceive yourself in the company of others. You generally start smoking in an attempt to change your self-image and appear more attractive, more manly, more feminine, or more intelligent. Sometimes you start smoking in a misguided attempt to calm your nerves, cope with stress, or lose weight, but smoking does not help to solve the source of your problems or to compensate for poor eating habits.

Reasons why people start to use tobacco:

On a dare to show that you are not timid or afraid.
To fit with the crowd (all my friends do it)
To appear sophisticated or cool
To be grown-up
To assert your independence
As a sign of protest, rebellion, or to defy authority
Free samples from friends or advertisers
Influences from people you respect and admire
- Parents or relatives smoked
- Images of famous actors, movie stars, or role models
  (Humphrey Bogart who eventually developed throat cancer,
  news anchorman Peter Jennings who developed lung cancer)
- Baseball players who use chewing tobacco
- Famous scientists
  (Einstein is the prototype of intellectual smokers.
  He looks so proud with a pipe in his mouth.)
Portrayals by cigarette advertisements
- Joe Camel (cartoon character aimed at young people.
  Joe's face has features of a scrotum or other private parts
  and provides subliminal sex appeal)
- Marlboro man (two of the models who portrayed the rugged
  cowboy eventually died of lung cancer)
- Kool cigarettes used a cartoon penguin as an advertisement mascot.
- Virginia slims (thin, sophisticated, and independent woman)
To try to lose weight (click here to find out how to really lose weight)
To calm your nerves
As a kind of "air freshener" when using the toilet

Tobacco companies have encouraged habitual use of tobacco by including coupons, such as Camel Cash, that can be collected and redeemed for merchandise. Although advertising by tobacco companies has been curtailed on television, there is sufficient promotion in other types of media to hook the next generation of users. The tobacco industry and the attorneys general of 46 states agreed to ban the use of cartoon characters in tobacco advertising in 1998 because of the appeal of cartoons to minors. In 2006, a U.S. District Judge ruled that tobacco companies violated racketeering laws by deceiving the public about the health hazards of smoking, and ordered the companies to stop using deceptive labels with the terms "light", "ultra-light", "low tar", or "mild".

To perpetuate tobacco addiction, cigarette manufacturers have also boosted the amount of nicotine in tobacco and modified cigarette designs to increase the number of puffs per cigarette. Harvard School of Public Health researchers found that the amount of nicotine that smokers typically consumed per cigarette, regardless of brand, rose by an average of 1.6 percent per year between 1998 and 2005 across all the major cigarette market categories (mentholated, non-mentholated, full-flavor, light, ultralight, etc.). This is an increase of 11 percent in the amount of nicotine per cigarette over a seven-year period. The higher drug levels make it harder for smokers to quit.

Why do you smoke now?
You have been smoking for a while and you have matured. Now you know that smoking has not made you smarter, or cooler, or sexier. Smoking has not helped you to achieve your goals. Your accomplishments have been made in spite of smoking, but you are more aware that your health suffers. You can tell by your burning eyes, your hacking cough, and the phlegm in your throat. So, why do you still smoke? Most people continue smoking out of habit. They light a cigarette without even thinking. But sometimes people smoke under specific situations as a kind of ritual. Associating activities with smoking establishes Pavlovian reflexes. Pavlovian reflexes are named after Dr. Ivan Pavlov who was able to make his dogs salivate in the absence of food by just ringing a bell that had been associated with the dog's feeding time. In the same way, activities that you have associated with smoking, such as drinking coffee, will act as triggers. The mere sight of a cup of coffee will cause you to reach for your cigarettes without any conscious thought. Seeing friends smoking cigarettes, watching movies where the actors smoke, or the smell of cigarette smoke may trigger the psychological desire to smoke. Researchers have found that smokers with a damaged insula, a region of the brain linked to emotion and feelings, quit smoking easily and immediately. The study provides direct evidence that addiction to nicotine in tobacco smoke takes control of some of the neural circuits in the brain.

These are some of the reasons why people smoke:

No particular reason, but the cigarettes are handy
To reduce a feeling of anxiety or nervousness
To calm down when upset or angry
To socialize with other smokers
When feeling restless
As relaxation
To take a break from work
While having coffee or tea
When having a drink with friends
To satisfy an urge to smoke
After a meal
After sex
To pass the time while waiting for someone.
When driving in the car
When feeling depressed
When drinking beer, wine, or liquor
To celebrate something
To think about a difficult problem

Review this list and think about what you would do under each of these circumstances if you did not smoke. You need to start thinking about how you are going to cope in these situations without using tobacco.

How much do you smoke?
Many smokers feel that they don't smoke enough to be harmful, but this kind of thinking is only self-delusion that justifies a bad habit. You need to understand your degree of dependence on tobacco to be able to quit successfully. Answer the following questions and write down the answers in a log book that you can use to monitor your progress as you reduce your dependence on tobacco.

I smoke: a) occasionally, b) daily, c) pack a day, d) more
How many cigarettes do you usually smoke each day?
How soon after you wake up do you usually smoke your first cigarette of the day?
How much money do you usually spend on cigarettes each day?
When was the last time you smoked: a) today, b) 3 days ago, c) a week ago, d) a month ago

A carton containing 10 packs of 20 cigarettes costs from $30 to $70 Dollars depending on the taxes imposed by the state. A smoker who consumes one pack per day at a cost of $4.00 Dollars per pack, will spend approximately $1,460 Dollars per year. The cost is much higher when you consider the increased premiums for health and life insuran

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WHY SMOKING IS HARMFUL TO HEALTH.....?

9:29 AM

kotesh

Why is smoking harmful?
Tobacco smoke contains more than 60 cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens), including polycyclic hydrocarbons, N-nitrosamines, aldehydes, and inorganic compounds. Twenty of the carcinogens cause cancer in the lungs and throat.[2] The most carcinogenic chemicals in tobacco are the nitrosamines. These are found in tobacco smoke, including second-hand smoke (environmental tobacco smoke), and chewing tobacco. The chemicals cause irritation and inflammation that gradually damage the cells of the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs causing them to become cancerous.

X-Ray of lung cancer.
The white mass in the red circle is a lung tumor

Oral Cancer

SMOKELESS TOBACCO or CHEWING TOBACCO:
An average size dip or chew of tobacco held in the mouth for 30 minutes provides as much nicotine as about 3 cigarettes. This makes smokeless tobacco highly addictive. Even though there is no smoke, tobacco held between the cheeks and gums releases chemicals that cause changes in the oral mucous tissues in as little as seven days. As the tissues of the mouth degenerate under the influence of the harmful chemicals, precancerous white or red patches (leukoplakias or erythroplakias) may develop.

Oral cancer includes cancers of the mouth, parts of the throat, and pharynx or voice box. Oral cancer is very difficult to treat because both the cancer and the treatments make it impossible to eat a proper diet. Only half of those with the disease survive more than five years. About 30,000 new cases of oral cancer (mouth, oral cavity, and pharynx) are diagnosed every year, and more than 8,000 people die from mouth cancer every year.[3]

Smoking causes wrinkles and accelerates aging
The chemicals in the smoke of tobacco narrow the blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin. The reduced blood flow depletes oxygen and important nutrients, such as vitamin A, and results in damage to the collagen and elastin fibers that give strength and elasticity to the skin. As a result, the skin starts to sag and wrinkle prematurely, accelerating the normal aging process. Smoking is associated with increased wrinkling and skin damage in other parts of the body, including the inner arms. Repeated exposure to the heat from burning cigarettes and the facial expressions made when smoking, such as pursing the lips and squinting the eyes to keep out smoke, may also contribute to wrinkles. The following photographs of identical twins, aged 52, shows the wrinkling caused by smoking. The twin on the right smoked approximately three cigarettes per day (52.5 packs per year), and her skin has a lot more wrinkles and more severe aging.[4]

LEFT: Non-smoking twin, RIGHT: Twin who smokes 3 cigarettes per day

(Click image to enlarge it)

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To Permanently Stop Smoking Cigarettes and Tobacco

9:27 AM

kotesh

Кто не курит и не пьёт, тот здоровеньким помрёт

Whoever does not smoke or drink will die in good health. - Russian proverb.

If we take a fatalistic view of life, nothing is important. However, deep down inside, we feel that even though our life is finite, we can accomplish much. It is this desire to live a long, healthy life with our friends and loved ones that can provide a motivation to quit smoking.

Many smokers feel that they are the masters of their own destiny and that they could quit smoking anytime they want, but then they convince themselves that they enjoy smoking and that they will not quit today. As time passes, the habit becomes ingrained until it becomes a lifestyle and an addiction that causes physical discomfort if stopped. The only way to stop smoking is to overcome the psychological dependence on tobacco and the physical addiction to nicotine.

Harmful effects of Tobacco
SMOKING:
You have probably heard that cigarette smoking is a leading cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smokers die an average of 10 years sooner than nonsmokers. Tobacco is responsible for over half of the deaths from cancer. The Surgeon General issued a report in 1964 saying that smoking was harmful.

In 1983, cigarette smoking was ranked as the largest preventable cause of coronary heart disease (CHD). Smoking one to five cigarettes a day increases heart attack risk by 40% compared with nonsmokers, and smoking one pack per day quadruples the risk. In 1984, cigarette smoking was found to be the major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, for both men and women. A 2004 report stated that cigarette smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body, and that it is conclusively linked to leukemia, cataracts, pneumonia and cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach. Unborn children and non-smokers who breathe smoke exhaled by smokers and burning tobacco (second-hand smoke) can also become sick, and thousands of smoking-related fires occur yearly. Statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) show that smoking kills over 440,000 people per year in the United States.[1] For comparison, approximately 400,000 Americans died in World War II, 58,000 American soldiers died during the Vietnam war, and 2,800 people died when the World Trade Center towers collapsed after being hit by two hijacked airplanes on September 11, 2001. We mourn this great loss of life. However, every year, the number of deaths caused by smoking is over 157 times greater than the World Trade Center, 7.5 greater than Vietnam, and exceeds those of World War II, but strangely, this does not cause any great outrage because we voluntarily inflict this on ourselves.

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Number of cigarettes smoked per day:
Number of cigarettes in a pack:
Price per pack:

Cost per day:
Cost per month:
Cost per year:
Cigarettes per year:
Wasted Hours per year: (at 4 min./cigarette)

I may have breast cancer, what questions should I ask my doctor?

Is the doctor sure I have breast cancer?

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