Cancer The Silent Disease!

As most of us are aware, October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Fortunately for the women who have been diagnosed with this terrible disease, breast cancer has been on the mind of science all year long. In fact, some good news has recently come in the form of new, refined breast cancer treatments.

Though treatments for breast cancer patients have become more and more advanced over the last couple of years, a promising new method could have the potential to stop the cancer in its tracks without overdoing chemotherapy. This technique is called genetic profiling, and it is enabling doctors to build a more personalized treatment that is specifically adapted to match a patient’s particular breast cancer cell type, cancerous protein makeup, rate of growth and more.
Several tests are now available to doctors that aid in figuring out exactly what biological or genetic factors is the driving force behind various types of breast cancer. New therapies allow for focused attacks to target those specific factors, which in turn slows the growth of more cancerous cells and allows the chemotherapy to destroy the cancer quicker than it can regenerate.

Treatment Options

There are five different treatment options available to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. These are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy; and it is common to use multiple treatments in conjunction with one another While the same treatments are still currently available, doctors are working to improve and hone each option in order to better target cancer cells.

Oncotype DX is one of the new treatments available. This particular therapy helps women who likely benefit from standard hormonal therapy because estrogen or other female hormones are compelling the cancerous cells to grow. Oncotype DX analyzes and inspects the genetic makeup of various breast cancer cells in order to determine if the cells will return even after hormone therapy. If this result shows that the chance of developing cancer again is indeed high, , it will prompt doctors to recommend additional hormone therapy as well as chemotherapy.

Another new treatment relies on a drug called trastuzumab to block the growth brought on by a growth gene in the cancer cell, slowing its regeneration and making it more susceptible to chemotherapy. Doctors have discovered that about one fourth of all breast cancer patients have cancer cells that include mutated growth genes which generate much more protein than normal, causing very fast, irrepressible growth in tumors and cancerous cells. Also, this drug battles the cancer’s capability to grow immune to chemotherapy since it will be too weak.

These special tests are a few of the increasing number of personalized treatments for breast cancer patients. Genetic profiling and more specific attacks on cancer cells could prevent many women with early breast cancer from having to undergo chemotherapy, which they may not be necessary at all if treatments are completed early enough. On the contrary, the same profiling will signify whether or not a patient requires stronger measures right away to battle the cancer, and if they will benefit from hormone therapy, surgery, or other treatments and procedures.

You could call it a glucometer too, but the glucose meter is basically a medical contrivance employed in the measurement of the blood glucose or sugar levels. Up to 8 percent of all Americans suffer from diabetes, making it a rather common condition. You might want to take a look at your glucose levels – and on regular/daily intervals too – if you happen to be one of such folks. The glucose meter certainly comes in handy at such a time.

Diabetes is commonly inherited; however one can also get the disease as a result of bad eating habits. It is not uncommon to find folks who develop the condition partly from lack of exercise and stress. Regular Insulin injections are commonly administered to sufferers to help manage their blood sugar levels acceptably. It is not uncommon to have patients who fail to maintain the levels of sugar in their blood suffer major health snags from time to time. Many people consider the disease a silent killer because it often causes the levels of glucose in the blood to rise or drop rather involuntarily.

You could have your results from a glucose meter in mere moments, especially since it is not a difficult device to use. Follow this process to take the reading:

• Use a lancet or some other pointed piece of metal to prick your finger and draw a tiny bit of blood.
• Put that droplet of blood on a test strip.
• You then insert the trip in the meter.
• The display on the meter is read off next.

Shortly before they sleep and also before they eat, someone who has to take insulin injections should have their glucose level measured.

Using the glucose meter is something that certain patients aren’t too keyed up about, especially since it requires drawing blood. Folks who have compunctions about using the device either fear the pain or the sight of blood. There isn’t that much blood, come to think of it, that is needed for that test. One could regulate lancet so that it does not pierce too deep into the skin. Scarring is also a minimal concern, especially since the blood can be taken from several other areas of the body.

Long time ago, you had to get to a hospital to have access to a glucose meter, which usually would be bulky and too expensive for you to afford. Glucose meters these days are however much cheaper and at times even offered free of charge. Free meters are usually obtained with a few days supplies of lancets and strips. The Diabetes One Touch Meter from Quality Health is one place you could get your own free glucose meter from if you needed one. When applying for a free blood glucose meter, make sure that you fill in all the information in the online form and that the information submitted is correct.

If you’re a woman, visits to your physician for your yearly exam need to go beyond check of weight and cholesterol screenings as you age. The longer you live, the more susceptible you become to diseases and conditions that may have been prevented—or perhaps treated to improve the quality of life—if only common health screenings had be done. So, which tests do you need, and when? Let’s take a look at the top six must-have women’s health tests . . .

Which tests do women need and when? Follow these guidelines.

Blood sugar test. Pre-diabetes and type-2 diabetes have arrived at near-epidemic levels in America, and those with high insulin levels may be more likely to develop urinary tract, skin, and pancreatic cancer, even if they don’t have diabetes. Starting at age 45—or earlier, if there is a family history of diabetes or if you are overweight—a fasting glucose test should be completed and retake the test every three years after that.

Colonoscopy. Almost 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year—and one-third of them will unfortunately from the disease.  On a positive note, when the colon cancer is caught in the early stages, the survival rate is very high. The standard screening for colon cancer is a colonoscop, a technique in which a long, lighted tube is gently inserted into the colon to help your doctor find abnormal clusters of cells before they have a chance to turn cancerous. Current guidelines require colonoscopies be done every ten years beginning at the age of fifty. If you have risk factors—a history of colon cancer in your family, for example—your doctor may want to start testing you sooner.

Full-body skin exam. If you don’t already have a dermatologist, add one to your list of specialists and schedule regular annual exams. Your dermatologist should check your entire body for any visible signs of skin cancer. It’s also a good idea to stand unclothed in front of a mirror in a well-lit room and check your body on a monthly basis.

Mammograms. The American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms starting at age 40 to detect the possibility of breast cancer. Earlier exams may be a good idea if you have a family history of breast or other types of cancer.

Pap smears and HPV tests. It is recommended that women get a Pap smear at their gynecologist’s office yearly before age thirty to find cervical cancer. From that time forward, if three normal tests are given in a row, the Pap smear should then be done every two to three years.

Pelvic exam. Your ob-gyn should be doing a pelvic exam at your annual or biannual check-up, but an appointment should be made right away if you’re experiencing any pelvic pain, vaginal spotting or bleeding, extreme bloating, or an uncontrollable and frequent need to urinate for more than a couple of weeks.

Don’t delay! By making sure you’re getting the appropriate exams and tests, you can possibly prevent a deadly condition later down the road.

Women and men are different. It’s easy to see just by looking at our different shapes. As we live with each other, it becomes more apparent with each passing minute. Women stop and smell the roses. Men pass them by, keeping on the course. A man will see every hint of a pass rush at a football game. A woman is entertained by a baby blowing spit bubbles.

No one will dispute these very generic statements. In fact, there are many women who follow football and probably just as many men that like Pokémon dolls. All that aside, there are still some fundamental differences between men and women. Shouldn’t your healthcare provider understand those differences and cater to you, the female, for women’s needs?

Pregnancy is the obvious major difference. If you suspect you are pregnant, a visit to an OB/GYN is a must do. They will be able to give you a hard answer than what those expensive pregnancy tests try to tell you.

Obstetricians are physicians that have completed schooling and training in the specialized field of women’s reproductive health known as Obstetrics and Gynecology. Obstetricians can deal with any type of complication that may arise during pregnancy and childbirth using their skills and knowledge.

Giving birth is often ranked as one of the most memorable experiences for a woman. Being well informed of all your pregnancy options can help make the venture very gratifying for you and your family. You will be exposing and sharing some of the most intimate parts of your body, so being comfortable with your doctor is also important.

Pap Smears and breast exams are among other important health options that apply to women only. Pap tests are done to screen for cervical cancer. A small sample is scraped from the cervix, which is the opening to the uterus, and then smeared on a slide. This is done vaginally. The slide is examined under a microscope to look for changes in the cells of the uterus.

Breast exams are performed to look for breast cancer. While it is true men can also get breast cancer—they account for 1% of its victims—for the purpose of this article we’ll focus on women’s health needs. Lumps are the main culprit, and are what the doctors are looking for in your breasts and armpits. They will also take a look at your nipples and ask questions about any possible secretions.

As a woman ages she enters menopause. This causes the body to produce less of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. The lower levels cause monthly menstrual periods to stop and the woman is no longer fertile. Fluctuating hormone levels cause hot flashes and sometimes other troublesome symptoms like sleep disturbance or vaginal dryness.

A qualified healthcare professional can help women through these problems better than laundry line advice, which is usually composed of rumors and myths. It’s your body—makes its health your priority.