Prevent Ductal Breast Cancer By Regularly "Draining" Or "Pumping" A Women's Breast Ducts

By Leon Maliniak
My wife's bout with ductal breast cancer led me to theorize that this epidemic may have a simple common denominator and that some simple oversight in the general population could be a contributing factor.
A plastic surgeon had removed fluid buildup from her ducts months AFTER her surgery. I wondered if its possible that this accumulation of fluid is the cause of many of these types of cancers and if a plan to regularly DRAIN these ducts could prevent ductal cancer. It is the same idea as toxic materials in the colon being a possible cause for colon cancer and another application of the addage that "CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS". It is easy to grasp that just keeping all of our "plumbing" clean could contribute to avoiding many illnesses.
I also found out that this is not such a far fetched proposition. I had read that Dr. Susan Love was an advocate of giving chemotherapy right into a women's ducts as a treatment for ductal cancer. But this is again after the fact and I believe that the PRIORITY should be prevention. I also learned that there is a procedure called "LAVAGE" where fluid from the ducts is tested for early signes of cancer but that this is a rarely used procedure and is not yet suggested as a possible part of a system of regular maintenance.
It seems logical to extend these protocols to their next level and investigate a program of maintenance involving the REGULAR draining and pumping of the fluid from a women's breast ducts could help to prevent ductal breast cancer.

Mesothelioma Litigation

By Chirag Chhita
Records indicate mesothelioma has killed more than 43,000 Americans since 1979, distressing thousands of families. This disease is a form of cancer that affects the protective lining of most of the body’s internal organs. It is caused by exposure to asbestos, a flexible, fibrous mineral commonly used in several industrial products.
Most people affected by this form of cancer are those who have direct exposure to the material, in the mines and in companies producing asbestos products. But this does not limit the scope of victims. Families of these workers are also exposed to the deadly mineral brought home by the workers through the clothing and skin.
Manufacturing companies producing asbestos products are aware of the hazardous effects of asbestos, and yet they continually make these products, marketing them to the public without informing them about the health risks. In other words, they employed deception in order to maintain the high profit brought by their products.
If you or someone dear to you is afflicted with this devastating disease, you have a right to seek reparation and claim compensation from liable companies by pursuing mesothelioma litigation.
Types of Mesothelioma Lawsuits
Mesothelioma lawsuits are categorized into two sections, and the first one is called a personal injury lawsuit. In this type of lawsuit, the person diagnosed with mesothelioma is living and is filing the lawsuit as a plaintiff in his own individual capacity. The second is called a wrongful death lawsuit, where a person who has died as a result of the disease is represented by a spouse or a relative.
In the first category, time is the most important element. The attorney should be able to gather all the necessary information in a few sessions. One or two depositions from the plaintiff will be produced, and then the attorney handles everything until the case begins trial.
In the second type of case, the most important part is finding persons who used to work with the deceased. They will be able to provide work history and product exposure testimony the deceased would have provided were he still living. Sometimes the witness is required to give a deposition, after which the lawyer takes over until trial begins.
The Trial/Settlement In most lawsuits, the cases are settled before the courthouse steps are ever reached. The company usually prefers offers a settlement or a pay-out. But in cases where the company holds out or the plaintiff refuses settlement, the case proceeds to be heard in court. Here the jury is one of the most important elements that affect the case. When there are multiple defendants, different defendants will usually settle at different stages, with others holding out till the end. The jury’s rendering of the verdict does not mean the end of the legal process. The plaintiff or the defendant may still file for an appeal. Sometimes, cases are settled during this stage. The Payment of Compensation Settlement amounts vary from case to case, region to region and country to country. And out of this amount, the mesothelioma Lawyer takes the attorney’s fees, usually 30 %–40% of the total. The remainder amount then goes to the plaintiff.
Settlement payments in mesothelioma litigation generally takes place months after the settlement is agreed to. Some take a couple of years before they receive the settlement payments, and still some don’t get paid at all. This happens when the defendants file for bankruptcy.
If you think you have a claim in this area, what you need to do is to find a good mesothelioma Attorney in your place as soon as possible because every state has a statute of limitations. If you do not act within the prescribed time period for filing the case, you lose all chances for compensation.

Breast Cancer Treatment Options - Facing Your Fears And Moving Ahead

By Riley Hendersen
After breast cancer diagnosis, time is of the essence to ensure recovery. Digest the news; then start learning, so you're comfortable with your informed choices for breast cancer treatment.
Building Your Team
Before choosing surgery, you build a breast cancer treatment team. You need surgeons, oncologists, anesthesiologist, and radiologist. If you're able, you are the leader of this team. You have to live with the choices made.
Breast surgeon - recommends and performs breast surgery such as mastectomy or lumpectomy under general anesthesia, and a sentinel node biopsy.
Oncologist - also recommends which surgical option is best. Recommends chemotherapies and follows treatment.
Anesthesiologist - usually on hospital staff, unless you want to choose your own.
Radiologist - performs the sentinel node biopsy (where 2-3 lymph nodes in the armpit or breast are surgically removed) is also on hospital staff.
Plastic surgeon - performs reconstruction if you want it, during or well after mastectomy.
Radiation oncologist - manages radiation therapy. Wait till after surgery to find.
First Breast Cancer Treatment: Surgery
Lumpectomy - usually recommended when there is a single, small lump. The lump and the margin around it are surgically removed under general anesthesia.
* Advantage: You have a small scar, usually.
* Disadvantages: You undergo radiation therapy afterwards; because radiation can cause lumps, you may have more biopsies in the future.
Mastectomy - removes breast tissue, comprised mainly of fat, under general anesthesia. Surrounding tissues are undisturbed.
* Advantages: You need no further biopsies on that side; you probably avoid radiation therapy if cancer is detected early.
* Disadvantages: You have asymmetry, and this may temporarily affect sex life or self-image. With psychological adjustment or reconstruction, these disadvantages can disappear.
Breast reconstruction - during/after a mastectomy using techniques such as DIEP, where abdominal fat and skin are transferred to the chest, to shape a new breast. This is not cosmetic surgery; it's part of treatment.
* Advantages: feeling and looking restored; getting a tummy tuck and a breast lift on the other breast.
Breast Cancer Treatment After Surgery
The oncologist considers the information from the various tests. The oncologist stages the cancer, and recommends various breast cancer treatments. The oncologist can refer you to a psychologist or support group to allay anxiety about treatment.
Radiation therapy - usually started after recovery from lumpectomy. It is precisely administered to the breast (and perhaps lymph nodes) in order to kill cancerous cells, while avoiding damage to the rest of the body. Sessions are a few minutes, once a day, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks.
* Short-term side effects: fatigue, breast soreness, redness, swelling.
* Long-term side effects: breast shrinkage, tanning, lumpiness.
Chemotherapy - started after all radiation is complete. Drugs which kill or disable cancer cells are given cyclically, with time off between treatments, for 3 to 6 months. The chemotherapy visit usually is outpatient, lasting 1 to 6 hours. Some drugs are taken orally at home, sometimes as a permanent regime.
* Side effects: hair loss, nausea/vomiting, nerve or muscle pain, infection, weight gain, fatigue, difficulty sleeping.
Hormone Therapy - taken orally at home; both treats and prevents recurrence in some cases.
Exercise, diet and lifestyle changes help recovery significantly.
Survival After Therapy
With 2 million breast cancer survivors in America, breast cancer is beatable. Breast cancer treatment requires internal fortitude to reach recovery. You emerge with relief, gratitude and hope.

Breast Cancer Metastatised to Liver After Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and Arimidex - Part 1

By Chris Teo, Ph.D.
A 27-year-old lady came to our centre on 4 April 2007, desperately seeking help for her mother, Chan. Chan, 56-year-old, is a non-smoker and does not drink any alcohol. She is a hawker doing business with her husband. Her father had liver cancer while her mother had uterine cancer. Chan had her menopause when she was 52 years old. Three years later she had a 3 cm x 3 cm swelling in her right breast. She did not seek medical attention until six months later. Smears from fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the right breast lump showed clusters of malignant epithelial cells indicating ductal carcinoma. On 14 April 2005, Chan proceeded to have a mastectomy together with the removal of 25 lymph nodes. Vascular and lymphatic invasions were noted. The immunochemistry study indicated receptors for estrogen and progesterone were positive, C-erbB2 was positive and p53 negative. The cancer was staged as T4N2Mx.
Chan recovered well from her surgery. On 26 May 2005, she was started on her chemotherapy with FEC (5-FU, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide). She had a total of six cycles of chemotherapy. In addition, Chan received 25 radiation treatments. In January 2006, Chan was started on Arimidex (anastrozole,1 mg daily) and was asked to come back to the hospital for check up every three months.
A mammogram of her left breast on 23 April 2006 showed no evidence of malignancy. An ultrasound of her abdomen done on the same day showed no evidence of liver metastasis. A bone scan was also done and indicated no sign of bony metastasis. Chan was asked to continue with Arimidex. The medical record on 7 November 2006 indicated: “no lump felt in her breast and patient had no complaints.”
According to her daughter, in December 2006, Chan started to have pains in her body. When she woke up she had difficulty walking. If she walked for a short distance her heart-beat increased. Sometimes she wheezed. Chan continued to take the Arimidex as directed (and she is still taking it as of this writing).
On 23 April 2007, Chan went to consult a specialist of a private hospital. She presented with shortness of breath and palpitation. She was found to be anemic. Her blood works showed: haemogloboin = 6.5 (normal 11.7 to 15.7), platelet = 28,000 (normal 150,000 to 400,000), ESR = 116. Chan was given platelets. CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis on 26 April 2007 showed her liver was enlarged. There were numerous hypodense nodules in both lobes of her liver. The radiologist concluded that these liver nodules represented liver metastases most likely derived from the breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Metastatised to Liver After Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and Arimidex - Part 2

By Chris Teo, Ph.D.
Chan’s daughter told us that her mother’s loss of blood was due to the bleeding from her guts. The doctor in the private hospital told the family that nothing much could be done since the cancer had spread. Chan is a worrying-type of person and suffered from the following:
• She has pains if she walks for some distance.• She is not able to sleep when she feels “heaty”.• When she is asleep, she observes that her stomach moves and churns.• Her stools are black in colour.
In December 2006 (about a year after taking Arimidex), Chan suffered a sudden onset of pains throughout her body besides having shortness of breast. Then, her guts bled leading to severe loss of blood. Are these problems related to the intake of Arimidex?
Among the many documented side effects of Arimidex are: hot flushes, mood disturbances, depression, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, muscle and bone pain, shortness of breath or coughing, fractures due to reduction of bone density, thromboembolic events, rash, swelling or water retention, loss of appetite, weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, vaginal bleeding and gastrointestinal disorder.
In spite of the above the medical researchers concluded that the use of Arimidex is “well tolerated”. To get an insight of what patients suffer, go to the message board of cancercompass (link below).
Patient 1 wrote: I have been on Arimidex for almost two years now. Firstly I had hardly any side effects and slowly but surely they seem to be building up, some days far worse than the next. The main side effects which I am experiencing now are aching bones and joints, mainly while trying to sleep at night. Also tiredness and seem to want to just go to bed to rest from as early as 8 p.m. -- this is sad as I always went to bed late before my breast cancer.
Patient 2 wrote: I have been on Arimidex for three and a half years. I too, did not notice anything in the beginning but am now beginning to wonder. I always seemed to have trouble standing for longer periods of time -- seemed to always want to sit down instead. Last summer (August) I had trouble walking for any amount of time over 20 minutes. In February of this year I had a major back trouble with sciatica. It was very, very bad. My Radiation Oncologist mentioned that maybe it was a side effect of the Arimidex. I also wake up four to five times every night.
Patient 3 wrote: I began taking Arimidex in late June and from the beginning had a constant headache, very slight so I didn't worry too much. Then the bone pain started and got worse very quickly. My oncologist wanted me to switch to "something else" right away.
Patient 4 wrote: My pains are definitely getting worse as each month goes by. I wake up feeling 30 years older. I am with pains pretty much all over the bones and joints from the hips down! I get depression too, very bad at times. Not sure if this is because I lack sleep due to painful nights, feeling sorry for myself or the effects of Arimidex.
Patient 5 wrote: Like you, at first I didn't notice any side effects. But for the last two to three 3 years I've experienced severe pain in my neck and back, specifically in the thorax region. It is truly debilitating at times. My doctor told me it was degenerative arthritis. But as I read your and other women's remarks who are on this treatment, I have to wonder if it is the Arimidex.
Patient 6 wrote: I just started taking this drug in June. At fist I was fine but recently I've been having pains. I wake up several times at night with pains in my arms and fingers.
Patient 7 wrote: I have been on this medication for seven months. I too have much joint pain -- pain during the night that wakes me up! I am wondering if it is worth all this pain -- there is no guarantee that in five years the breast cancer will not return!
Patient 8 wrote: I have been taking Arimidex for two years also. I feel bone pain, my hands hurt, my headaches have gotten worse, I am depressed, and my appetite is just not there any more. I wake up three hours after I go to bed. I feel tired and drained the rest of the day. My doctor thinks I am a hypochondriac. But these symptoms are real. My cousin had been taking this for four years and her intestine got infected from all the medicine. It started to eat away at it. She died two months after the removal of her intestine. Have you heard any thing about that?
The comments of these patients and the case presented by Chan are real. These are not fantasies of the patients’ mind. The side effects suffered by Chan are similarly felt by other patients. Chan had bleeding from her guts. Reading the comment of Patient 8, who wrote that her cousin who took the drug for four years, ended with an “eaten away” gut, one cannot help thinking if Arimidex is causing similar problem to Chan’s gut.
It is most distressful to see the CT scan of Chan’s liver. The metastasis is so extensive and widespread covering her entire liver. Over the decades looking at liver images, I cannot help feeling that the scan images of Chan’s liver is rare indeed.
The question that begs an answer: “Why is the liver metastasis so extensive?” Only a year ago (April 2006) Chan’s liver was said to be free of metastasis. Why does this happen so suddenly and so soon? It is understandable if there are only one or a few metastatic spots in her liver but to have numerous nodules at once is beyond comprehension. One is tempted to ask if this metastasis could be related to the treatment rather than the cancer itself.
The case of Chan further reinforces my resolve to say this to cancer patients: Cure for cancer requires a change of diet, lifestyle and full commitment on the part of patients to take matters into their own hands. Subjecting themselves to invasive treatments of modern medicine and taking of the so-called “FDA-approved drugs” may not be the only option for them. Look far and wide – there are other options available in the horizon. My experience shows that for some patients, taking the “alternative, holistic” path could prove to be a more humane and effective path for their cancers.

Breast Cancer - What You Should Know

By Bikash Kalita
What is it? Abnormal cell growth in an uncontrolled way is called as cancer. Your breasts are made up of glands which consist of cells. These glands produce breast milk after pregnancy. The cells that make the glands sometimes may become uncontrolled and grow in an inorderly manner and cause a lump.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in females. WHO (World Health Organization) estimated that breast cancer is the main cause of cancer death among women. Some breast cancers may occur in males but it is very rare. When you find a small lump in your breast, be aware, it may be breast cancer.
All lumps that you find may not be an indicator of breast cancer. But find it out, it may be also. In general lumps in your breast do not mean cancer in most of the cases. But make it sure through checking by a medical professional. There are two types of lumps or tumours, one is benign and the other is malignant. Benign tumours do not spread but the malignant do. They are the breast cancer causing tumours.
Breast cancer starts with a limp and then spread to other parts of your body. It may grow quickly or slowly. Early diagnosis is important for survival. There are different types of breast cancers present. They are – Ductal carcinoma. The spread of this type among women is 65 to 90 %Lobular carcinoma 10 %Metaplastic carcinomaInflammatory breast cancerPapillary carcinoma 1%Medullary carcinoma 5 %Colloid carcinoma 2%
Bikash is an MBA who works as an freelance writer. He worked for one of the best private banks in India. He has been writing for the last 5 years. He has worked with many US,UK and Indian clients.

Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis - Breast Cancer

By Bikash Kalita
Causes of Breast CancerThe risk increases with your age. It may also be hereditary. At some point of time 1 in 10 women develop breast cancer. The chance of developing it increases after menopause. If you had early puberty or late menopause, you had your first child after your age touched 30 then you may get breast cancer. The chances reduce if you had your first child before 18 years of age, you had a short menstrual cycle, you have a large family.
Symptoms of breast cancerSome breast cancer may not have symptoms at all. Some of the symptoms are lumps, rash, breast pain, cysts, nipple discharge, and inverted nipple.
Why diagnosis is importantBreast cancer may kill you, so you should find it out as soon as possible. Early diagnosis will help you in many ways. Self examination and examination by health professionals are very important.
Breast Cancer Diagnosis How will your doctor confirm to you if you have breast cancer? Doctors will use different tests to confirm that you have breast cancer. These tests are MammographyExcision Biopsy UltrasoundNeedle AspirationNeedle Biopsy After the tests doctor may refer you to specialists or specialty hospitals for any further treatment or test. Other tests may be done there or repetition of the tests may be done again for confirmation.
What will you see in the self examination?Check for any changes in shape or size, presence of any lump, any type of nipple discharge, tenderness in the breast. Make a monthly routine self examination of your breasts.
Is it serious?Breast cancer is serious. It is very serious and can cost you your life. Early detection will help you a lot as early detection and treatment increases the chance of treating you successfully.
Bikash is an MBA who works as an freelance writer. He worked for one of the best private banks in India. He has been writing for the last 5 years. He has worked with many US,UK and Indian clients.

Treatment of Breast Cancer

By Bikash Kalita
Stages Breast cancer has several stages starting from early to advanced stage. You can detect early stage after a few weeks of development. At the advanced stage cancer spread to other organs. Depending on the stage the treatment varies. Reoccurrence of breast cancer happens in case of malignant tumors.
Where it can spread It can spread to the back and hip bones, lungs, liver and brain.
What are the treatments for breast cancer? Breast cancer is treated by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. Generally two or more treatments are combined together for better effect. Doctors combine surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and radiation. The treatment varies depending on many factors like the patient, the stage of breast cancer and instance of reoccurrence.
Surgery: Lumpectomy or the removal of the lump is a technique in surgery. Doctor may need to remove lymph nodes from your armpit or breast depending on the stage.
Chemotherapy: Drugs and medicines are used which restrict or stop cancer cell growth. These medicines may also reduce the size of the lumps and tumors. Some medicines even kill the tumours.
Hormonal therapy: Doctors use some anti-estrogen, aromatase inhibitors or LHRH analogues to stop the hormone estrogen production and effects. Estrogen is a sex hormone found in women body which helps in growth of the breast cancer. When Estrogen is stopped then the growth of the tumours also ceased.
Radiation therapy: X-rays or other high-energy rays are used to kill the cancer cells. These rays are applied to the tumours and surrounding areas.
Bikash is an MBA who works as an freelance writer. He worked for on eof the best private banks in India. He has been writing for the last 5 years. He has worked with many US,UK and Indian clients.

Breast Cancer - Live to Tell the Tale

By Kacy Carr
No matter what type of cancer is involved after receiving a prognosis from your doctor, the fact is - cancer is cancer, a disease feared by millions of people. Regardless of modern medicine - fear will still prevail for those who have been diagnosed. However, times have changed in the way cancer is treated. With today`s modern technology and new found surgical developments etc, different cancers are successfully stabilized or even cured..
One of the most important issues in helping you your self and and medical staff to remedy the disease is, to catch whatever type of cancer it is - in its early stage. Chances of survival increase and better the odds in favour of the patient - due to early detection. Some women who have been diagnosed as to having breast cancer - somehow manage and find a way to cope. However: to be on the receiving end of a prognosis as such - can have a devastating affect on a woman, who unlike the minute few, may find it difficult to accept. Different types of cancers are curable.
For appropriate treatment to be carried out or medication administered, then determining what type of breast cancer is present in the patient is very important. Diagnosing breast cancer and its type will begin in the doctors' surgery, where your physician will send a tissue sample away (biopsy) to the lab for analysis. The result of the test will determine if you have breast cancer and what type. Self examination of the breasts should be a top priority listing in any female diary. Few women are aware - that most common types of breast cancer start off in - either of the breast's milk ducts (ductal carcinoma) or lobules (lobular carcinoma). The point of origin is resolved by the microscopic appearance of the cancer cells from a biopsy.
Medical pronunciation of different words relating to disease or illnesses can be hard at times to understand - so if you are in doubt at any time, then make sure to ask your doctor to explain. The better understanding you have on your medical condition - the easier it is for you to relate to what is going on around you.
One type of breast cancer is Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) which in medical terms is more notably known as a type of cancer which is where the earliest possible clinical diagnosis of breast cancer can be cited. Women who have contracted this type of cancer will have been diagnosed following a breast screening session (mammography) If ductal carcinoma in situ is left untreated, then figures show that about 30 percent of affected women can develop invasive breast cancer, this on average nearly always occurs ten years from the first initial diagnosis.
DCIS is recognized in the medical world as to being a pre-cancerous or early-stage growth of abnormal cells in the ducts of the breast. In the past, ductal carcinoma in situ was uncommon - so therefore not much thought was given to defining its optimal treatment. DCIS is curable and can be cured. Cancer is without doubt a life threatening condition (depending what type) but if the disease is caught early and treatment is given or surgery performed to prevent the cancer from spreading - then the threat of losing your life is put on hold. It is important to catch the disease as early as possible. If you notice any unusual sightings in or around the breast, like a lump or a change in shape or size following a self breast examination, then consult your doctor.
Do not worry at this stage because you may cause your self more upset over nothing. Ask your doctor for more information on mammography screening
Breast cancer is a disease that many women fall victim too because of stories they hear of fate and gloom. Because of this - some women choose to ignore all the warning signs, hence giving the cancer time to spread. Well believe it or not thousands of women live to tell the tale on how they beat their battle with cancer. Stories can and do have happy endings.

Pink Ribbon? No, Thank You

By Daniel DeReuter
Every year we are all inundated with request to buy a ribbon, to walk, to give your extra change to find "a cure" for breast cancer.
Sorry, but I can't. The reason is that most of these foundations don't do any sort of alternative medicine research. If you were to listen to the media, you would think that the only treatment that has any hope of being successful is traditional medical treatment. What about successful treatments by Rene Caisse in Canada in the 1930's?
What about treatments using megadoses of antioxidants?
Some people would say that some of these treatments are "unproven" or "not scientific". Well, let's do some research on the thousands of case studies that have shown these treatments to work.
We need to stop subsidizing drug companies' efforts for "research" and start to find real answers. Just think of all the billions of dollars wasted by looking in the wrong direction.
Did you know that more people earn their living From cancer than actually have the disease? That industry is not interested in a cure, they just want people to live a little longer by taking their drugs.
It's not that I am insensitive to people with cancer, I lost my father to cancer. I just think that if we truly wanted to find a cure, we would have done it in the 36 years since president Nixon declared "the war on cancer"

Internet-Based Grid Computing

By Denny Lancaster
An open letter to members of D'Wild West (A The Site Fights Team) was sent in October 2000, which is below. After seven years the UD grid accomplished its goals and remains silent as of Friday April 27, 2007.
The research centered on proteins that were been determined to be a possible target for cancer therapy. Through a process called "virtual screening", special analysis software identified molecules that interacted with these proteins, and determined which of the molecular candidates had a high likelihood of being developed into a drug. The process is similar to finding the right key to open a special lock — by looking at millions upon millions of molecular keys.
Participants in the Cancer Research Project were sent a ligand library over the Internet. Their PC analyzed the molecules using a docking software called LigandFit by Accelrys. The LigandFit software analyzed the molecular data by using a three-dimensional model to attempt to interact with a protein binding site. When a ligand docked successfully with a protein, the resulting interaction was scored and the interactions that generated the highest scores were recorded and filed for further evaluation.
We need a better answer. Over five decades of cancer research effort in drug discovery and development have yielded more than 40 drugs for the treatment of cancers. These anti-cancer drugs are extending the lives of many people with cancer, but often at great cost. The side effects commonly associated with cancer therapy often may seem as bad as the disease itself. Side effects can be so severe that they limit the dosages patients can receive. And half of all cancer patients fail to respond to the therapies currently available.
Despite these shortcomings, these therapies are still quite costly — a considerable amount of money is spent on treating cancer. Treatment of cancers account for over 6% of all health care costs. The National Institutes of Health estimate cancer is responsible for $37 billion for direct medical costs, and $11 billion in lost productivity due to illness. The discovery of new drugs represents the best hope to fight both the rising medical costs and the suffering associated with current cancer therapies.
There could hardly be a scourge more worth fighting — the high mortality rate, the suffering experienced by patients, and the high costs of treatment make fighting this disease a research priority.
Even with extensive pre-screening, the whittled-down number of molecules to review for this project is estimated at over two hundred million for each protein — a daunting number. Analyzing this quantity of anything requires an enormous amount of computational power. And when the numbers are this big, even supercomputing is limited. A super computer has a peak capacity. That is, if a workload is three times the capacity of the computer, the jobs must be "queued up" and attacked consecutively. A project like this one might take so much time that a researcher wouldn't even embark on it — he or she wouldn't see the end result in their lifetime. However, with distributed computing, thousands or even millions of individual computers can each work on different molecules simultaneously, and the time to results can be significantly lessened.
Diana Campbell's Letter
I have had Stage IV Breast Cancer (metastases to the bones) since Sept. 2000, and was first diagnosed as Stage IIIB in January, 1992. The past decade has been a roller coaster ride and if you, a family member or friend has cancer, then you know what I'm talking about.
I began researching Stage IV Breast Cancer in the summer of 1999 when an X-ray during a checkup showed a suspicious sliver on a back rib. Many months later, this sliver was a huge tumor, but it had previously biopsied negative. I had a feeling something was not right so I began researching. I found there was not as much info on Stage IV as there was on Breast Cancer prevention and awareness as well as early stage, primary diagnosis and treatment.
So I created this website and the associated Survivor webring, email lists, research project and stores. My goal was to provide the information here that we all want to know at this Stage -- mostly associated with what we can do to prolong our lives. I am in the process of updating and adding but I hope this site will be of some help to you. Please join the UD grid too as this project will help speed cancer research and possibly help me and others too very shortly as we cope with stage IV breast cancer.
Diana Campbell
Diana passed away on February 19, 2003
Within a month of joining Diana's team in December 2000 I found that cancer had vested itself in my frailer human body too.
The initial team which Diana formed began to dwindle as cancer took its ugly toll. Wishing always remember my dear friend and make a contribution, my resources were transferred to the AS! team-CureNow. AS! is now exploring forming another team with broader appeal beyond the very small awards community and will be making a decision in the very near future. I will certainly join and a new team graphic with a link will be updated in this space.
To keep the memory of Diana alive there are now various Internet-based grid computing schemas available, thanks to the pioneering work of Oxford University and United Devices.
The World Community Grid software uses the idle time of Internet-connected computers and applies this computing power toward the advancement of humanity.
The agent works like a screen saver, only using a computer's resources when it would otherwise be idle and relinquishing the resources back to the users when they start using the computers again. The agent can also be run like an application, always running in the background unless specifically disabled/paused.
While many public computing grids such as SETI@home or Folding@home have been devoted to a single project, the World Community Grid offers multiple humanitarian projects under a single umbrella. Projects are approved by an advisory board, with members from most of the major research institutions and universities, as well as the UN and WHO.
Within the grid, users may join teams that have been created by organizations, groups, or individuals. Teams allow for a heightened sense of community identity and attempts to inspire competitiveness.
World Community Grid also differs from other grid projects by offering support for more than one grid infrastructure. The open source BOINC client is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac; the proprietary Grid MP from United Devices Inc. is only available for Windows.
History
The United Devices Smallpox Research Grid Project was sponsored by IBM and other Research Participants to accelerate the discovery of a smallpox cure. The Smallpox study employed computational chemistry on a massive distributed computing grid to analyze candidates for a medical therapy to fight the smallpox virus.
The project allowed scientists to screen 35 million potential drug molecules against several smallpox proteins to identify good candidates for developing into smallpox treatments. In the first 72 hours, 100,000 results were returned and 44 strong treatment candidates were identified at the completion of the project.
Based on the success of the Smallpox study, IBM announced on November 16, 2004 the creation of World Community Grid with the goal of creating a technical environment where other humanitarian research could be processed.
World Community Grid initially only supported Windows, using the proprietary grid technology from United Devices which powers grid.org projects. Strong demand for Linux support led to the open source BOINC grid technology which powers the Seti@home and Climateprediction (among others) being added. Mac OS X support is now also included.
As of March 24, 2007, the World Community Grid had nearly 272,000 members with over 550,000 registered work stations. It had a total process run time equivalent to about 82,000 years and about 80 million results have been sent. The World Community Grid updates these statistics several times a day, making the information available through a dedicated statistics page.

Surviving Breast Cancer - A Husband's View

By Raymond Laubert
My wife has had breast cancer twice in the last 13 years and is a survivor, which I guess make me a survivor as well. I want to try and help those who are going through this ordeal with some guidance and suggestions.
First a little about us, we have been married since 1972 and are high school sweethearts. We have 4 great kids, all when we were younger and now 10 beautiful grand children. My wife is my soul mate and I am hers. Without her I am not sure what I would do or how I would survive. She is in every sense a survivor. She is a secretary and has worked a good part of her life, except some time off for child rising. I am retired military, a database administrator and trainer. Neither of us smoke or drink except the occasional social drink on New Years.
So as you can see we are fairly normal family now a day. Except for the fact that she had cancer the first time in her late 30s which is rare and again 2 years ago. Each time she has had a partial mastectomy and radiation treatments. This time was easier to handle then the first time.
What to expect
I am sure each of you reading this want to know what to expect. When will it get easier? When will both of you feel normal again. What is going to happen to her and you during the treatments? I will try to explain.
From the moment we found out about the cancer, things did change. We were both very scared and unsure what the future will hold. Would the radiation treatments work, would they be enough, what kind of scarring and disfigurement would there be. We had so many questions that we did not know what to ask or even who. The doctors were great; they put my wife at ease and did their best to prepare her for what was going to happen. Treatments went well. In the beginning she was still able to work till probably the 3rd week or so. Then she was tired most of the time. I still remember feeling so bad, here I was suppose to be protecting her, keeping her safe and I could not do anything to prevent this or even lessen the suffering. Some of the medications helped a little, but she was not herself. I picked up on doing some of the housework, watching the kids, cooking etc. But never felt like I did enough. For her part, she stayed home after the 3rd week or so rested as much as possible. But the treatments were everyday and each time she got more tired and sore. The soreness is like a bad sunburn but for weeks it does not go away.
I remember putting cream on her after the treatments to help ease the pain. After the radiation treatments it takes a few weeks before the sunburn disappears and a month or so before she was not as tired. It was several months before the swelling went down, maybe a year before we could tell how much different the breast size was going to be. My wife went from a D cup to a B cup after the first surgery. It is still early but the mastectomy was not as large as the first time.
What will happen?
The doctors will probably tell you what the treatment plan is. If you get a chance go with her to these appointments. Work can wait and they should understand. If you can afford it take family medical leave and stay home with her.
Radiation treatments are like a long x-ray. She will be placed in a mold to hold her body still and the x-ray will be targeted to the area of the cancer. This is what causes the burning. If they have to operate that is usually done first with about six week or so to heal before the treatments start. My wife was lucky in that she did not need chemical therapy. So I can not talk about those side effects. I understand they can be much worse. The x-rays kill the cancer cells but also damage the body and make it difficult for her to get much energy or fight off other illnesses. I remember the doctor telling us that she had to be careful because her immune system would be in shock for a while and it would be easier for her to pick up other illnesses that normally she would fight off easily. Treatments are straight forward and finite in period. Probably the easy part of the whole process. 10 weeks or so and it is all over with.
What you can do to ease the suffering
This is the hard part. Like I said before, I was supposed to protect her so now to try and redeem myself. Waiting on her hand a foot would have been nice, but I working the first time and could not take time off, someone had to bring in the money and like a lot of people we were a two income family down to one income.
Mood swings will be plenty. Just try to imagine a bad sunburn for 10 weeks without let up. The constant pain she was in I could see on her face. Treatments to moisten the skin helped and we made sure to make it our time when we could talk and let each other know what we were feeling. I know this is hard for men in general, but DO IT. She needs to know you understand, you care, and you do not hold it against her. At this point be a man and talk to her. She needs you, and as much as you may not want to admit it you need her. I think talking was the one thing that helped us through this whole ordeal. If either one of us had kept to ourselves we would not have made it through.
What you can do to ease your suffering
She has a lot on her at this point in time, just the cancer word is enough to scare the crap out of you, then surgery, treatments, recovery, financial stress, stress on the marriage, kids, family and friends all seem to fall on her shoulders. You need to take control and remove some of this stress on her, which puts more stress on you. But hey, you’re a man, you can handle it. And you’re not the one with cancer.
Each of us has our own way of releasing tension. For me it was sitting in a wooded area, having a good cry and talking to nature (God) although I am not an overly religious person, it helped. You need to find a support system. Family or friends need to understand you have a lot of stress on you as well. Find someone to take the shift with the wife so you can unwind in what ever helps you. Maybe a hard workout at the gym, going for a walk, watching a movie, going to the bar, what ever. Just make sure that she is taken care of for as long as it will take before you get back into the game. If you drink, do not take over until you are sober again. You need all of your strength to help her, not add more stress to her life at this time.
Wrapping it up
Well, I have rambled on long enough. Our life has been a lot stronger after the cancers than it ever was. We still talk to each other every night. We learned the signs of when something was wrong and initiated the conversations so that it does not brew under the surface. I am happy to say WE survived, as individuals and most importantly as a couple. There are many support groups available now a days. Find one in your area before you start treatments if possible and attend together. Listen to what others have to say, and build a friendship with them. They have gone through what you will be going through and can help in many ways. My God Bless you and your spouse and watch over both of you.
I love my wife. After 35 years I know of no other woman I would rather be with. The cancer has changed us. We are more loving, understanding and communicative then we were before. It has also changed our goals in life. We are now actively planning for early retirement. We have sold our home, purchased an RV and once the follow-ups are done in another year or so, we will take our life together on the road.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

By John Marston
Cancer is a term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control. Cancer can spread through the bloodstream and invade nearby tissues. It can spread into the lymphatic system into other parts of one’s body. There are numerous types of cancer. Cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs is carcinoma. Leukemia is a form of cancer that begins in blood forming tissue such as bone marrow and will cause a large number of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood stream. Multiple myeloma and lymphoma cancers start in the cells of the immune system. Cancer that begins in the bone, cartilage, fat, blood vessels, or muscle is sarcoma. Each year in America, 211,000 women learn they have breast cancer. Other than skin cancer breast cancer is the most common type of cancer found in women is this country. Common symptoms of breast cancer include a change in how the breast or nipple feels and a change in how the breast or nipple looks.
If there are changes in how the nipple or breast feels, possibly a thickening or lump in or around the breast or underarm area, such a change can be a symptom of breast cancer. So can tenderness in the nipple.
Changes in how the nipple or breast looks may be the nipple turning inward into the breast. Another change could be a different shape or size of breast. Still other changes that might occur in the breast, nipple, or areola may be red, scaly or swollen skin. The skin may have ridges or pitting and look like the skin of an orange.
Still, another sign that there could be breast cancer is a nipple discharge. The nipple may discharge a fluid if there is breast cancer.
In early stages breast cancer usually does not cause pain. If a woman is having pain or other symptoms that do not go away she should see her health care provider. It is likely the symptoms are not due to breast cancer. Other health problems may also cause these symptoms. If a woman does have these symptoms she should tell her doctor. Any problems that might exist can be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

By John Marston
Anything that may increase the chance of developing a disease is considered a risk factor. As research has indicated women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer.
The exact causes for breast cancer are not known. Often doctors cannot explain why one woman may develop breast cancer but another does not. What is known is that bruising, bumping or touching the breast does not cause cancer. Breast cancer is not contagious. It is not “caught” from others.
There have been studies that have revealed some of the risk factors for breast cancer. Among those risk factors are a woman’s age, a family or personal history of breast cancer, changes in her breast, changes in her genes and her menstrual history. Other risk factors for breast cancer include a woman’s race, if she has had radiation therapy to the chest, and her breast density. Still other factors for breast cancer include taking diethylstilbestrol (DES), her being overweight or obese after menopause, not being physically active, and her alcohol consumption.
Breast cancer is not common in women before menopause. As women age their chances for breast cancer development can increase. Breast cancer occurrence is greater for women over age 60.
The chance of a woman developing breast cancer is greater if her mother, sister or daughter has a history of the disease. If a family member developed breast cancer before the age of 40, the risk is even greater for a woman developing breast cancer. Other relatives having breast cancer, either on her maternal or paternal side of the family, can also place a woman at greater risk for developing breast cancer.
Having a personal history of breast cancer can also increase a woman’s risk. If a woman has had breast cancer in one breast the risk of getting breast cancer in the other breast increase.
Changes in a woman’s breast can place a woman at risk for breast cancer. Cells in a woman’s breast may look abnormal under a microscope. Abnormal cells such as atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ (or LCIS) increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer.
Changes in a woman’s genes including BRCA1, BRCA2, and others may increase the risk for breast cancer. Tests from family members who have been known to have breast cancer can reveal the presence of specific gene changes in family members. In order to improve the detection of this disease in women who have these changes in their genes health care providers may be able to suggest ways to try to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
A woman’s menstrual and reproductive history can place a woman at risk for breast cancer. Women having their first menstrual period before age 12 have a greater risk for developing breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer increase the older a woman is when she had her first child. A woman going through menopause after age 55 places her at greater risk for breast cancer. If a woman has never had children she is at a greater risk of breast cancer. Taking menopausal hormone therapy with estrogen plus progestin after menopause appears to increase risks for breast cancer. Studies have shown no link between miscarriage or abortion and risks for breast cancer.
Race is another risk factor for breast cancer. Caucasian women more often than Latina, African or Asian American women are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Radiation therapy performed to the chest, including the breast, before a woman is age 30 is another known risk factor for breast cancer. Studies indicate the younger the age of a woman when she received radiation treatment the higher the risk for breast cancer in later life.
A woman’s breast tissue is either fatty or dense. Placing them at a higher risk of breast cancer are older women whose mammograms, or breast x-rays, reveal more dense tissue.
Diethylstilbestrol, also known as DES, was given to some pregnant women in the United States during the 1940’s until 1971. This is no longer given to pregnant women. Taking DES during pregnancy may slightly increase the risk for breast cancer. The possible effects on the daughters of women who were given DES while pregnant are still being studied.
A woman being overweight or obese after menopause can increase a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer. Studies have indicated that after menopause the risk increases for women who are overweight.
A physically inactive lifestyle may contribute to risks for breast cancer. If a woman is active it can prevent weight gain and obesity and therefore reduce chances for breast cancer.
Drinking alcohol increases risks for breast cancer. Studies indicate the more alcohol a woman drinks her risk for breast cancer increase.
Researchers are currently studying other possible risk factors for breast cancer. Currently being studied are the effect of diet, genetics, physical activity, and certain environmental substances increasing the risks for breast cancer.
Avoiding known risk factors for breast cancer can help women protect themselves against breast cancer. Risk factors for breast cancer such as family history cannot be avoided. These should be discussed with her doctor.
Most women who have known risk factors do not get breast cancer. Many women with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease. Most women with breast cancer have no clear sign for risk factors other than growing older.
If a woman thinks she is at risk for breast cancer she should discuss her concern with her doctor. Her doctor may be able to suggest ways she can reduce her risk. At risk or not, a woman should plan scheduled checkups with her health care provider. Prevention is the best cure.

Reducing Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

By John Marston
Second only to lung cancer breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. Only with early detection and effective treatment will it be likely to reduce the number of women who die from breast cancer each year.
There are some factors that are known to decrease a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer. Among those factors are SERMs, prophylactic mastectomy, aromatase inhibitors, prophylactic oophorectomy, and exercise. It is not known if factors such as abortion, diet, environment, second hand smoke, smoking, or statins can increase a woman’s risk factors for breast cancer.
Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators, or SERMs are drugs acting similar to estrogen on some tissues in the body such as bones, while blocking estrogen effects on other tissues. Certain SERMs have been shown in studies to lower the risk for developing breast cancer for women at risk for developing this disease. Unfortunately there can be side affects with SERM drugs such as endometrial cancer, blood clots in veins and in the lungs, and stroke. A woman must discuss with her health care provider both benefits and risks of taking SERMs.
If there is a family history of breast cancer removal of both breasts, or prophylactic mastectomy, may reduce the risk of developing breast cancer for a woman. Careful consideration must be given before a woman makes a decision to have prophylactic mastectomy. It is important that breast cancer risk assessments and counseling are undergone before making such a decision. Women who have prophylactic mastectomy may develop anxieties and depression as well as concern about their body image.
Aromatase inhibitors decrease the body’s estrogen and can lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Most of a woman’s estrogen is made outside the ovaries from androgen (another hormone) in postmenopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors work by stopping the action of the enzyme aromatase which converts androgens into estrogens. Negative side effects from taking aromatase inhibitors include decreased bone density and effects on a person’s brain function such as talking, memory, and learning.
Decreasing the amount of estrogen made by the body with the removal of both ovaries, or prophylactic oophorectomy may reduce a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer. Drugs may also be given to decrease the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries. However, the sudden drop in estrogen may cause symptoms of menopause to occur such as hot flashes, trouble sleeping, anxiety, depression, vaginal dryness, loss of bone density or lack of interest in sex.
Hormone levels may reduce if a woman exercises four or more hours per week and can lower the risk for breast cancer. Exercise effectively reducing breast cancer risk is greater in younger women of low weight or normal weight. Exercise should be safe and the risk of injury to bones and muscles must be taken into consideration.
Abortion has not been shown to increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Studies have not yet proven a connection with abortion and breast cancer.
Studies are being conducted to discover if diet can be an influence for breast cancer risks. A beta-carotene rich diet, according to studies, may reduce the risk for breast cancer.
Environmental concerns have not been linked to breast cancer. Studies indicate environmental exposures such as chemicals, metals, dust, and pollution have not shown a risk increase for breast cancer.
Statins are cholesterol lowering drugs. Studies have not indicated that statins have any effect on risks for developing breast cancer.
It has been shown in studies that smoking does not contribute to a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Second hand smoke also the studies indicate does not affect the risk for breast cancer. There are many known factors that place women at risk for developing breast cancer. Women need to educate themselves as to what the risk factors for breast cancer are and what preventive actions may be taken in order to decrease the number of women who lose their lives to breast cancer each year.

The Face Of Metastatic Breast Cancer

By Riley Hendersen
America received a shocking piece of news in March 2007. John Edward's wife, Elizabeth, had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. She spoke calmly, with inner strength, about how she had asked her husband to continue his presidential campaign, and how she wanted to campaign by his side. She did not want to be best known by her illness; she wanted, in fact, needed, to carry on as normally as she could.
Her diagnosis gave a face to this illness. Americans began to discuss Elizabeth and John Edward's decisions. Globally, people talked about how deeply cancer affects families. Breast cancer is something that affects many, and almost everyone has known someone who has died from it. Her announcement gave a face to it and it made people think. It brought the topic out in the open.
What is metastatic breast cancer? Also called Stage IV breast cancer, it is cancer that has spread from the original (primary) site to other organs or tissues in the body, such as bone, liver, lungs or brain.
Sometimes, like Mrs. Edwards, it is a recurrence of the original cancer. However, in one out of ten diagnosed, the first diagnosis that a woman hears is metastatic breast cancer.
In it, cells break away from the breast, circulating through the blood and lymphatic system. The body's immune system attacks these circulating cancer cells. Most do not survive, but if the immune system malfunctions or is weak, or for another, unknown reason, will usually spread to the bone, then lung and liver next. The cells that have metastasized are still breast cancer cells, no matter where they are found in the body.
Treatment is palliative, improving quality of life, relieving symptoms and aimed at extending a woman's lifetime. But there are new treatments coming that are giving more hope to those patients with this cancer. Many women with this illness choose to become part of a clinical trial in order to access treatments that are not yet approved by the FDA.
If it is "estrogen-receptive," hormonal therapies such as the drug Herceptin can be lifesaving. Chemotherapy is indicated in bone, lung and liver metastases. For bone metastases, radiation and the drug bisphosphonate are often used. For liver and lung metastases, occasionally surgery is used. For cancer that has spread to the brain, radiation and surgery are used.
Palliative care to relieve symptoms from both the cancer and treatment involves drug and non-drug treatments such as relaxation therapy, acupuncture, and dietary management. Besides physical symptoms, palliative care for patients who are being treated or who cannot be cured focuses on spiritual and emotional needs, as well as physical needs.
As far as anyone knows today, metastatic cancer can't be cured. Sometimes, treatments can actually stop the cancer from growing for months or years. When Elizabeth Edwards asserted that she thought her own might be treatable, people listened. She gave a face to this illness - a loving, brave, wise, face - that no one will forget.

Alternative Breast Cancer Treatment Options

By Jon Arnold
Being diagnosed with Breast cancer isn’t something anyone wants to have in their lives. Luckily, for the majority of people, medical technology has advanced enough that with proper treatment, recovering and continuing on with life is greater than ever.
While you might have heard of it, you may not be aware of all the options that are available to you. However, conventional and alternative breast cancer treatment options are numerous. Many probably already know a bit about the conventional methods radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy and hormone treatment, though they might not know everything doing a web search and taking a look at information available on websites may be a good way to gain a little more knowledge into what exactly are your options when it comes to alternative breast cancer treatment.
Cancer is a tough one to beat, especially if it is not caught early. While the traditional methods of dealing with breast cancer have been found effective based on medical science knowledge today, you may wish to consider looking at treatment options. These alternative breast cancer treatment options are something that can be used in conjunction with conventional methods of treatment in order to increase the body’s natural healing abilities.
One of the more commonly known types of alternative treatment options is touch healing. This covers things like chiropractic, massage and Reiki treatments. All of these deal with bringing the body back into balance in order to help promote healing. It is also true that things like massage and Reiki have a very relaxing effect and Reiki is known to have significant pain reducing properties. It can also help to speed up the body’s natural healing process, which means you can get better faster.
One of the down sides to conventional treatments is that they can make you very tired. Being relaxed means that you can sleep better and the sleep you get is deeper. That can make a big difference in how you look at life, your situation and how you handle your treatment.
Massage can help with muscle pains as well as help you to relax. Going through treatment is a stressful process and stress hinders the body’s natural healing abilities.
Other alternative breast cancer treatments options are things like dietary changes. Adding supplements and foods to your diet that help promote good health are another way to help your body fight off the cancer and keep you from feeling run down which can make both you and your outlook feel worse than you have to be feeling. There are also homeopathic treatments that you can consider that might be of benefit in helping you to feel more like yourself even when you are going through cancer treatments.
If you would like to know more about alternative cancer treatment options, breast cancer itself or conventional treatment options and what is available, consider checking out the Internet. There are a number of websites with up to date and accurate information on what is available for you. As with any treatment plan consult with your doctor before trying anything and let them know what works and what does not for you.

Breast Cancer - A Case of Medicine Without Compassion

By Chris Teo, Ph.D.
Andi is child number ten in a family of eight brothers and two sisters. She is not married. In September 2004, at the age of forty-eight, Andi found a lump in her left breast. A lumpectomy was done by a surgeon in a hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. She then came to Penang to undergo eight cycles of chemotherapy. After this treatment, Andi was asked to go for radiotherapy besides taking tamoxifen. She declined both and came to see us on 15 March. On the day of her visit, she presented with bloatedness of her stomach and numbness of both feet.
One month on the herbs, all these symptoms disappeared. In June 2005, a blood test showed elevated ALT and AST (165 and 114, respectively) indicating something was amiss with her liver. Andi was put on liver herbs and within two months, her liver function values were restored to normalcy (ALT = 52, AST = 29). Andi discontinued taking the liver herbs. On 25 January 2006, her ALT was again elevated, at 59. On 6 April 2006, her liver function values remained elevated (ALT = 57, AST = 52). Andi resumed with the liver herbs. On 9 May 2007, Andi’s liver function values were back to normalcy ((AST = 10, ALT = 17). All other blood parameters were within normal limits. Her CEA was at 1.0 and CA 15.3 = 10.5, ESR = 5 and platelet count = 170.
On 11 May 2007, I talked to Andi and the transcript of our conversation is as follows:
Question: Did you take the liver herbs “religiously”?
Andi: Yes, I took Capsule A and B as long as I had the supply. When I ran short of supply, I did not take the capsules. As for the Liver-P, I was not very regular. Sometimes, I took it, sometimes I didn’t.
Q: After the lumpectomy in Jakarta, why did you come to Penang for chemotherapy? Did you know anyone here?
A: No, I did not know anyone here. I just followed other Indonesian patients who came here for treatment. I came to Penang because I was not happy with the doctor who asked me to go for chemotherapy. You see, I was operated on by a famous doctor in Jakarta. He is also the owner of the hospital. He is the one who asked me to go for chemotherapy after the lumpectomy. My brothers and I went to discuss the follow up treatment with him. We asked him how much the chemo-treatment cost and what drugs would be used. He was very nasty and rude. He told me: “Why do you want to know so much. Even if I tell you, you don’t understand. As for the cost, there are many types of drugs. If you are rich you use expensive drugs, and if you have less money, you use less expensive drugs. If you don’t have money, then don’t do chemotherapy at all.” I was very unhappy with his reply. So I decided to come to Penang for chemotherapy.
Q: How long did you stay here for the chemo-treatment?
A: I flew in and went to the hospital as soon as possible. It took about 4 hours for the injection to finish. The next day I flew back to Jakarta. I did this every three weeks until I was done with the eight cycles.
Q: Was the chemo-treatment a pleasant experience?
A: No. I lost my hair completely after the first cycle of chemo. My stomach felt bloated. I had to take 16 tablets of Dexamethasone twice a day. After the injection, I was alright but after I flew home I started to have the side effects which lasted about a week after each treatment.
Comments
Patients who have undergone chemotherapy may sometimes end up with derailed liver function values. Your doctors may tell you that this is a temporary set back after chemotherapy. Given a bit of time, the values return to normal. So, there is no need to take herbs. This is not the case with Andi. Without the liver herbs, Andi’s liver function values remained high. Would that lead to liver problems later? One lesson we can learn from this case is that liver herbs don’t harm your liver! The herbs make the liver function better.
Andi’s experience with her surgeon cum owner of the hospital is most tragic. A statement frequently uttered, “Some people go into medicine for the money.” This is one example of what the statement means. Some practitioners lack the compassion required of this noble profession. Some of them are just plain rude and arrogant, and they don’t know how to show love and care to their patients.

What Are Breast Cancer Symptoms?

By J. Lloyd
A disease that strikes fear in woman and everyone knows someone that has been diagnosed and treated for this. You constantly hear about breast cancer and there are constant news releases about new treatments being pioneered within the medical community. How should respond to the news reports, magazine articles and information that you receive from your own doctor?
Basically, watching for the early signs of this disease and taking immediate action can be the most important thing you ever do for yourself.
But, what are the symptoms of breast cancer? Many women do not know the basic facts that could save their lives. And, men get this form of cancer, at a lower rate, and they should also be informed.
There are several symptoms that all men and women should watch for. You should watch for:
* a lump-it will usually be small, firm and painless* a piece of skin on the breast or underarm that swells or that has an unusual appearance* veins that become more prominent on one or both breasts just under the skin surface* nipples that have a change in skin texture, develops a rash, have a discharge (other than breast milk) or that becomes inverted, or* a depression in any area of the breast surface that was not there before.
Women that already perform monthly self breast examinations know that their breasts always have a lumpy texture. Medical people say that if you do regular self-examinations, you will be able to tell the difference between your normal texture and the development of a lump. When in doubt, see a medical professional-they are there to help you and will not laugh if you are mistaken.
The medical profession tells us that only a small percentage of all lumps found in women’s breasts are malignant.
But, are you willing to take a chance and ignore the breast cancer symptoms? Being diagnosed is not a death notice-it is an opportunity for you to take action and to beat a terrible disease. Remember that every day more and more people are surviving breast cancer and living normal, healthy and long lives.
Watch for the symptoms of breast cancer. Be diligent, watchful and know the risks involved and your own family history with this disease. Even if there is no history of this disease in your family, that does not mean you are immune. Routine monthly self-examinations are the best way to ensure that you know your own body.
Do not be shy about the self-examinations and know the symptoms. No matter how slight the change in your breast, seek medical attention. Talk to your doctor; know how to be proactive in your own health care prevention and treatment. You are your own first line of defense-you know your body better than anyone else and you should be aware of any changes going on.
Think about the thousands of women every year that have survived this terrible disease. They have done so by being an actively involved in their own care and you can see many of them march every year in the Susan G. Konan race for the cure. Knowing the symptoms of breast cancer can mean the difference between you living long enough to see your grandchildren grow up or dying at an early age—the different might just be in your own hands.

Treatment Options For Breast Cancer

By Logan Pallas
Mammograms are routinely prescribed by women’s physicians as a means of early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Doctors are persistent in this recommendation because breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in women after lung cancer. With early diagnosis and treatment, 97% of women with localized breast cancer are alive 5 years later.
Once breast cancer has been found, further tests will be determining the extent of the cancer, a process known as staging. Understanding the extent of the cancer helps in the formation of an effective treatment plan. The following stages are used for breast cancer:
Stage 0 is used to describe early cancers, which make up15-20% of all breast cancers. These early cancers are referred to as ‘carcinoma in situ’ or ‘cancer in place’. Occasionally an abnormality or lump seen on a mammogram is biopsied. With carcinoma in situ, a woman has a 25% chance of developing breast cancer in the next 25 years.
Stage 1 is characterized by a localized cancer, no bigger than 2 centimeters or 1", and involves only breast tissue.
Stage II has several different set of criteria.
Cancer <2 centimeters involving both axillary (underarm) nodes and breast tissue.
Cancer 2 - 5 centimeters (1"-2"), with or without lymph node involvement.
Cancer > 5 centimeters (>2"), without involvement of the lymph nodes.
Stage III is divided into several categories, with all involving cancer >5 centimeters, but varying by the involvement of nodes, skin, chest wall, and/or bones.
Stage IV is the most critical, being the stage of cancer where extensive metastasis or spreading has occurred to involve vital organs - lungs, liver, bones and/or brain.
Treatments and Therapies
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Some tumors can be inhibited by hormones. To determine if a particular tumor is sensitive to hormone exposure, a biopsy is performed, and a hormone receptor test is conducted. This receptor test also helps determine the probability of a tumor return. Physicians often use HRT in combination with other cancer therapies.
Surgery of varying types is performed to remove cancerous cells. It may be a radical surgery where extensive tissue, (the entire breasts) and/or lymph nodes, are involved; or something more conservative, such as a lumpectomy, removing only the suspect tissue.
Radiation therapy applies specialized x-rays to cancer cells and is less devastating now that ways to target the radiation are being used. Radiation is used with other treatments when, for example, surgery would carry too much risk for the loss of critical tissue.
Chemotherapy, a standard, uses ever-more targeted drugs to kill cancer cells. The newest drugs are tailored to specific cancer cell characteristics both internal and external.
Two of the newer techniques, biological therapy, a more holistic approach to use the individual’s own immune system, and bone marrow transplants, designed to protect the spread of cancer to the bone, are also being tested. While new treatments are showing success at treating and inhibiting cancers, the best recommendation from the medical community is for prevention.