As many women begin the transition through menopause a lot of consideration goes into the idea of taking Hormone Replacements – whether it is just Estrogen (Estrogen Therapy or ET) or a combination of Estrogen and Progesterone (Hormone Therapy or HT). For the purpose of this article Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) will refer to both HT and ET.

Replacing your hormones with either natural or synthetic (laboratory made) forms of hormones may offer some benefit by helping to reduce many of the symptoms of early menopause – such as, hot flashes, insomnia, moodiness, and vaginal dryness. As well as more serious problems that may result from menopause like weakened bones, and osteoporosis.

But as with EVERY pharmaceutical product made to help relieve pain or discomfort there are risks, and hormone therapy is not without them. What’s important is that your unique health history and risk factors are discussed with your doctor to best determine whether or not HT or ET is the best option for you.

Estrogens Impact on the Breast

What you have to recognize is that the scientific community is just beginning to realize the uniqueness of every woman’s hormone profile. The effect of HRT on one of your female friends may be vastly different from the effect they have on you. This is why there is such a large amount of variation in what each woman experiences as they transition through menopause. This is also one of the greatest challenges that Doctor’s and Scientist face in their effort to understand the affects HRT has on the female breast.

Probably the biggest concern women have about HRT is the increased risk of that dreaded disease – Breast Cancer! Breast cancer risk, like many diseases, increases with age for women, but it is not specifically affected by menopause. Unfortunately, recent studies have generated a lot of conflicting data between HRT and breast cancer risk.

But, before I go into the risk of developing breast cancers from HRT, it is important that you understand how Estrogen and Progesterone hormones affect your body, or more particularly, your breasts.

There are two primary thoughts on how cancer develops in the breast. One is that cancer tends to appear in fast growing tissue – Estrogen (and Progesterone) can cause breast tissue to grow at a faster rate – therefore this may be one way Estrogen is related to developing breast cancer. A second theory is that when estrogen is broken down in breast tissue the resultant compounds may bind to genetic material (DNA) and damage it. Damaged DNA is a common cause of cancers. For the moment – these are two primary theories on how HRT may increase the development of breast cancer.

Understand that the scientific community is hard at work trying to unravel the link between Estrogen and Breast Cancer — or if there is even really a link — but good science takes time. There are so many variables (like medical history and diet) in every study that it is impossible to blame ET or HT alone for breast cancer. Although the results of many clinical trials does show that HRT MAY increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

The Risk Factors

As a result of the various studies and clinical trials done, one thing is for sure, many more studies will need to be done before we unravel the mystery of HRT and breast cancer. In the mean time be aware of the fact that:
Breast cancer risk is increased with the use of ET, and to a greater extent with HT, use beyond 5 years. And observational data suggest a slight potential increase for breast cancer with HRT use for less than five years.

By how much the risk is increased is not exactly clear at this point and will likely vary depending on each woman’s unique genetic makeup, diet and exposure to various environmental factors.  Obviously, the risk factor of taking HRT has a much greater impact if you are already at risk of developing breast cancer. If you fit into any of the categories below – then most physicians would probably agree that you should avoid HRT.

If you are a breast cancer survivor: The concern is that HRT may stimulate the growth of small or hidden tumors, it is nearly impossible to determine how many women harbor these hidden cells known as micrometastases.

If you have a family history of breast cancer: It is not clear whether women with a family history are at increased risk of developing breast cancer when taking HRT and therefore the medical community is cautious about recommending it.

If you have a history of: Uterine cancer, Liver disease, Blood clots, Undiagnosed vaginal bleeding or Heart disease.

One major consideration when contemplating HRT should be whether or not you are at a higher than average risk of developing breast cancer. Some other minor factors that may increase your cancer risk are weight gain and women who experience menopause later in life than average.

HRT – A Personal Decision

HRT is really a personal choice – there is no right or wrong answer. While some women may not want to accept the risks associated with HRT others may want to. Each woman must decide for herself, with input from her doctor, the best course of action. Both patient and doctor should be comfortable with the decision to take HRT or to pursue other treatments.

If you do decide to try HRT make sure you work closely with your doctor – prescribing the right dosage may sometimes turn into a bit of a guessing game. Keep your doctor informed as to how you are feeling and whether or not you think it is helping. The best thing you can do is actually keep a journal and track the symptoms that you’re hoping HRT will help with. The lower the dosages and the shorter the duration is best if you are worried about increased breast cancer risk.  But again your personal situation should be discussed in detail with your doctor, if you have another medical condition where the benefits HRT provide outweigh the increased breast cancer risk, then HRT should be considered.

If HRT is not for you – you are not without help. Thanks to all the ongoing research, new therapies and alternatives are being investigated every day and have proven successful for many women. But a word of warning – since this is a very new field, don’t necessarily believe every thing you hear and read. There are a lot of companies trying to take advantage of this relatively new market. And since a lot of the herbal remedies are not regulated by the FDA some companies will package almost anything with no regard for scientific data to back up their claims. Look for resources that are impartial and companies that provide actual data to support what they are claiming.

Lastly, I personally am an advocate of a healthy diet and active lifestyle to beat menopausal symptoms and weight gain — you should know that every clinical study I have read has shown that these two factors are proven to ease the menopause transition by regulating hormones naturally. And with no increased risk of breast cancer — actually eating the right foods will help prevent breast cancer as well as many other types of cancer and disease. So regardless of your HRT decision — the first step you should take when it comes to helping yourself is to eat a proper macronutrient profile and get that body of yours moving!

Jenny May and Health Thru Fitness, LLC focus on researching, developing, and implementing fitness and health strategies that the menopausal woman, as well as women of all ages, can apply to their current physical status. To learn more about the Jenny May Principles check out http://www.menopause-weight-gain.com and [http://www.healththrufitness.com]http://www.healththrufitness.com. You are welcome to use this article for your website or newsletter provided that you include the above stated bio and website links. Copyright © Health Thru Fitness, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Has mainstream science and the medical established been overlooking what could be a very effective treatment protocol?

Is it possible that the cure for cancer or at the very least an effective cancer treatment for some reason has not been pursued by mainstream medicine? What if qualified PhD researchers have validated its efficacy?

After many decades of pursuing a cancer cure, why is it that we still don’t have a treatment protocol that works in the vast majority of cases?

We probably do have that treatment protocol! How could this be possible but nobody knows about it? The unfortunate reality of cancer research is simply this. It appears that those with the money to fund cancer research rightfully expect a hefty return on that investment given that cancer research is a very expensive undertaking. That expectation is reasonable enough, because people with money to invest have an expectation that they will earn a decent return on their investment.

What if a cancer cure had been discovered but if it had no likelihood of returning any payback on the investment. Would you invest additional money to put it through the necessary clinical trials? Probably not! And no sane business person in their right mind would blame you. Why? The answer really is very simple. People in the business of finding cures for cancer are really in the business of finding cures for cancer that can return a hefty profit to their bottom line.

Let us not confuse ourselves! Cancer is “BIG BUSINESS” which by definition means a return on every dollar invested. If it were you, would you continue to market a product that works some of the time but it has hefty returns? Or would you market a product that works most of the time but has zero returns and would effectively put you out of business?

I don’t know what your answer is but I know what their answer is. Better to make tons of money and save a few people rather than make no money and save a lot of people.

Common sense will tell most of us that if we could put a man on the moon in 10 years then it stands to reason that we should have far better treatment protocols that would result in an effective cancer cure after 70 years of clinical research.

We already have that cancer cure or at a very minimum a cancer treatment protocol that turns cancer into a chronic disease as opposed to a death sentence.

It is our individual responsibility to determine what researchers have figured out over the last 70 years that could save our lives. But, for whatever reason mainstream medicine and organizations that conduct clinical trials have decided that it is not in their collective best interest to promote because the return on their investment just isn’t worth it.

Do your homework and don’t let your lack of knowledge leave you in a situation where you think you have no good options or real hope for a cancer cure!

My mother died from cancer when I was 16. During a medical exam, my doctor saw something suspicious on my X-ray and since I was a smoker, and therefore at an increased risk for cancer, sent me for a CAT scan. Knowing that I could have cancer forced me to find a legitimate alternative cancer treatment. I have since written a book to share this information. You can visit my website http://www.howtostopcancer.com to learn more.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

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Skin cancer like melanoma is potentially fatal. Hence, it is imperative that skin cancer treatment is begun early. Skin cancer treatment may take on the conventional form or it may be along the lines of alternative medicine. Cancer treatment is progressing rapidly by the day and new treatment methods are in the pipeline.

Conventional skin cancer treatment encompasses a range of methods, like:

Surgery

Surgery is the oldest form of treating skin cancer. This treatment involves the removal of the tumor and some adjacent healthy tissues in order to stem the cancer spread.  For some surface-based cancers doctors and surgeons  have found skin peels like the TCA skin peel have been very effective (see the link below for more info on TCA peels for home use).

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy aims at skin cancer treatment by introducing specific cancer-combating drugs in the body. These drugs kill the cancer cells by hampering their development and regeneration. To counter the side effects, chemotherapy is being molded along new lines.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses x-rays to kill the cancer-causing cells. This therapy can be applied to any part of the body. New radiation techniques like External Beam Radiation aim at focusing the radiation to the cancer cell and away from healthy tissue.

Immunotherapy

Biotherapy or immunotherapy aims at treating skin cancer by enhancing the body’s immune system with doses of tumor vaccines, interleukin-2, or interferon-alfa. It involves fewer side effects than other methods.

Hyperthermia

The cancer cell is known to be sensitive to heat. Local hyperthermia is one method of cancer treatment where the whole body or the concerned area is subject to high temperatures to destroy or weaken cancer cells.

Photodynamic Therapy

A relatively new cancer treatment, Photodynamic Therapy, involves the injection of Photofrin so that when the cancer cell is subject to a laser beam, the drug is triggered into action. This treatment is relatively painless and entails less risks and side effects than other treatment forms.

Steering clear of these harsh methods are the alternative forms of cancer treatment like:

Nutritional Therapy

Here the cancer patient is put on an individualized diet in accordance with the specific dietary preferences and requirements to counter the ravages wrought by the disease and the treatment.

Pain management

Pain management aims to alleviate pain and distress either through drugs, surgery or psychotherapy.

Naturopathy

It is “back to nature” in the realm of cancer treatment, with natural therapy. Naturopathy is an herbal treatment, which furthers your body’s innate ability to heal itself, combining a range of processes.

Psychoneuroimmunology

Another new form of cancer treatment is Psychoneuroimmunology. It believes that mind can wield enough control over the body to stimulate a healing process. Thus, this form of treatment engulfs a range of nutritional and medical issues to aid during the bodily healing and emotional and cognitive therapies like stress management and humor sessions to empower the mind.

Spiritual Support Therapy

Another popular form of skin cancer treatment is Spiritual Support Therapy, which takes care of the patient’s spiritual well being and a regimen of exercises and massages that forms the Physical Therapy, designed to abate stress and pain.

Skin cancer treatment is most effective when cancer is diagnosed early and the physician embarks on the best form of treatment.

David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests and manufactures various skin peels for plastic surgeons, medispas, and in home use. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.bestskinpeel.com

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Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in American men. It is also the most common cancer found among men over fifty in the United States and continues to grow at a rampant rate. If prostate cancer is detected early, it is very curable with the proper treatment.

There are quite a few treatment options to choose from when selecting the appropriate procedure. One of the best procedure options for you to consider is a radical prostatectomy. A radical prostatectomy is a common treatment method that involves the surgical removal of the prostate gland. The radical prostatectomy procedure is mainly encouraged for young, healthy men under the age of 70. A prostatectomy is not typically performed on men 70 and above because of the serious complications that can occur.

Choosing a Surgeon:

It’s suggested that patients seeking the best treatment outcome seek a qualified urologist with training in prostate cancer prostatectomy. With an experienced surgeon, the radical prostatectomy should take no more than two hours to perform, with no need for blood transfusion. Depending upon the urologist’s skill set in performing the procedure, the patient may wear a catheter for only a few days instead of the maximum three weeks.

Radical Prostatectomy:

A radical prostatectomy is the surgical removal of the prostate gland. It is a major surgical procedure which is performed in a hospital with the patient under general anesthesia. This procedure is considered to offer the second greatest chance for long-term survival (the highest cure rates are found at a radiation therapy practice in Georgia where they use a combined radiation procedure). During a radical prostatectomy, the surgeon removes the entire prostate and then reconnects the urethra and bladder. After surgery is complete, patients usually remain in the hospital from two to four days.

Complications to the Prostatectomy Procedure:

The outcome of the treatment, cure and complication rates vary based on the urologist performing the surgery. However, the most common complications following prostate cancer treatment are urinary incontinence (uncontrolled urine leakage) and erectile dysfunction (ED, the inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse). The majority of men receiving this treatment will suffer from some degree of urinary incontinence and ED immediately following surgery, but should gradually improve over time.

A prostate cancer radical prostatectomy is one potential solution. Let’s look at the issue of prostate cancer from a higher level.

Selecting the Proper Treatment that’s Right for You:

Choosing the most appropriate prostate cancer treatment for an individual depends upon several factors. These include:

- Which treatment option is going to offer the best chance of curing the cancer (and be careful here as there are many definitions of “cure” – but the only one that has been proven reliable is 0.2 ng/ml five years post-treatment).

- Potential side effects associated with the different forms of treatment.

- Examining the rate at which the cancer is growing and how fast it’s spreading to determine the most effective course of treatment

- Patient age, life expectancy and general health, including any other medical conditions

- The experience and training of the treating physician

There is always some form of shock to men when diagnosed with this type of cancer. Men need time to react and not rush into any healthcare decision early. Its recommended men review all prostate cancer treatment options, outcomes and complications, with a physician to select the best treatment that’s right for them. And don’t be afraid to ask your physician tough questions – ask them how long they trained on the procedure they recommend, and what their personal cure rate is.

Where to Get Additional Information:

While your healthcare provider is a good source for prostate cancer information and answering your questions/concerns related to your medical condition, it’s also important that if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer that you take the time to educate yourself on this disease. Prostate cancer is usually slow-growing, so you have time to do the research on the best treatment option for you, so check the web, read articles and books, and try to talk with others who have faced the battle you are now facing yourself and find out what they did.

No two patient’s healthcare conditions are exactly alike and recommendations can vary with physicians. You should conduct your own research to learn and understand prostate cancer and all the available treatment options. With very few exceptions, you only have one chance at being cured; with proper knowledge you’ll be able to make the most efficient and effective decision.

John Critz helps inform men about prostate cancer treatment options including prostate cancer radical prostatectomy. His company, RCOG helps educate males about radical prostatectomy among other procedures.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

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If you are scheduled for breast surgery (biopsy, lumpectomy or mastectomy) or you are undergoing post-surgical breast cancer treatment, hypnosis is an excellent complementary therapy that can enhance the positive effects of various therapies.* Using hypnotherapy in combination with your medical breast cancer treatment will make you feel more empowered and in control of your care, and it will help you maximize your overall wellness.

The power of the subconscious mind can be a potent ally in healing from surgery and recovering from breast cancer, for it is the subconscious mind that controls automatic body processes, including immune function and pain perception. Additionally, the subconscious mind is the source of all emotions, which also makes hypnosis a logical choice for dealing with the emotional aspects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Hypnosis for breast cancer treatment can help with the following issues:

Pre-Surgical Preparation:  Numerous studies in medical journals have shown that people who prepare for surgery using hypnosis generally have fewer complications, heal faster and have less post-operative pain. Hypnosis will help you feel calm, relaxed and positive before, during and after surgery. Usually, the hypnosis therapy is geared toward making positive suggestions to your subconscious regarding your surgery and its outcome, as well as teaching you how to effectively manage pre-surgery stress.

When we see pre-surgical clients in our hypnosis practice, we give them a CD to play before and immediately after surgery (and with headphones during surgery, if their surgeon permits). The CD contains soothing music, relaxing imagery and positive suggestions to reassure the client’s subconscious mind that the surgery will go smoothly and that their body will heal quickly, with as little discomfort as possible.

The results of pre-surgical hypnosis can be quite amazing. Patients frequently report that they needed very little pain medication and that they were back on their feet very quickly after surgery. I recently spoke with a client with whom I had worked before her major abdominal surgery. After her surgery, her surgeon told her he would order a narcotic pain killer. She told him to hold off on the narcotics because she was not in much pain. In fact, she required only ibuprofen and she was up and walking around just two hours after her surgery! Needless to say, her doctor was amazed.

Any surgery can be stressful, but breast surgery that may indicate a need for follow-up breast cancer treatment can be extremely stressful for any woman. In our practice, hypnosis for breast cancer surgery focuses specifically on this extreme stress. The calmer you stay before the surgery, the more resources your body has to heal itself as quickly as possible.

Follow-Up Treatment If Cancer Is Detected:  If you require follow-up radiation and/or chemotherapy as part of your breast cancer treatment, hypnosis can teach you how to feel more relaxed and manage your stress. A growing body of evidence suggests that chronic stress and the cascade of stress hormones it produces can interfere with the proper functioning of the immune system. An immune system which is as healthy as it can be (given the specific treatment) is critically important during breast cancer treatment.

When we work with breast cancer clients in our practice, we teach them relaxation, self-hypnosis and stress management techniques. We also teach our clients how to use mental imagery to encourage their immune system to work together with their medical therapies in order to maximize the benefits of their breast cancer treatment. For example, we may teach a client to visualize her immune system attacking and killing the cancer cells, or surrounding and transforming the cancer cells into something harmless. The visualization work for each client’s breast cancer treatment is always tailored to her needs and the way her imagination works.

If your breast cancer treatment creates side effects, including nausea, hypnosis can help you minimize those side effects. And if your breast cancer treatment creates body image issues, hypnosis can also help you feel good about your body again. Each woman is different, both in her needs and in her physical and emotional reactions to the breast cancer treatment and its side effects. Accordingly, each woman’s hypnosis sessions will need to be tailored specifically to her requirements and goals.

Whether you are scheduled to undergo breast surgery to determine if you need follow-up breast cancer treatment, or you are already undergoing breast cancer treatment, hypnosis can complement your medical treatment in multiple ways.

*Hypnosis is not a substitute for medical breast cancer treatment.  Rather, it is an excellent complement to standard medical breast cancer treatment. Hypnosis works with doctors, not against them. Do not discontinue medical breast cancer treatment when you begin hypnotherapy.

Loretta Sernekos, Ph.D., is a Certified Hypnotherapist in private practice in Cherry Hill, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. You can visit her
hypnosis practice website at http://sghypnosis.com for more information and audio podcasts. For
additional hypnosis information and articles, both modern and antiquarian, visit http://hypnosisgateway.com.

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Is there such a thing as a cancer cure. Most intelligent people trained in cancer research and treatment would conclusively and convincingly answer that question with a resounding “no!”

Are they right or just parroting what has been widely disseminated in the mainstream media and medical journals. Based on the available results and the consistently high rates of death due to all types of cancer they could hardly be wrong. It would stand to reason that if a true cancer cure, whether mainstream or alternative, had been found the currently high rate of death due to cancer would have gone down significantly.

What if researchers had found a seriously viable treatment protocol that was shown to be very effective at treating cancer if not outright leading to a cancer cure? What if that treatment protocol was so simple and straightforward that anybody could implement it? What if based on the ease of implementation, low cost and therefore the lack of profit to be made, would mainstream science and pharmaceutical companies be inclined to promote its widespread adoption and to aggressively market its use to frontline physicians.

Unfortunately, it seems as if the cure for cancer has evolved into a cancer cure that can be marketing and sold at a tremendous profit to the end user, which in this case is the cancer victim or their insurance carrier if they are fortunate enough to have health insurance.

Is it hard to believe that after the billions of dollars invested in cancer research we don’t seem to be any closer to a true cancer cure. Could it be that we may have the cure for cancer sitting under our collective noses but those companies with the resources to advance and promote it have no financial incentive to do so?

We have made great strides in finding new and novel ways to attack cancerous cells. But the question to be asked is “has a cancer cure been found?” The answer to that question could be a resounding “yes!” But in the absence of a formal clinical study funded by an entity with sufficiently deep pockets to do so, we may continue to be stuck and bombarded by the same old staples of chemo, radiation and surgery.

Are there promising treatments that have been FDA approved and in development? Sure! The only problem is that with the sky rocketing cost of healthcare how many of us will actually be able to benefit from these new therapies without having to fall into bankruptcy or significant debt. All the while hoping that the new fangled therapies would indeed save our life.

There just might be a tried and true cancer cure that could work for the majority of us. The only question being, can we find out what cancer researchers already know but have no financial incentive to share with us or the larger medical community. As always, we just don’t know what we don’t know and as it relates to cancer that ignorance could be fatal!

My mother died from cancer when I was 16. During a medical exam, my doctor saw something suspicious on my X-ray and since I was a smoker, and therefore at an increased risk for cancer, sent me for a CAT scan. Knowing that I could have cancer forced me to find a legitimate alternative cancer treatment. I have since written a book to share this information. You can visit my website http://www.howtostopcancer.com to learn more.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

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As a patient that is seeking an alternative cancer treatment, it is important to understand that the physician must also be willing to meet their respective client’s needs. A physician is highly trained in their medical field; however, their education and skill for the treatment of cancer may overshadow the compassion that also underlies many medical ailments. A cancer physician must be aware of other treatments that are also available to the patient, and understand the various treatments that the patient will be comfortable working with. Each patient is a fine, infinite being that must be handled just as such. Allowing the physician to know where the patient stands on their medical treatment, and what they are willing to do to be proactive towards their own recovery is essential for anyone that is going through a medical treatment.

Approaching a medical physician with information that is deemed important by the patient is essential to assisting the physician in understanding the medical benefits that one wishes to receive. With medical treatments and research, there are continuous pieces of information that continue to flow into literature. There are constant medical breakthroughs that are continuously arising on the medical front. This is an important part of medical research, and both the medical professional as well as the patient should be vigilant in reading such material. When the patient goes to their next doctor’s visit, they should take the information that they have regarding new medical information with them so their physicians can also review the material.

When dealing with a physician, it is important to remember that the patient’s life and the ability to become rehabilitated is what is at stake. There are many medical professionals that are proficient in their designated field of practice, but are also interested in working only with what they were taught in medical school. By taking any information that is readily available to the physician, the physician can review the materials and see if it is an innovative program that will also be of benefit to the patient.

Joining a support group is also a very important journey of any medical treatment. It is through a support group that one can effective receive the love and understanding that is needed while going through an alternative Cancer treatment. A support group can also offer the encouragement that a patient needs in order to remain proactive towards a cure for their cancer ailment, additional research to be conducted, or for there mere moral support. There is sufficient evidence to support that there are many patients that have come along much further in their medical treatments when they have received adequate support from those that they know and others in the community.

Stimulating the body to accept a new means of medicine, or knowing when the body is unable to receive evasive medical procedures is important to those that are looking for an alternate means of cancer treatment. Working with a physician that is open-minded is also a wonderful way to ascertain that there will be medical treatments that are readily available for when the patient is ready.

The staff at New Hope Medical Center strives to aid their patients through alternative resources, and encourage their patients to strive for the best in their own personal care. There is certainly no one way that a health ailment such as Cancer can be treated with one method of medical assistance. Giving faith and courage, as well as the perseverance to remain strong, both mentally and physically, will offer the best results when receiving medical treatments.

Mark Branyon collaborates with international experts in continually improving existing protocols. Their treatment strategy incorporates the best modalities of both worlds mainstream and alternative according to individual needs. http://www.newhopemedicalcenter.com

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