These vary a bit depending on the lab, so the ranges that follow are guidelines rather than absolutes. Be sure to ask for a copy of the CBC each time it’s performed, and look at the lab results sheet for the normal range for that lab. Still, there are some general rules of thumb:

Red blood cells (RBC)Normal for men: 4.5 to 6.2 million per microliter (a single drop). Normal for women: 4.2 to 5.4 million per microliter.
White blood cellsNormal for men and women: 3,700 to 10,000 per microliter. Lowest level at which someone is safe from infection: 1,000.
PlateletsNormal range for men and women: 150,000 to 450,000 per microliterLowest level at which someone’s blood can still clot normally: 100,000. Level at which there’s a risk of spontaneous bleeding: 50,000. Level at which bleeding can become life-threatening: 5,000.

Hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that oxygenates the blood, provides the body with energy, strength, and stamina. When there isn’t enough oxygen in the blood, he’ll feel tired, weak, and sometimes faint or dizzy. He may have trouble catching his breath or feel pain in his chest as he tries to breathe. Extreme fatigue can bring with it memory or concentration problems, so he might seem confused or act like he’s not thinking straight. For more information, see Understanding Low Red Blood Counts. Platelets control clotting and stop bleeding, so when his platelets are low, he bruises easily and his body has trouble stopping the bleeding from even a small cut or scratch. (Women who are still having periods may have unusually heavy flow.) Nosebleeds and bleeding gums after brushing teeth can become an ongoing problem. Some people also get a rash that looks like little pinprick-sized red or purple dots, or they experience aching in their joints or muscles. Headaches are common too. For more information, see Understanding Low Platelets. The technical name for low white blood cell count is neutropenia, from the word neutrophil, and it means that his immune system is depressed. Another term you may hear is immunocompromised. Without regular immune function, his body can’t fight off germs and infections as it normally would. Watch closely for signs of fever, sore throat or cough, or chills and shaking. Keep an eye out for other signs of infection such as an injury that gets red and pus-filled or doesn’t heal. Another sign is diarrhea or loose stools for more than two days in a row. On the opposite extreme, an overly high white blood count is a sign his body is fighting an infection, although those fighting leukemia also can have elevated white counts.

Because the ranges considered normal are very wide, interpretation of the results can get muddy. One patient with a platelet count of 100,000 might have only minor bruising, for example, while another might have constant nosebleeds. It’s also important to keep in mind that a patient’s blood counts that are low as a result of chemotherapy and will rise again as his body manufactures new cells. Most of the time, it’s simply a case of waiting for the counts to rise again and keeping him safe in the meantime. However, for each count there is a level below which his doctor will take steps to elevate blood counts. These may include prescribing medicines or giving transfusions. Likewise, don’t be surprised if his doctor postpones a chemo treatment if she decides his blood counts are too low. http://www.caring.com/articles/blood-test-results http://www.caring.com/articles/low-blood-count-or-low-platelet-count

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melanie_Haiken http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Blood-Test-Results-Can-Affect-Chemotherapy&id=3085575

Learn how blood test results can affect chemotherapy treatment. These vary a bit depending on the lab, so the ranges that follow are guidelines rather than absolutes. Be sure to ask for a copy of the CBC each time it’s performed, and look at the lab results sheet for the normal range for that lab.

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Results show that more than half the sample reported having trouble sleeping, with 26 percent reporting moderate or severe trouble sleeping. Compared with patients who reported no trouble sleeping, patients with moderate to severe trouble sleeping reported significantly more fatigue, pain and depressed mood. Using structural equation modeling analysis to evaluate causal relations and directions of effect, the best-fitting model indicates that trouble sleeping led to increased ratings of pain.

According to the authors, the relationship between pain and sleep often has been assumed to be reciprocal. In the present study, however, a model of reciprocal causation could not be fit to the data, and models in which pain caused trouble sleeping did not fit as well as the model in which trouble sleeping caused pain.

“We believed we would find a bi-directional relationship between insomnia and pain, but instead found that trouble sleeping was more likely a cause, rather than a consequence, of pain in patients with cancer,” said lead author Edward J. Stepanski, chief operational officer at the Accelerated Community Oncology Research Network in Memphis, Tenn.

The study included demographic, clinical and patient-reported outcomes data from 11,445 cancer patients undergoing treatment at the West Clinic, a large community oncology practice in Memphis. Participants had an average age of 61.5 years, and 74 percent were female. Breast cancer was the most common form of cancer, and about 25 percent of study subjects had received chemotherapy in the last 30 days. Increases in depressed mood also led to increased ratings of pain.

Younger age and recent administration of chemotherapy were both associated with increased trouble sleeping. According to the authors, younger patients often receive more aggressive chemotherapy than older patients; therefore, younger patients may be exposed to more treatment-related toxicity.

Stepanski stated that several studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improves sleep in cancer patients who have insomnia. He believes that this type of intervention may decrease patients’ pain and fatigue by improving their sleep.

Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Sleep Medicine, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

1. . The Relation of Trouble Sleeping, Depressed Mood, Pain, and Fatigue in Patients with Cancer. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, April 15, 2009

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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For cancer patients, pain can come from the cancer itself, chronic inflammatory changes or infections. Standard cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can also cause pain, but despite its common occurrence, pain is a frequent source of patient anxiety due to improper management.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Radiation Oncology in Philadelphia and the Radiation Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., sought to determine the main reasons that patients fail to receive optimal pain therapy.

Between November 2005 and April 2006, 106 radiation therapy patients responded to an Internet-based questionnaire that evaluated their medication use, pain control and attitudes toward pain medication, including prescription and over-the-counter pain medications. Fifty-eight percent reported pain from their cancer treatment and 46 percent of patients reported pain directly from their cancer, yet 80 percent of those patients said that they did not use medication to manage their pain.

Most patients said the main reason they did not take pain medication was because their healthcare provider did not recommend it. This reason was followed by a fear of addiction or dependence and the inability to pay. Some patients also reported using alternative therapies for pain relief, including physical therapy, massage and acupuncture.

“To eliminate barriers to optimal pain management for cancer patients, healthcare providers should talk with their patients about pain symptoms and pain medications,” Charles Simone, M.D., a resident at the National Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology Branch in Bethesda, Md. and lead author of the study, said. “At our institution we have taken these steps by transitioning to an electronic medical record system that has been designed to require an evaluation and documentation of patient pain levels and pain medication responses by healthcare providers at each patient encounter.”
Adapted from materials provided by American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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“Quality of life is a research priority for the National Institutes of Health as it pertains to breast cancer,” Wyatt said. “Patients link symptoms to quality of life; if you have to live with breast cancer, then let’s have the highest quality of life we can during the process and make it as humane as possible.”

She found that 57 percent of women are using CAM therapies, and the sicker a woman is the more likely she is to use multiple therapies. Besides biological-based therapies, the next most popular were mind-body therapies using audiotapes, video and music therapy. More than 200 women were part of the study.

“The more popular therapies selected might be rationalized by women viewing these categories as more closely aligned with their health care provider’s recommendations,” Wyatt said.

She is using the results of the study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, to help women identify which therapies will be most effective for them. CAM therapies have gained widespread use in the past decade; Wyatt is currently funded by the NIH with a $3.1 million grant to study the effects of reflexology — a specialized foot therapy that applies firm pressure to certain parts of the sole of the foot — on symptom management and quality of life for women with breast cancer.

Among her other findings:

* The therapies with the highest mean spending (acupuncture and therapeutic touch at $45) were used by very few women, while vitamins, massage and homeopathy had an average total spending of $19.78 to $38.54 and were frequently used.
* Women without at least some college education were less likely to use CAM therapies.
* Employed women were more likely to use different types of therapies.
* Women reported greater use of therapies that required fewer sessions.

With research findings in hand, Wyatt is working with Darcy Greene from the College of Communications Arts and Sciences and Alla Sikorskii from the Department of Statistics and Probability to create a decision support intervention for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and those recovering from surgery. It will include a DVD and booklet, outlining therapies and their safety and effectiveness.

“Women are using these therapies, but they have little education about safety and efficacy,” Wyatt said. “One report indicates up to 80 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer are using CAM therapies.”

“They could really benefit from information on how to make a wise decision and choose the best therapies.”

That project is funded by two grants, one through the MSU College of Nursing Research Center and another via the Ohio State University Nursing Research Center.

Adapted from materials provided by Michigan State University.

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Adapted from materials provided by Springer.

Journal Reference:

1. Lustgarten J. Cancer, aging and immunotherapy: lessons learned from animal models. Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, 2009; 58 (12): 1979 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-009-0677-8

because like the rest of our organs, our immune system ages and gradually becomes less efficient as we get older.

See Also:

Health & Medicine

* Immune System

* Lymphoma

* Lupus

* Diseases and Conditions

* Elder Care

* Human Biology

Reference

* Transplant rejection

* Natural killer cell

* Immune system

* Inflammation of the kidney

Dr. Joseph Lustgarten, from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in the US, reviews the effects of aging on the immune system and strategies used to activate a stronger antitumor immune response in the elderly, including genetic modifications in animal models. His findings1 have just been published in the latest issue of Springer’s journal Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy.

Aging of the immune system coincides with higher rates of cancer in the elderly. There is a wealth of research on the effects of harnessing the power of the body’s own immune defences to recognize and destroy tumors (immunotherapy), yet very little of this work takes into account the effects of aging on the immune system. Older individuals do not respond to vaccine therapy as well as younger adults.

Dr. Lustgarten’s paper summarizes some of the defects found in the old immune system which affect antitumor responses; strategies used to improve the efficiency of older people’s immune response; and the use of animal models to identify how it might be possible to manipulate the old immune system, for more effective immunotherapeutic interventions in older patients.

Vaccination strategies that effectively stimulate antitumor immune responses in both younger and older patients are dependent on combining different therapies. The therapies must keep the balance between activating a safe and effective antitumor immune response and inducing an autoimmune reaction.

Dr Lustgarten concludes: “The immune system of the elderly is very different from the young and it is difficult to extrapolate results obtained in the young, for use in the old. Our job in the next few years is to figure out how to robust the old immune system by understanding, at a molecular level, its intrinsic defects to properly stimulate antitumor responses. Only then can we successfully customize tumor vaccines to be effective for the treatment of tumors in the old.”

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by Springer.

Journal Reference:

1. Lustgarten J. Cancer, aging and immunotherapy: lessons learned from animal models. Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, 2009; 58 (12): 1979 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-009-0677-8

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Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Sleep Medicine, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Journal Reference:
1.The Relation of Trouble Sleeping, Depressed Mood, Pain, and Fatigue in Patients with Cancer. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, April 15, 2009

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Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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Apazin

Fight Nausea, Vomiting, IBS

• Regulates GI system
• Eases diarrhea and constipation
• Curbs body fluid loss due to diarrhea
• Alleviates mouth sores and dry mouth
• Stimulates appetite-increases the secretion of digestive enzymes

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Having a decreased appetite during chemotherapy is common, and there are many different causes of this problem. Some chemotherapy drugs cause taste alterations or a change in a patient’s sense of smell. They can also cause dry mouth, mouth sores, nausea, and vomiting. In other instances, a patient’s appetite is affected by an early sense of satiety or a persistent sense of always being full. Depression may also alter a patient’s desire to eat.

Here are some quick and easy ways you and your caregivers can make the most of meal times:

• Try eating small meals frequently. Snacking every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day can be easier to digest; the smaller portions will also be less overwhelming.
• Start out the day strong with a well balanced breakfast. Oftentimes, your appetite will wane by the end of the day. Eating a healthy breakfast such as peanut butter or eggs on toast, or toast with fruit, can help get the needed calories in your system.
• Eat foods at room temperature to increase their palatability.
• If tastes or smell is off, add extra seasonings to meats.
• Using plastic utensils to decrease the metallic taste in the mouth.
• Using a salt water rinse or brushing teeth with a mint-based paste may also help food taste better.
• If feeling full is a problem, try eating small frequent meals that are low in fat but high in carbohydrates and protein.
• Drinking fluids between meals may also help prevent feeling overly full at meal times. Use friends and family to help in the meal preparation and shopping. Go through recipe books to look for new concoctions that may be appealing to you.
• Make meal time an enjoyable event. Eat with friends and family members or listen to your favorite music or television show.

Speak to your physician if your appetite is affected by nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, or pain. There are many medications as well as appetite stimulants that may help maximize your appetite. Eating well during cancer therapy will help you maintain weight and quicken the recovery time when your treatment has finished.

Nutrition is an integral part of the cancer treatment process. Without proper nutrition you may alter your immune system and potentially delay the recovery process.

For more information on tips for improving your appetite during cancer treatment see the following article from TheDietChannel: Increase Your Calories and Protein during Cancer Treatment.

The Dietchannel.com

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Eezapein

Ease Pain Naturally: neck,back, shoulder,arms, hands & fingers, menstrual cramping

Benefits

• Non-addictive hot tea
• Stimulates the body’s natural healing response
• Calms the mind and body
• Natural herbal remedies

Karen had an advanced case of breast cancer when her friend asked her to see me. Doctors had given up hope on her and wouldn’t operate and told her it was too late to treat her. She was looking for some sort of alternative health solution for the pain she was in, not the cancer, since she knew her time was limited.

At the time, I knew of nothing that could be used for the pain. In alternative health practice, the answer to reducing pain is to eliminate the cause of the pain, and in Karen’s case, this solution looked pretty grim. Certainly one could try supportive measures such as increase CoQ10 and germanium levels that would oxygenate the tissues and possibly activate some healing, or try using acupuncture to open all the right energy channels for healing energy to flow through. But as far as an actual pain relief formula for cancer goes, that drew a big blank.

I find that by posing questions during the day in my mind, answers always seem to pop up and sometimes they do within a few days. Sometimes the answer comes in a matter of minutes.

How can cancer patients get pain relief? Certainly there must be an answer out there. Enough people have gone through the ravages of cancer and someone must have tried something that worked for at least 10 to 25% of those suffering from cancer.

The answer came through an indirect way. A friend had told me about her journey through life the last year, watching four of her good friends die of cancer. It was heart-wrenching to see her friends suffer. She began searching for pain relief solutions for cancer patients. After a few months, she found one.

I learned that pain from cancer ruins the quality of life they have, and does it rapidly. One-third to almost a half of all cancer patients experience moderate to severe pain during their bout of cancer. In those with advanced cases of cancer, that percentage jumps to between 70 and 90%. The sad news is that cancer survivors can continue to suffer from the pain years later. What an unfair situation that is, to have recovered from cancer and then be left with the pain and no solution for pain relief anywhere!

My friend found an herbal combination that was specifically designed by Chinese herbalists to control the cancer pain. It was actually designed as a pain relief solution for cancer victims. She had recommended it to some people who used the herbal pain relief formula and it had worked quite well, she said.

Some of the herbs included in the formula are Notoginseng, Red Sage, Red Peony, Cnidium and other analgesic herbs. As a master herbalist, I knew there were herbs that could interact with the nervous system and some that had the capability to decrease substance P, the substance responsible for pain sensations, but had never been taught what herbs to mix together to accomplish the degree of pain relief that cancer patients needed. It makes total sense physiologically and herbally that an all natural herbal formula could make a difference in pain management.

The good news was that the Chinese had already created the pain relief formula for cancer pain. As an herbalist, if you come across a formula that works, the rule is leave it alone! Use it.

I was sad that Karen, the woman with advanced breast cancer, moved away and was unreachable for me to share the good news. But the thought of helping others find a solution for pain relief for cancer was important enough to write this article.

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Enerhance contains natural herbs,vitamins & minerals

People have reported stronger nails & hair growth after 60 days

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Skin / Nails and Chemotherapy

The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the type of chemotherapy and the amount given. Anticipating and managing side effects can help to minimize them and provide the best possible experience for the person receiving chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy’s potential effects on the skin and nails:

As each person’s individual medical profile and diagnosis is different, so is his/her reaction to treatment. Side effects may be severe, mild, or absent. Be sure to discuss with your cancer care team any/all possible side effects of treatment before the treatment begins.

Chemotherapy can affect both the skin and nails. It may cause an increased sensitivity to the sun as well as redness, rashes, itching, peeling, dryness, or acne. Nails may become darkened, yellow, brittle, or cracked, and may also develop vertical lines or ridges.

Sometimes, chemotherapy causes the skin along the vein to darken, especially in people who have very dark skin. Cosmetics or makeup may be used to cover the darkened area, but this can take a lot of time if more than one vein is affected. After treatment ends, the darkened areas often fade in a few months.

Although some side effects can be self-managed, some conditions require immediate medical attention. If you are receiving intravenous (IV) drugs, be sure that you immediately report any burning or pain to your physician. Sometimes, intravenous drugs can leak out of the vein, potentially causing tissue damage. These symptoms need to be reported to your physician right away.

Other skin and nail symptoms may indicate an allergic reaction. Consult your physician or cancer care team immediately if you develop sudden or severe itching, rash or hives, wheezing, or any other labored breathing.

How can I manage skin and nail problems?

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends the following strategies for reducing skin and nail problems related to chemotherapy:

Acne

• Keep your face clean and dry.
• Discuss with your physician the use of any over-the-counter medicated creams or soaps before using them.

Itching and dryness

• Apply cornstarch like you would using a dusting powder.
• Take quick showers or sponge baths, not long, hot baths. Use a moisturizing soap.
• Apply cream or lotion to your skin while it is still moist.
• Avoid perfume, cologne, or aftershave lotions that contain alcohol.

Nail problems

• Avoid nail-strengthening products as they may bother your skin and nails.
• Wear gloves when doing housework or working in the garden.
• If you note redness, pain, or changes around the cuticles, consult your physician.

Sunlight sensitivity

• Avoid direct sunlight as much as possible, and especially stay out of the sun between the peak hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the strongest. Even if you have dark skin, protect yourself from the sun.
• Use a sunscreen lotion with a skin protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Zinc oxide, sold over the counter, can block the sun’s rays completely.
• Use a lip balm with a high sun protection factor.
• Wear long-sleeve cotton shirts, pants, and hats with a wide brim (especially if you are experiencing hair loss) to prevent your skin and scalp from sunburn.

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