Cancer fighter: ginseng boosts immune function, combats stress and fatigue, and even helps fight breast cancer

Sep 26

Michael Castleman
IN ASIA, ginseng has been revered for centuries as a total-body health enhancer. But the mounting excitement in the West is focused on a very specific benefit. “Many studies show that ginseng helps prevent and treat breast cancer,” says Christine Homer, M.D., author of Waking the Warrior Goddess: Dr. Christine Horner’s Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer (Basic Health Publications, 2005).

One clinical vote of confidence occurred last spring when researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville concluded that Panax ginseng increases both the length and quality of life for women with breast cancer. Among 1,455 women followed for six years after a breast cancer diagnosis, regular ginseng users had 30 percent less risk of dying from the disease and 29 percent less risk of dying from any other cause, compared with nonusers. The 2006 study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, noted that those women who consumed the most ginseng reported the greatest improvement in quality of life.

Scientists believe that ginseng counteracts the cancer-stimulating action of the body’s own estrogen. The herb is actually a phytoestrogen that binds to estrogen receptors in the body, locking out its hormonal counterpart; by itself, ginseng is too weak an estrogen to spur breast cancer.

Beyond the breast

Ginseng’s Latin name, Panax, comes from the Greek word for “panacea,” and its effects are impressively diverse. “The Chinese consider ginseng a tonic, something that strengthens the whole body,” says Efrem Korngold, O.M.D., a Chinese medicine practitioner in San Francisco and a Natural Health advisor. “Western medicine has been skeptical of ginseng, as though it’s too good to be true. The skeptics should study the research.”

In addition to breast cancer, ginseng may discourage a range of cancers. Researchers at the Korea Cancer Center in Seoul tracked ginseng use in 4,634 subjects for five years. Compared with those who used no ginseng, those who took it regularly had 60 percent less risk of developing any cancer. The results were published in 1998 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Overall, there seems to be a particularly positive effect on immune function. In the journal Pharmacy Research in 1996, University of Southern California researchers noted that ginseng increases production of interferon, the body’s own antiviral compound. In a related study in 2002, published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, Korean researchers discovered that ginseng also enhances the ability of white blood cells to manufacture pathogen-devouring cells called macrophages.

By boosting immune function, ginseng may improve the efficacy of vaccinations. According to a 1996 study in Drugs in Experimental and Clinical Research, Italian researchers gave 227 volunteers a placebo or 100 milligrams of ginseng daily. A month later, everyone received flu shots; 42 placebo takers caught the flu, but only 15 ginseng patients became sick–a highly significant difference.

Several studies also indicate that ginseng’s immune-friendliness may help prevent the common (and always aggravating) cold. In 2006, University of Connecticut researchers gave 43 adults over age 65 a placebo or 400 mg of ginseng per day. For the first two months, both groups caught the same number of colds. But during months three and four, the ginseng group became sick only half as often (32 percent versus 62 percent), and their cold symptoms lasted less than half as long (six days compared to 13 days).

Total impact

In keeping with its reputation as an adaptogen, e r whole-body tonic, ginseng has been found to enhance both mental and physical performance, aid fertility and virility in men, reduce fatigue, and lower blood sugar in diabetics.

INTELLIGENCE. In a 1996 Danish study, 112 middle-aged adults were given cognitive-function tests before and after taking a placebo or 400 mg per day of ginseng for eight weeks. The placebo group showed no change in brainpower, while those who took ginseng demonstrated significant improvement. British researchers conducted a similar study in 2002 using the same dose of ginseng, which again seemed to enhance memory and attentiveness.

STAMINA AND FATIGUE. When Italian researchers tested 50 male gym teachers, ages 21 to 47, on a treadmill, those taking ginseng had greater stamina than did the placebo group; another Italian study found that ginseng improves reaction time. And a 1999 Japanese study in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics showed that the herb helps relieve the fatigue some women experience during menopause.

DIABETES. In a 2000 study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, University of Toronto researchers gave ginseng (a relatively high dose of three grams) to diabetics before a meal. Blood sugar typically rises after eating, but 40 minutes after the meal, the ginseng takers showed a decrease in blood sugar levels.

REPRODUCTION AND SEX. While an Italian study showed that ginseng boosts sperm count, two Korean studies–published in 2002 in the Journal of Urology and in 1995 in the International Journal of Impotence Research–confirmed the herb’s reputed aphrodisiac effect. Apparently, ginseng increases production of nitric oxide, which plays a key role in sex-related blood flow into the genitals; taking 900 mg three times per day helped restore faltering erections.

WITH SO MANY BENEFITS, it’s no wonder that ginseng users taking as little as 200 mg daily continually report improved quality of life, mental health, and social functioning. After University of Connecticut investigators reviewed research on the herb as it relates to quality of life, their 2003 report, published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics, found improvement in eight out of nine studies.

Those are darned good odds for a naturally healthier life.

Photograph by DAWN SMITH

Anemia increases risk of breast cancer recurrence

Aug 22

Last Updated: 2008-04-01 11:17:07 -0400 (Reuters Health)

Developing anemia during chemotherapy to treat early-stage breast cancer seems to affect the risk of the cancer coming back. The small study reviewed here found that women who became anemic while getting chemotherapy after early-stage breast cancer surgery were more than twice as likely to have the cancer come back 5 years after surgery compared to women who didn’t develop anemia. Almost 20% of the women with chemotherapy-related anemia had the cancer come back 5 years after surgery compared to only 8.9% of the women who didn’t develop anemia.

Many women in the study were followed for more than 5 years. The researchers found that the women in the study who developed anemia had a risk of the cancer coming back at any time (including longer than 5 years after surgery) that was almost 3 times greater than the women who didn’t develop anemia.

Although the risk of the cancer coming back in the breast was different, the researchers found that the risk of the cancer coming back in another place in the body (metastatic cancer) was the same for women who did and didn’t develop anemia. Also, the risk of dying from breast cancer was the same for women who did and didn’t develop anemia.

Chemotherapy is commonly used after early-stage breast cancer surgery to lower the risk of the cancer coming back. Anemia is a common side effect of chemotherapy, but not all women who get chemotherapy develop anemia. Radiation therapy is also used to lower the risk of the cancer coming back when a woman has lumpectomy instead of mastectomy. In addition to chemotherapy, the women in this study got radiation therapy if they had lumpectomy.

The researchers aren’t sure why the women who developed chemotherapy-related anemia were more likely to have the cancer come back.

Doctors sometimes use medicines to prevent or treat chemotherapy-related anemia. This research didn’t look at whether these medications could lower the risk of the cancer coming back. Even with these medicines, many women will still develop some level of anemia, which could affect their risk of the cancer coming back.

If you’re getting chemotherapy after surgery as part of your treatment plan for early-stage breast cancer, talk to your doctor about anemia and steps you can take to lower both the risk of anemia and the cancer coming back. Visit the breastcancer.org Chemotherapy section to learn more about chemotherapy and its side effects.

anemia, breast cancer, metastatic cancer 0 Comments

Cancer Preventive Properties Identified In Resveratrol, Found In Red Wine, Red Grapes

Aug 22

ScienceDaily (July 7, 2008) — Early laboratory research has shown that resveratrol, a common dietary supplement, suppresses the abnormal cell formation that leads to most types of breast cancer, suggesting a potential role for the agent in breast cancer prevention. Resveratrol is a natural substance found in red wine and red grapes. It is sold in extract form as a dietary supplement at most major drug stores.

“Resveratrol has the ability to prevent the first step that occurs when estrogen starts the process that leads to cancer by blocking the formation of the estrogen DNA adducts. We believe that this could stop the whole progression that leads to breast cancer down the road,” said Eleanor G. Rogan, Ph.D., a professor in the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Rogan was the lead author of the report that was published in the July 2008 issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

For the current study, Rogan and colleagues measured the effect of resveratrol on cellular functions known to contribute to breast cancer.

The formation of breast cancer is a multi-step process which differs depending on type of disease, a patient’s genetic makeup and other factors. However, scientists know that many breast cancers are fueled by increased estrogen, which collects and reacts with DNA molecules to form adducts. Rogan and colleagues found that resveratrol was able to suppress the formation of these DNA adducts.

“This is dramatic because it was able to be done with fairly low concentrations of resveratrol to stop the formation of these DNA adducts in the cells we studied,” said Rogan. Although researchers experimented with up to 100 µmol/L of resveratrol, the suppression of DNA adducts was seen with 10 µmol/L. A glass of red wine contains between 9 and 28 µmol/L of resveratrol.

The researchers also found that resveratrol suppressed the expression of CYP1B1 and the formation of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, two known risk factors for breast cancer.

Rogan said resveratrol works by inducing an enzyme called quinone reductase, which reduces the estrogen metabolite back to inactive form. By making estrogen inactive, resveratrol decreases the associated risk.

The current study was conducted in laboratory cultures, and will need to be confirmed in larger human trials, Rogan said.

Adapted from materials provided by American Association for Cancer Research, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Red Wine, breast cancer, cancer, red grapes 0 Comments

Long-term Use Of Adult-strength Aspirin Linked To A Moderate Decreased Cancer Risk

May 12

ScienceDaily (Apr. 18, 2007) — A daily dose of adult-strength aspirin may modestly reduce cancer risk in populations with high rates of colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer if taken for at least five years.

The Women’s Health Study trial recently reported that long-term use of low-dose aspirin (about 100mg every other day) does not reduce a woman’s cancer risk, but it did not examine whether high doses of aspirin have an effect on cancer risk.

Eric Jacobs, Ph.D., of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues looked for associations between long-term daily aspirin use (at least 325mg/day) and cancer incidence in a group of nearly 70,000 men and 76,000 women. Aspirin use was determined by a questionnaire.

During the 12 year follow-up, nearly 18,000 men and women in the study were diagnosed with cancer. The researchers found that daily use of adult-strength aspirin for at least five years was associated with an approximately 15 percent relative reduction in overall cancer risk, though the decrease was not statistically significant in women.

Additionally, aspirin use was associated with a 20 percent reduced risk of prostate cancer and a 30 percent reduced risk of colorectal cancer in men and women, compared to people who didn’t take aspirin. There was no effect on risk in other cancers examined–lung cancer, bladder cancer, melanoma, leukemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, and kidney cancer. Aspirin use for less than five years was not associated with decreased cancer risk.

“Our results do not have immediate clinical implications. Confirmation from randomized trials is necessary before a reduction in cancer risk could be considered a benefit of using adult-strength aspirin. Our results indicate that a randomized trial examining the effect of aspirin on cancer incidence would need to be both large and long term, probably lasting a minimum of 10 years. More evidence is needed before any such trial can be justified,” the authors write.

Article: Jacobs EJ, Thun MJ, Bain EB, Rodriguez C, Henley SJ, Calle EE. A Large Cohort Study of Long-Term Daily Use of Adult-Strength Aspirin and Cancer Incidence. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007; 99: 608-615

Adapted from materials provided by Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

anti-cancer agents, asprin, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer 0 Comments

Anemia Triples Risk of Local Recurrence in Breast Cancer Patients

Apr 25

By Nicholas Mulcahy, HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) — Breast cancer patients who develop anemia during chemotherapy face almost three times the risk of a recurrence in the same area of the affected breast, new research suggests.

The Austrian study was a re-analysis of information from a clinical trial that took place in the 1990s. Importantly, the findings also indicated that anemia did alter overall survival or significantly increase the risk of cancer occurring in a patient’s other breast or spreading elsewhere in the body. Anemia, a common side effect of chemotherapy, is a low red blood cell count that can cause fatigue and reduced quality of life.

“This study is definitely not aimed at changing current practice,” said study author Dr. Peter Dubsky, of the Medical University of Vienna. “This is a retrospective analysis that has yielded quite controversial data. The conclusion from our study is aimed at experimental and clinical oncologic research. Anemia is associated with a high likelihood of tumor hypoxia [too little oxygen in the blood].”

The chemotherapy used in the study was a combination of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF). The problems of anemia and related local recurrence are probably not limited to just this form of chemotherapy, noted Dr. Douglas Yee, director of the University of Minnesota Cancer Center. “I think this effect would be seen with any chemotherapy.”

CMF is no longer commonly used in the treatment of breast cancer and has been replaced by other forms of chemotherapy such as taxanes, added Dr. Barry C. Lembersky, a clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Also, there is a trend in breast cancer treatment to use chemotherapy less often, he said.

“Nowadays, there is a more selective use of chemotherapy, which tends to be used when a tumor is not stimulated by estrogen, lymph nodes are involved, or the genetic/clinical profile is suited for chemotherapy,” he explained.

In the Austrian study, CMF therapy was used as an additional treatment in 424 patients who were premenopausal and who underwent surgery as their main treatment for early-stage breast cancer. All had estrogen receptor-positive malignancies. The findings were published in the April 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

The surgery was either a breast-conserving lumpectomy, which required additional radiation, or a modified radical mastectomy, for which radiation was optional. The radiation was given in the middle of chemotherapy treatment process, which is now an outdated method, Yee noted. “We tend not to do this kind of sandwich technique anymore,” he explained.

After an average follow-up of 61 months, 39 local relapses occurred among the 424 women: 6.9 percent in patients without anemia and 19.5 percent in patients with anemia. The five-year rates of local relapse were 8.2 percent among patients without anemia and 19.6 percent among patients with anemia.

In addition to anemia, two other factors — an older age at diagnosis and positive lymph node status — significantly increased the risk of a local recurrence of breast cancer. According to an analysis of the range of factors examined in the study, patients with anemia had a 2.96-fold increased relative risk of a local recurrence.

Since the Austrian research was conducted, the treatment of anemia in breast cancer patients has become controversial, Lembersky noted.

“Erythropoietin-stimulating agents are indicated for use by the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] when red blood cell counts are too low,” he said. “However, there is now controversy about their use due to the possible increase in tumor growth in breast cancer.”

Dubsky agreed.

“I am sure you are aware of the recent pitfalls in the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs),” he said. “Given this context, we should start discussing anemia more in the context of tumor hypoxia and look for targets that are distinct from erythropoiesis.”

More informationHere’s more on the treatment of early-stage breast cancer.

content by:

SOURCES: Peter Dubsky, M.D., Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Douglas Yee, M.D., director, University of Minnesota Cancer Center, Minneapolis; Barry C. Lembersky, M.D., clinical associate professor, medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; April 1, 2008, Clinical Cancer Research

anemia, blood levels, breast cancer, cancer, cancer studies, chemotherapy, immune system, low blood count, low red blood cell count 1 Comment

Fatigue Affects Breast Cancer Patients Even Before First Chemotherapy Treatment

Apr 25

ScienceDaily (Apr. 27, 2007) — A University of Nebraska Medical Center study has found that even before women with breast cancer undergo chemotherapy, they experience fatigue and disruptions in sleep and activity levels. Researchers say their findings suggest health professionals should address fatigue following breast cancer surgery.

Researchers say controlling fatigue after surgery — before starting chemotherapy — is important because fatigue typically increases during chemotherapy. Between 70 to 95 percent of breast cancer patients experience fatigue while undergoing chemotherapy.

The study was published in the current issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Having studied 130 women with early stage breast cancer (stage I, II, IIIA), it the largest study to document the prevalence of fatigue associated with altered sleep and activity patterns before chemotherapy treatment. The data confirms what was reported in a previous smaller study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

“We found women are not going into chemotherapy in the best possible shape,” said Ann Berger, Ph.D., Niedfelt Professor of Nursing, UNMC College of Nursing, who has conducted several studies over the past 15 years related to fatigue in cancer patients. “It makes it that much more difficult to reduce the fatigue during treatment. If you start out with some fatigue, it will probably increase.”

“We as health professionals need to address potential fatigue and sleep issues sooner,” said Dr. Berger, principal investigator of the study. “If women are having sleep problems after surgery, we need to address this symptom before women begin chemotherapy. “What we’ve learned might explain why we’re having problems reducing fatigue in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy.”

The published study comes from initial results of a five-year, $1.5 million grant Dr. Berger and her team received in 2003. The purpose of the study, which was funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, a division of the National Institutes of Health, was to determine the best ways to reduce fatigue during chemotherapy and to prevent chronic fatigue after treatment.

Researchers measured sleep and activity patterns during the 48 hours prior to the first chemotherapy treatment using wristwatch-sized activity monitors called actigraphs.

Fatigue, the most prevalent and distressing symptom for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, has long been accepted by health professionals and patients alike as a side effect of treatment. Researchers say there are ways to intervene, and now they have found it may be important to intervene during the recovery period after breast cancer surgery.

Researchers say disrupted sleep, low daytime activity and/or reduced activity are likely to contribute to mild fatigue before chemotherapy and moderate to severe fatigue after chemo. They say fatigue should be addressed before and after surgery. Women typically begin chemotherapy three to four weeks after surgery.

Dr. Berger said because inactivity contributes to fatigue, she and colleagues say though women need to rest for several days after surgery, they should try to regain activity when they’re able. “We’ve been telling patients for years to rest and take it easy, but in some cases, we’re finding the patients who remain inactive are the one who report higher fatigue.”

Cancer-related fatigue can have a profound impact on an individual’s life, with significant physical, emotional, social, and economic consequences that may persist for months or years after completing treatment. Even after treatment ends, between 30 and 50 percent of patients say their fatigue remains at least six months or doesn’t ever go away.

Fatigue related to cancer treatment is described as a distressing, persistent, sense of tiredness or exhaustion that is not proportional to activity. The factors associated with fatigue are the presence and severity of anxiety, pain, lower sleep quality, physical inactivity, and poor performance status, leaving little desire to work or socialize.

Dr. Berger said the findings provide an important benchmark to begin looking for interventions to reduce cancer-related fatigue.

The study was undertaken to further establish values for sleep, wake, activity, rest, circadian rhythms and fatigue and how they interrelate in women before and during the first year after chemotherapy.

University Of Nebraska (2007, April 27). Fatigue Affects Breast Cancer Patients Even Before First Chemotherapy Treatment, According To Study. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/04/070426135536.htm

achy muscles, breast cancer, can't sleep, cancer, cancer studies, chemotherapy, fatigue, immune system, insomnia, side effects, sleeping trouble, stress, tired, weak, women 0 Comments

Chemobrain: When cancer treatment disrupts your thinking and memory

Dec 05

From MayoClinic.com http://www.chemobraininfo.org

For years people undergoing cancer treatment have described their minds as being in a fog — unable to concentrate and remember details about their everyday lives. Doctors and researchers knew something was wrong, but they couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

Research now shows that what these people are experiencing is called mild cognitive impairment — the loss of the ability to remember certain things, learn new skills and complete certain tasks. The cause of mild cognitive impairment during cancer treatment still isn’t clear, nor is it clear how often it happens or what may trigger it. Doctors aren’t sure what they can do about it.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any hope. Recognize mild cognitive impairment and its association with cancer treatment, and talk to your doctor about your symptoms or concerns. Taking small steps can help you cope with changes in your memory during treatment.

What is chemobrain?

The terms “chemobrain” and “chemofog” refer to cognitive changes during and after cancer diagnosis and treatment. Though these terms imply a relation to chemotherapy, it isn’t clear that chemotherapy is responsible. Women with breast cancer who underwent chemotherapy were the first group to bring these symptoms to light, as more started mentioning their symptoms to their doctors. It isn’t clear whether chemotherapy, or other factors such as stress and hormonal fluctuations, cause the changes in memory and thinking. What is clear is that some people with cancer do notice increased difficulties with certain mental tasks during and after cancer treatment.

In general, researchers have found that chemotherapy can affect your cognitive abilities in the following ways:

	Word finding. You might find yourself reaching for the right word in conversation.
	Memory. You might experience short-term memory lapses, such as not remembering where you put your keys or what you were supposed to buy at the store.
	Multitasking. Many jobs require you to manage multiple tasks during the day. Multitasking is important at work as well as at home — for example, talking with your kids and making dinner at the same time. Chemotherapy may affect how well you’re able to perform multiple tasks at once.
	Learning. It might take longer to learn new things. For example, you might find you need to read paragraphs over a few times before you get the meaning.
	Processing speed. It might take you longer to do tasks that were once quick and easy for you.

About 20 percent to 30 percent of people undergoing chemotherapy will experience cognitive impairment, though some studies report that at least half the participants had memory problems. One study found 35 percent of women with breast cancer had memory problems before beginning chemotherapy, so it’s not clear how or if memory changes are related to cancer treatment. Signs and symptoms of these memory changes can last for a year or two after your treatment.

Changes in memory during and after treatment may be very subtle. You might notice changes during your everyday tasks and as you start working again after treatment. The memory changes are often so subtle, in fact, that researchers find that people who report having memory difficulties tend to score in the normal ranges on tests of their cognitive ability. That makes it more difficult to understand, diagnose and treat the memory changes.

What causes the memory changes?

Doctors don’t know what causes the cognitive changes associated with chemotherapy. It was previously thought that chemotherapy drugs didn’t enter your brain, but were kept out by the blood-brain barrier, which separates chemicals that should be in your brain from those that shouldn’t. But some researchers now suspect some chemotherapy drugs may be able to slip past the blood-brain barrier. This could potentially affect your brain and your memory.

It isn’t clear which chemotherapy drugs are more likely to cause memory changes or if higher doses pose a bigger risk than do smaller ones. And it isn’t possible to predict who’s more likely to have cognitive impairment after chemotherapy.

A number of factors can cause temporary memory problems in people undergoing chemotherapy — making it difficult to identify the so-called chemobrain from the normal stresses of treatment. Temporary memory problems can, for the most part, be treated. Causes include:

	Low blood counts. If your blood counts are low, you might feel tired, making it difficult to concentrate.
	Stress. Being diagnosed with cancer and starting treatment is stressful. Stress also makes concentrating difficult.
	Medication to treat side effects. Certain medications for treating side effects including nausea and vomiting may cause drowsiness. When you’re tired, it may take longer to complete tasks.
	Lingering depression. Depression is common in people with cancer. If your depression continues after your treatment, you might find it difficult to pay attention.
	Lingering fatigue. Fatigue is a side effect of several types of cancer treatment, including chemotherapy. Your fatigue might end when your cancer treatment ends, though it also can continue after treatment.
	Hormonal changes. Many cancer treatments may alter the normal hormonal balance in your body, causing cognitive changes. Hormonal changes are a side effect of some treatments and, with other treatments, are the intended way to treat your cancer.
	Pain medications. Some pain medications cause drowsiness and difficulty concentrating. For most people, these side effects diminish or disappear once a proper dose of pain medication is established.

Talk to your doctor about your memory problems. If your symptoms are caused by medications or stress, your doctor can treat those symptoms and help get your mind back on track.

How are memory changes treated?

If you have impaired memory, your doctor may first try to rule out other causes of memory problems, such as stress and depression. Currently no medications exist to treat cognitive impairment associated with cancer and its treatment. Researchers are investigating whether medications for such disorders as depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dementia could prove effective.

You can help yourself cope with the changes in your memory by taking a few simple steps. You might want to:

	Exercise your body. Aerobic exercise helps your mood and can make you feel more alert. Both can help you when it comes to concentrating.
	Exercise your mind. Give your mind a workout by learning a new skill, such as a new language. Take a class, participate in a book club or try crossword puzzles.
	Track your memory problems. Keep a detailed diary of your memory problems throughout your day. Carry your diary with you and take quick notes on what medications you take and when. Note the time of day your memory problems occur and the situation.
	Target specific problems. Use your daily diary to determine what influences your memory problems. If they tend to crop up in the early afternoon, you may be able to prepare yourself by not scheduling meetings or deadlines at that time of day.
	Take notes. Make a list of everything you need to accomplish today and use it as a guide. Take detailed notes of things you need to remember.
	Start a routine. Put your keys or other commonly misplaced objects in the same place every time you set them down. Try to keep the same schedule every day.
	Talk about your problems. Be open with your friends and family about what you’re experiencing. Let them know your mind is moving a little slower these days and explain how they can help you. This can help you relax and make it easier for you to think and process information.

Find the coping method that’s best for you and stick to it. Talk to your doctor about your concerns. He or she might have some other suggestions.

What other types of cancer treatment might cause cognitive impairment?

Chemotherapy isn’t the only cancer treatment that may cause memory and thinking problems. Other treatments that might affect your brain include:

	Hormone therapy. It isn’t clear whether women undergoing hormone therapy that alters the amount of estrogen in their bodies experience memory problems. Some studies link memory function to the amount of estrogen in the brain. Other studies haven’t found this link.
	Immunotherapy. This experimental therapy stimulates your body’s own defenses to fight your cancer. Treatment with cytokines — a type of protein that causes inflammation in your body — may cause problems with memory, multitasking and processing information.
	Radiation therapy. Radiation to your brain can impair your memory and your motor function, as well as your ability to learn new things and to multitask. Older adults and people receiving high doses of radiation are at a greater risk of memory problems. If you receive both chemotherapy and brain radiation, your risk is also higher.

As research continues, doctors expect to better understand which cancer treatments cause cognitive impairment and what they can do to limit their side effects.

Take note of any memory problems

If you’re currently undergoing cancer treatment or you’ve already been through treatment, take note of any problems you have remembering certain things or concentrating during certain tasks. Talk to your doctor about your signs and symptoms.

If you’ve yet to start your treatment, talk to your doctor about the risks of treatment, including cognitive impairment. Understanding your risks can help you make more informed decisions about your treatment.

October 13, 2006 http://www.chemobraininfo.org

Forgetfullness, breast cancer, can't sleep, chemo brain, chemofog, depression, excercise, fatigue, immune system, infection, low blood count, medication, memory loss chemo, pain, side effects, stress, unable to concentrate 1 Comment

Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs May Help Women With Breast Cancer

Dec 05

ScienceDaily (Apr. 18, 2007) — Using Chinese herbs either alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy may help protect a breast cancer patient’s bone marrow and immune system, as well as improving the woman’s overall quality of life.

Sixty per cent of women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer experience a range of significant short term side effects. These include nausea, vomiting and fatigue, as well as inflammation of the gut lining, decreased numbers of red and white blood cells and decreased numbers of blood platelets.

Chinese medicinal herbs include mixtures of herbal compounds or extracts from herbs, and they are prescribed to counteract the side effects of chemotherapy. This Cochrane Systematic Review set out to see if there is conventional evidence indicating that these medicines are safe and whether there is evidence that the medicines are effective.

The researchers identified seven randomised studies involving 542 patients with breast cancer. By analysing these data, the researchers concluded that there was no evidence that the Chinese medicinal herbal treatment caused harm, and some evidence that it might reduce side effects.

“Further trials are needed before the effects of traditional Chinese medicines for people with breast cancer can be evaluated with any real confidence,” says Assistant Professor Jing Li, who works at the Chinese Cochrane Centre in Chengdu, China.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2007, April 18). Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs May Help Women With Breast Cancer. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/04/070417194320.htm

Chinese medicine, blood platelets, breast cancer, cancer trends, chemotherapy, herbs, immune system, inflammation, low blood count, nausea, side effects 0 Comments