Long-term survivors of adult cancers are almost twice as likely to report psychological distress severe enough to cause moderate to serious problems functioning in social, work or school situations, compared to the general population, according to a large, national study presented September 24, 2008, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 50th Annual Meeting in Boston. Findings also show that younger long-term cancer survivors, those less than 65 years old, were more likely to experience severe psychological distress, than those survivors aged 65 and older. The study also found that there was no difference in the number of years since the cancer diagnosis and the increased risk of distress. Long-term cancer survivors are individuals who have lived five years or more beyond their initial cancer diagnosis.

“We hope these findings will raise awareness of the psychosocial needs of long-term cancer survivors and encourage routine psychological screening of these survivors,” Karen Hoffman, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said. “Quick, low-cost psychological screening tests are available that can and should be performed during clinic visits.”

There are an estimated 12 million cancer survivors living in the United States. These survivors may face many stresses as a result of their cancer experience, including adjustment to physical disabilities, changes in their social support system and fear of the cancer returning or of dying from cancer. Researchers identified individuals with severe psychological distress based on how frequently they felt nervous, restless, hopeless, worthless and that everything was an effort.

The study involved 4,712 long-term survivors of adult-onset cancer and 126,841 respondents never diagnosed with cancer using the 2002-2006 National Health Interview Survey, an in-person health survey of the U.S. population. Among survivors, the mean age at cancer diagnosis was 47 years and the mean age at the interview time was 62 years. The majority were survivors of breast, gynecologic, male genitourinary and colorectal cancer.

Cancer survivors were more likely to report severe psychological distress than adults never diagnosed with cancer. In addition to other findings, survivors who were not married or living with a partner, had less than a high school education, were uninsured, were current or former smokers, or had difficulty with instrumental activities of daily living were more likely to experience severe distress than those without these characteristics.

Source: American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology

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Leucozepin bestseller
Strengthen Immune System: contains Astragalus

Secondary Benefits

• Regulates blood cell counts
• Boosts energy
• Activates NK cells
• Stimulates macrophages
• Relieves fatigue

The cells that are usually affected include bone marrow blood cells, cells of hair follicles, cells lining the digestive tract and cells lining the reproductive tract. Looking at this list of the cells that are usually destroyed, one can start to recognize some the ailments that cause so much suffering to people going through chemotherapy treatment. Now you understand exactly why people end up losing their hair for instance. This is as a result of the cells of hair follicles being damaged by chemotherapy.

Bone marrow cells being affected during cancer treatment is one of the most common causes of many of the side effects of chemotherapy. Bone marrow is a thick liquid in the inner part of some bones which usually produces white blood cells. This damage leads to low white blood cell counts or what doctors call neutrophil. The kind of signs and symptoms that follow include fever, sore throat, coughs, shortness of breath, nasal congestion, burning during urination, shaking chills as well as redness, swelling, pain, and warmth at the site of an injury amongst other symptoms.

Usually because of the high risk of infections, doctors may need to delay further chemotherapy doses. These are some of the factors that cause so much suffering amongst cancer patients.

Fortunately new research and clinical trials offers some hope in greatly alleviating problems related to cancer and cancer treatment. For example natural herbal medicines have been used for hundreds of years and now regularly complement mainstream care in managing symptoms, boosting the immune system and greatly enhancing the quality of life. Actually many cancer patients going through chemotherapy have reported impressive results from natural herbal medicine in addressing the side effects of chemotherapy.

Get more information on the Side Effects Of Chemotherapy

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Therapy Pain   by Billy Fischer

Where traditional forms of medicine do not work alternative therapies are resorted to. When there is a combination or integrated medical system that is followed, how to blend both the alternative and the conventional needs expertise. Alternative therapies make available services which are not offered in conventional medicine. These treatments could involve homeopathy, new age healing, faith healing and naturopathy. Some diseases might warrant alternative methods of healing rather than the conventional and more and more people seem to be becoming aware of this.

Not only can alternative health therapies help you to improve the quality of your life and feel better, they can also help you to improve your overall general health in order to provide you with a sense of control. It relaxes you by reducing your anxiety, stress, depression, sleeplessness and tension. They reduce some of the side effects, which are normally noticed in the usual cancer treatments and also help in reducing some of the symptoms like poor appetite, tiredness, pain, sickness, diarrhea, constipation and breathlessness.

Alternative health therapies can be very effective at masking pain, which can sometimes hide a more serious underlying condition and are often used in conjunction with conventional medicine. Some cancer support groups for example, offer these therapies for free or make a small charge and some hospitals and hospices provide as part of cancer care, alongside conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Many cancer patients to support themselves in their fight against cancer now use these therapies. These therapies are very valuable in that they identify and support spiritual and emotional characteristics and physical features, but they should not be used as the only alternative line of treatment.

More than billion is spent by the Americans annually on vitamins and herbs which are alternative health products. The recent studies that were conducted by Phillips, Tindle, Eisenberg and Davis, reflected that there was roughly seventy two million adults within the United States that use alternative and complementary therapies. The studies conducted by Herman, Craig and Caspi in 2005 also show an out of pocket spend of about billion annually on these therapies.

It is very essential to find out which treatments offered by alternative health therapies are more effective and at the same time making you feel much better and comfortable. The quality of life for many people has improved especially those who have Motor Neuron Disease. It is always advisable to check with your doctor before starting with any of the alternative health therapies and you should also remember to check whether any such treatment adapted would have adverse effect on any of the treatment programs which are already being undertaken.

In case you are thinking of using any alternative health therapy along with your contemporary medication then you must talk to you doctor and find about the pros and cons that are related. You could even find out from your physician if he is qualified to practice any of these therapies. Today doctors are more and more convinced that alternative therapy does have a place in the overall healing of a patient; this gives them the ability to maybe recommend alternative therapy practitioners. For some people, these types of therapies are helpful in coping with effects of conventional treatments, reducing anxiety and giving them back some control over their lives.

Popularity: 2% [?]

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2008) — The temperature might not be the only thing plummeting this winter. Many people also will experience a decrease in their vitamin D levels, which can play a role in heart disease, according to a new review article in Circulation.

Vitamin D deficiency results in part from reduced exposure to sunlight, which is common during cold weather months when days are shorter and more time is spent indoors.

“Chronic vitamin D deficiency may be a culprit in heart disease, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome,” said Sue Penckofer, PhD, RN, study author and professor, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago.

The review article cited a number of studies that linked vitamin D deficiency to heart disease. These studies found rates of severe disease or death may be 30 to 50 percent higher among sun-deprived individuals with heart disease.

Penckofer and colleagues concluded that diet alone is not sufficient to manage vitamin D levels. Treatment options to correct this level, such as vitamin D2 or D3, may decrease the risk of severe disease or death from cardiovascular disorders. The preferred range in the body is 30 – 60 ng/mL of 25(OH) vitamin D.

“Most physicians do not routinely test for vitamin D deficiency,” said Penckofer. “However, most experts would agree that adults at risk for heart disease and others who experience fatigue joint pain or depression should have their vitamin D levels measured.”

Study authors also included Glen W. Sizemore, MD, emeritus professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, and Diane E. Wallis, MD, Midwest Heart Specialists, Downers Grove, Ill.

Adapted from materials provided by Loyola University Health System.

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ScienceDaily — A new study from the National Institutes of Health finds that massage therapy may have immediate benefits on pain and mood among patients with advanced cancer. The study appears in the September 16, 2008 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

In a randomized trial of 380 advanced cancer patients at 15 U.S. hospices, improvement in pain and mood immediately following treatment was greater with massage than with simple touch.

“When patients near the end of life, the goals of medical care change from trying to cure disease to making the patient as comfortable as possible,” said Jean S. Kutner, MD, MSPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. “This study is important because it shows massage is a safe and effective way to provide immediate relief to patients with advanced cancer.”

Pain and depressed mood are common problems for patients with advanced cancer. While drug therapies can reduce symptoms, they don’t always work and often have troublesome side effects. Researchers think that massage may interrupt the cycle of distress, offering brief physical and psychological benefits. Physically, massage may decrease inflammation and edema, increase blood and lymphatic circulation, and relax muscle spasms. Psychologically, massage may promote relaxation, release endorphins, and create a positive experience that distracts temporarily from pain and depression.

Researchers caution that while massage may offer some immediate relief for patients with advanced cancer, the effects do not last over time, demonstrating the need for more effective strategies to manage pain at the end of life.

Adapted from materials provided by American College of Physicians, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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From MayoClinic.com
Special to CNN.com

Whether it’s cuddling, kissing or sex, intimacy with a loving partner can help you feel better about yourself as you go through cancer treatment. During and after your treatment, you may find that your libido has changed. Loss of libido is the most common problem affecting cancer survivors looking to continue or resume sexual intimacy.

Losing interest in sexual activity can create tension between you and your partner, adding to the stress of treatment. Identifying the causes of your disinterest is the first step toward finding a solution. Open communication with your partner and your doctor can help you regain your libido or help you redefine what it means to be intimate.

Physical changes that can cause loss of libido

Loss of libido may be caused by physical changes to your body as a result of cancer treatment. For instance, women may experience symptoms of early menopause, such as vaginal dryness, and men may experience erectile dysfunction. Discuss these changes with your doctor.

Feelings that can cause loss of libido

Cancer is a physical disease, but going through a cancer diagnosis and treatment can be very emotional. You may worry about your future, stress over your treatment decisions and find joy in the small triumphs in overcoming your cancer. All of these emotions influence how you feel about yourself and your attitude toward intimacy. Some common feelings that can negatively affect your libido include:

Guilt
You may feel guilty because you feel previous sexual experiences caused your cancer. Cancer can’t be transmitted sexually. Although some cancers are more likely in people who have human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted sexually, many people live with HPV and never develop cancer. Other sexually transmitted viruses that put you at risk of cancer include hepatitis C, HIV and Epstein-Barr virus.

Fear
You may fear that sexual activity can cause a recurrence of your cancer or that you will pass your cancer on to your partner. Sexual activity has no influence on whether you’ll experience a cancer recurrence. Your doctor can discuss your prognosis and chances for a cancer-free life. You can’t pass your cancer on to another person.

Depression
Sadness or feelings of worthlessness are common signs of depression, which causes a loss of libido and decreases the pleasure you experience during sex. People with cancer are more likely than others to experience depression. Depression is treatable, so talk to your doctor about your feelings.

Self-consciousness
Changes to your appearance after cancer treatment can make you feel self-conscious. For instance, the loss of your hair from chemotherapy, the loss of a limb, breast, or testicle, scars from surgery, and ostomies can make you feel less attractive. Many people find that their partners aren’t as concerned about these changes as they are. Still, it takes time to become comfortable with the changes in your appearance. Your doctor may have suggestions to help you regain your self-confidence. Talk with other cancer survivors for ideas on ways to make you feel more sexually attractive.

Grief and loss
Feelings of grief and loss can result if you feel cancer treatment has significantly changed your body. Some people might say they feel less feminine or masculine. For instance, a woman who has a hysterectomy may feel a sense of loss and perceive herself as less of a woman. A man may feel he’s less of a man if he has his testicles removed (orchiectomy). For some people, treatments alter how they view themselves and make them very dissatisfied with their bodies. Although some sense of grief and loss is expected with the physical changes, you can and should feel satisfied with your body and feel positive about yourself. Talk to your doctor about how you feel. Ask him or her for a referral to a clinical health psychologist if you have strong feelings of dissatisfaction with yourself and your body.

Stress
Being diagnosed with cancer and beginning your treatment is stressful. This makes it difficult to get into an intimate mood because your mind is distracted. If you’re in a relationship, stress can exacerbate any pre-existing problems you may have had. Talk with your partner about how you feel.

Anxiety
The thought of resuming sex after your cancer can cause anxiety. You might be unsure of how you’ll perform. If you have a partner, you might find yourself avoiding all intimacy. If you’re single, you might be hesitant to date because you aren’t sure how or when you’ll reveal your cancer experience to a new partner. Anxiety is common, and it may help to talk through your feelings with your partner, your doctor or a clinical health psychologist.

Consider your partner’s feelings toward sex

Many times, cancer survivors say their partners go through cancer with them — standing by them and supporting them from the first diagnosis through the uncertainty of life after treatment. It’s an emotional time for your partner, too, and sometimes partners feel afraid or reluctant to resume sex. Your partner may be afraid that he or she will hurt you or that you’ll interpret his or her advances as pressure to have sex. Your partner’s role as caregiver during your treatment can make him or her see you as a vulnerable patient, rather than the partner you think of yourself as.

In many cases, communication about how both of you feel can make situations like these easier. But many couples didn’t spend much time discussing sex before, and adding cancer to the mix makes it all the more difficult. Couples therapy may help you open the lines of communication and better understand your situation.

What you can do to regain your libido

If you’ve experienced a loss of libido, you may feel alone. You might not want to talk about your feelings, but you should. The problem won’t resolve on its own. It will take cooperation between you, your partner and your health care team to ensure that you feel comfortable resuming sexual activity. Consider trying to:

• Talk with your doctor or nurse. If your doctor hasn’t discussed sexuality, take the lead. Your doctor or nurse can help you find resources and refer you to a clinical health psychologist.
• Talk with your partner. One of the best ways to improve libido is to open the lines of communication between you and your partner. For instance, your partner may fear hurting you during sex and may avoid initiating sexual activity. You may believe your partner is no longer interested in you. A conversation about the issue can clear the air and restore emotional and physical intimacy.
• Talk with other cancer survivors. People who have had your same cancer and have endured your same treatment are likely experiencing the same loss of libido. Look for other cancer survivors in support groups in your area, or you may be more comfortable connecting with other survivors on Internet message boards. Contact the American Cancer Society for information.
• Change your definition of sexual intimacy. Maybe you aren’t ready for sex. Talk about this with your partner and look for other ways you can be intimate. Simply spending quality time together may help you reconnect and slowly move toward resuming sexual intimacy.
• Track your desire. You might think you’ve lost all interest in sex, but you may have sexual thoughts throughout your day that you ignore. Make a note of times during the day when you think about sex. If you find certain times of the day or certain situations rouse your interest in sex, use those cues to help put you in the mood.

Loss of libido is common after cancer treatment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t regain the sexual intimacy you once enjoyed. Broaching the subject with your doctor, partner or even members of a support group may help you work through your emotions and enable you to resume a satisfying sexual relationship.

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ScienceDaily (June 26, 2008) – Complementary medicines can help mild depression and premenstrual syndrome. Not all dietary supplements and “alternative” products are harmless though. German Institute urges consumers to be more critical of health claims.

Many people use “alternative” or complementary products because they see them as a more gentle form of medicine. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care has now analysed the latest research on several products and released the results along with a guide for consumers.

St John’s wort (hypericum), for example, could help ease mild depression, but it does not help with severe depression. It also probably cannot help with the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). However, calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) might help relieve PMS. On the other hand, evening primrose oil has not been proven to help.

Herbal medicines and dietary supplements can also have risks

According to the Institute, conflicting research results in recent years have caused confusion and controversy about St. John’s wort. It concluded this is partly because the effects vary from product to product, and the effect depends too on how severe depression is. The controversy highlights the importance of looking at all clinical trial results to gain a better picture of health care treatments.

“Consumers need to be more critical of all health claims,” according to the Institute’s Director, Professor Peter Sawicki. “This is as true of dietary supplements and complementary medicines as it is of prescription medicine. Just because a product is made from a plant or vitamins, it does not mean it is necessarily safe in very high doses or for frequent use. And not all medicinal products can provide as much relief as patients expect.” The growing evidence that high doses of some vitamins and antioxidants can cause cancer or earlier death is an important reminder that dietary supplements are not necessarily harmless.

All treatments and products should face the same scientific standards for effectiveness and safety

Patients need to consider several questions before choosing any treatment, including a dietary supplement. Professor Sawicki: “Doctors and patients need to know whether treatments have been proven to work in enough good clinical trials that measured benefits large enough to matter to the patient. Whether a medicine is made from a plant or manufactured in a laboratory, the same scientific standards apply if you want to know which treatment might be the best for you.”

To help consumers, the Institute also published a new guide for consumers considering using dietary supplements or complementary medicine products. The fact sheet lists key questions that could help people make decisions for or against a particular treatment.

The fact sheet, along with research results on a range of treatments, is available at  www.informedhealthonline.org.

Adapted from materials provided by Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care

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ScienceDaily (May 9, 2008) — Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is an epidemic of global concern. According to the most recent estimates, released in November 2007, by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 33.2 million worldwide are living with HIV infection currently. Although the rates of infection appear to be decreasing, there are obviously immense implications for achieving improvements in HIV/AIDS treatment.

The functioning of natural killer (NK) cells, which are a major element of the innate immunity system and are involved in the body’s first line of defense against infections such as HIV, is decreased in both HIV and depression. A group of researchers who have previously found that stress and depression impair NK cell function and accelerate the course of HIV/AIDS are now publishing a new report in Biological Psychiatry.

In this study, they recruited both depressed and non-depressed HIV-infected women and studied the ex vivo effects of three drugs, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a substance P antagonist, and a glucocorticoid antagonist, on their NK cell activity. These drugs were selected because, as the authors state, each “affect[s] underlying regulatory systems that have been extensively investigated in both stress and depression research as well as immune and viral research.”

The scientists found that the SSRI citalopram, and the substance P antagonist CP 96,345, but not the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486, increased NK cell activity. According to Dr. Dwight Evans, corresponding author of the article: “The present findings provide evidence that natural killer cell function in HIV infection may be enhanced by selective serotonin reuptake inhibition and also by substance P antagonism in both depressed and non-depressed individuals.”

John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, comments: “There has been growing evidence that the compromise of immune function associated with depression influences the outcomes of infectious diseases and cancer. Antidepressant treatments are beginning to be studied for their potential positive effects on immune function.”

He adds that “the paper by Evans et al. suggests that antidepressant treatment may have positive effects on natural killer cell activity in cells isolated from individuals infected with HIV with and without depression. This type of bridge between the brain and the rest of the body deserves further attention.” Dr. Evans agrees, noting that “these findings begin to pave the way towards initiating clinical studies addressing the potential role of serotonergic agents and substance P antagonists in improving natural killer cell innate immunity, possibly delaying HIV disease progression and extending survival with HIV infection.”

1. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor and Substance P Antagonist Enhancement of Natural Killer Cell Innate Immunity in Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Dwight L. Evans, Kevin G. Lynch, Tami Benton, Benoit Dubé, David R. Gettes, Nancy B. Tustin, Jian Ping Lai, David Metzger and Steven D. Douglas. Drs. Evans, Lynch, Benton, Dubé, and Metzger and Mr. Gettes are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry, with Dr. Evans also with the Departments of Medicine and Neuroscience, and Dr. Douglas is with the Department of Pediatrics, all at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ms. Tustin and Drs. Lai and Douglas are with the Division of Allergy and Immunology, Joseph J. Stokes Research Institute of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Biological Psychiatry, Volume 63, Issue 9 (May 1, 2008).

Adapted from materials provided by Elsevier, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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Nervous System Changes

What they are and why they occur

Chemotherapy can cause damage to your nervous system. Many nervous system problems get better within a year of when you finish chemotherapy, but some may last the rest of your life. Symptoms may include:

• Tingling, burning, weakness, or numbness in your hands or feet
• Feeling colder than normal
• Pain when walking
• Weak, sore, tired, or achy muscles
• Being clumsy and losing your balance
• Trouble picking up objects or buttoning your clothes
• Shaking or trembling
• Hearing loss
• Stomach pain, such as constipation or heartburn
• Fatigue
• Confusion and memory problems
• Dizziness
• Depression

Ways to manage

• Let your doctor or nurse know right away if you notice any nervous system changes. It is important to treat these problems as soon as possible.
• Be careful when handling knives, scissors, and other sharp or dangerous objects.
• Avoid falling. Walk slowly, hold onto handrails when using the stairs, and put no-slip bath mats in your bathtub or shower. Make sure there are no area rugs or cords to trip over.
• Always wear sneakers, tennis shoes, or other footwear with rubber soles.
• Check the temperature of your bath water with a thermometer. This will keep you from getting burned by water that is too hot.
• Be extra careful to avoid burning or cutting yourself while cooking.
• Wear gloves when working in the garden, cooking, or washing dishes.
• Rest when you need to.
• Steady yourself when you walk by using a cane or other device.
• Talk to your doctor or nurse if you notice memory problems, feel confused, or are depressed.
• Ask your doctor for pain medicine if you need it.

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