Cancer News

by Beth Ibarra

Sleep is something that many people tend to take for granted. They go to bed after a long day of school or work, and they expect to wake up the next day refreshed. Well, for every person that does, there are many more people who do not, or even go to sleep at all.

People with sleeping problems are generally thought to be suffering from one of the many sleep disorders that have been classified throughout the years. If a person thinks that he or she is indeed faced with a significant sleeping problem, it is important that they first consult their doctor, because what they think might be the result of one of the sleep disorders, might actually be something else.

Take, for example, what is considered to be the most common of sleep disorders: Insomnia. This particular problem is marked by either not being able to sleep for long periods of time, or not being able to fall asleep at all for days at a time. This is actually not a disorder in itself, but instead a symptom of a more serious medical condition.

It goes without saying, but if a person is unable to breathe well, that would definitely hinder sleeping. Insomnia is thus often caused when people with asthma, emphysema, or another breathing problem are not given the right medication. It is also important to keep in mind that sometimes the medication might be alright, but the side effects could cause this sleeping problem.

Also, sleeplessness might be a sign of poor behavioral habits. For example, if a person is in the habit of drinking lots of coffee each day, the amount of caffeine in a regular cup of coffee is enough to keep anyone awake for a long period of time! Caffeine can also be found in soda, as well as even some foods.

Speaking of food, if a person eats right before they go to sleep, that will automatically cause them to stay awake. Why? Because energy is given from ingesting food, so the body, although tired, simply will not act like it is tired at all. In order to prevent gas, and to facilitate the best digestion possible, it is best to eat at least two hours before going to sleep.

All of this having been said, one of the most prevalent actual sleep disorders that people suffer from is sleep apnea. In this sleeping problem, people stop breathing for anywhere from a minute at a time, to several minutes at a time. In order for the brain to remain functioning at all times, it is very important that it get the necessary amount of full oxygen.

So, how can a person tell if he or she is suffering from this condition? When they wake up in the morning exhausted and forgetful, even after getting what they think is a full night’s rest. Thus, it is very important that a sleep study be done on such a person to ensure a proper and timely diagnosis.

More information on sleep disorders, snoring and a sleep disorder treatment options at a sleep clinic in your area is just a click away.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/The-Many-Different-Kinds-of-Sleep-Disorders/412626

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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.

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From MayoClinic.com
Special to CNN.com

After your cancer treatment, you were eager to nurse your body back to health. But beyond your initial recovery, you might be interested in ways to improve your long-term health so that you can enjoy the years ahead as a cancer survivor.

The advice for cancer survivors is no different than the advice for anyone who wants to improve their health: Exercise and improve your diet. But for cancer survivors these strategies have added benefits — research shows these simple steps can improve your quality of life, smoothing your transition into survivorship. Follow this guide to what you can do to take care of your body after cancer treatment.

Exercise

Regular exercise increases your sense of well-being after cancer treatment and can speed your recovery. Cancer survivors who exercise often experience:

• Increased strength and endurance
• Stronger immune systems
• Fewer signs and symptoms of depression
• Less anxiety
• Reduced fatigue
• Less difficulty sleeping
• Improved mood
• Higher self-esteem

Adding physical activity to your daily routine won’t take a lot of extra work. Focus on small steps to make your life more active. Take the stairs more often or park farther from your destination and walk the rest of the way. Check with your doctor before you begin any exercise program.

With your doctor’s approval, start slowly and work your way up. The American Cancer Society recommends adult cancer survivors exercise for at least 30 minutes five or more days a week. As you recover and adjust, you might find more exercise makes you feel even better.

Sometimes you won’t feel like exercising, and that’s OK. Don’t feel guilty if lingering treatment side effects, such as fatigue, keep you sidelined. When you feel up to it, take a walk around the block. Do what you can, but know that rest is important to your recovery as well.

While exercise has many benefits, there’s no evidence that exercise can keep your cancer from coming back. Many cancer survivors are concerned about cancer recurrence and want to do all they can to avoid it. It’s not clear why cancer recurs in some people but not in others. Exercise won’t stop your cancer from recurring, but it can make you feel better and help prevent other diseases, such as heart disease.

Eat a balanced diet

Vary your diet to include lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains. When it comes to selecting your entrees, the American Cancer Society recommends that cancer survivors:

• Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day
• Choose healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, rather than saturated fats or trans fats
• Select proteins that are low in saturated fat, such as fish, lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes
• Opt for healthy sources of carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables

This combination of foods will ensure that you’re eating plenty of the vitamins and nutrients you need to help make your body strong.

While it may be tempting to supplement your diet with a host of vitamin and mineral supplements, resist that urge. Some cancer survivors think that if a small amount of vitamins is good, a large amount must be even better. But that isn’t the case. In fact, large amounts of certain nutrients can hurt you. If you’re concerned about getting all the vitamins you need, ask your doctor if taking a daily multivitamin is right for you.

No special diet is known to prevent cancer from recurring. However, some preliminary research in breast cancer survivors indicates that a low-fat diet may reduce the chance of breast cancer recurring. In this study, which has yet to be completed, it isn’t clear whether the slight reduction in breast cancer recurrence was from women eating less fat or from women losing weight on the restricted diet. It also isn’t clear if a low-fat diet has any application to other cancer survivors.

Maintain a healthy weight

You may have gained or lost weight during treatment. Try to get your weight to a healthy level. Talk to your doctor about what a healthy weight is for you and the best way to go about achieving that goal weight.

For cancer survivors who need to gain weight, this will likely involve coming up with ways to make food more appealing and easier to eat. You and your doctor can work together to control nausea, pain or other side effects of cancer treatment that are preventing you from getting the nutrition you need. Losing even more weight can reduce your quality of life and make recovery more difficult.

For cancer survivors who need to lose weight, take steps to lose weight slowly — no more than 2 pounds a week. Control the number of calories you eat and balance this with exercise. If you need to lose a lot of weight, it can seem daunting. Take it slowly and stick to it. Any amount of weight loss can help you feel better about yourself and improve your health.

Stop using tobacco

Kick the habit once and for all. Smoking or using chewing tobacco puts you at risk of several types of cancer. Stopping now could reduce your risk of cancer recurrence and also reduce your risk of developing a second type of cancer (second primary cancer).

If you’ve tried quitting in the past but haven’t had much success, seek help. Talk to your doctor about resources to help you quit.

Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all

If you choose to drink alcohol, keep it to a minimum. At most, women and anyone over 65 should drink no more than one drink a day, and men should drink no more than two drinks a day.

Alcohol does have health benefits in some people — for instance, consuming a drink or two a day can reduce your risk of heart disease. But it also increases the risk of certain cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, liver and breast. While it isn’t clear whether drinking alcohol can cause cancer recurrence, it can increase your risk of a second primary cancer.

Weigh the risks and benefits of drinking alcohol carefully and talk it over with your doctor.

Do what you can

While you may fear it will take an entire overhaul of your lifestyle to achieve all these goals, do what you can and make changes slowly. Easing into a healthy diet or regular exercise will make it more likely that you’ll stick with these changes for the rest of your life.

· Cancer survivors: What to expect with follow-up care

· On the job with cancer: Managing common workplace challenges

· Cancer survivors: Relationships with family and friends after treatment

· Cancer survivors: Late effects of cancer treatment

· Cancer survivors: Managing your emotions after cancer treatment

· Sexuality after cancer treatment: What women can expect

· Sexuality after cancer treatment: What men can expect

· Cancer recurrence: What it means and how to cope

October 05, 2005

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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

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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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