‘Breast cancer’ just these two words can get a women to worry. We all know someone who is affected by this diseases, don’t we? But there is a lot of good news about breast cancer these days. Treatments keep getting better, and we know more than ever about ways to prevent the disease. Here is list of ways to prevent breast cancer.

Keep you weight in check, always! Maintaining a stable weight is always good. There should be no sudden increase or decrease when it come to weight. Being overweight can increase the risk of many different cancers, including breast cancer, especially post menopause, along with the risk of having heart diseases.

One should always be physically active. There is no better treatment than an exercise. It is believed that women who are physically active for maximum 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of having breast cancer. Exercising will also help you in maintaining a stable weight.

Alcohol is not good for health. We all have heard this fact. It is okay to have it once in a while but not on regular bases. It is even said that alcohol is good for the heart, but sadly it is not good for cancer. Even a little amount of alcohol can increase the risk of breast cancer. In general, if you drink moderately, no more than one drink a day for women, the overall health benefits of drinking outweigh the risks. But if you don’t drink, don’t feel that you need to start.

Surprisingly, breastfeeding for a total period of one year or more lowers the risk of breast cancer. Also, it adds more health benefits to the child. It is advisable to avoid using birth control pills after the age of 35. These pills have both risks and benefits. Younger the women, lower she is at the risk. Whereas, women women are taking birth control pills, they have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. This risk goes away quickly, though, after stopping the pills. Also consumption of these pills increase the chance of having strokes and heart attack, particularly if the women is smoking. But there is also a long term benefits to it that is there is a lower risk of ovary cancer, colon cancer and uterine cancer.

Post-menopausal hormones shouldn’t be taken long term to prevent chronic diseases, like osteoporosis and heart disease. They in fact have a mixed effect on health also they increase the risk of some diseases and lower the risk of others and both estrogenonly hormones and estrogen-plus-progestin hormones increase the risk of breast cancer. If women do take post-menopausal hormones, it should be for the shortest time possible.

One of the important thing is to know about your family history. Women with a family history of cancer should take some extra care. You might be at the risk of having breast cancer if your mother or sister or family member who has or had developed a breast cancer or ovarian cancer.

Cancer is hard and tough, but getting healthy after the cancer treatment is more tougher and harder. The cancer treatment is not only frighting but also literally drains out all the energy. Cancer survivors fight extremely hard with the disease, but they find it a little not so easy in gaining back their health. One of the most important way of fighting this disease completely is by getting a healthy body. Here is a list of ways that can help you get healthy after cancer treatment.

Say no to smoking. You must have heard this before, but the single best thing you can do as a survivor is stop. This will lower the risk of you having a second cancer, or some heart disease or a stroke. It will be extremely hard in the beginning, but it is not impossible. Always keep trying, never give up! It is believed that you may take some 7-8 tries before actually quitting. You can always talk to a health care advisor regrading your problem. You could also join in some smoke free therapy. Now, if you do not smoke, stay away from passive or secondhand smoking. This would only avoid the chances of any further risks. For this you could avoid going to smoky bars and restaurants. Try working in a non smoking place.

After the cancer treatment, one should get into daily exercises. It will be tough in the beginning but the benefits of regular activity make it well worth the effort to fit it in. This will boost your health and also improve your mood and the best part is that it will help you counter cancer related fatigue. Regular exercise may lower the risk of recurrence and help cut the risk of other chronic diseases. What you can do is do at least 30 minute of aerobic activity. Do activities that you enjoy the most, it could be like walking, gardening or dancing.

With the whole of caner stress and with the cancer treatment it is likely that there will be changes in you with the whole of your routine being changed. And among this, it will be hard for you to keep a weight check. Do not add unnecessary weight. See to it that you do not spend more time watching TV or computer. Get yourself involved in some physical activities. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Have a healthy diet, always. A healthy diet can help keep weight in check, give your body the nutrients it needs and the energy you need to make it through a busy day. Focus on vegetables, fruits and whole grains and see to it that the red meat consumption is minimum. Consume fruits after dinner and lunch. Use fruits in morning cereal breakfast. Switch to fish or chicken from red meat.

Epidemiological studies have shown that caffeinated drinks may help prevent skin cancer by inhibiting a DNA repair pathway, thus killing potentially precancerous cells. In English, it means that drinking drinks containing caffeine will reduce one’s chances of developing some types of cancer, including UV-associated skin cancer. That just proves that caffeine fight cancer. The results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, lend support to the idea that caffeine could be added to sunblock to increase its protective effects. At the cellular level, they’re showing that caffeine is working in this way of inducing an apoptotic mechanism. This statement was then made by cancer epidemiologist Joanne Kotsopoulos of the University of Toronto.

In the 2007, a study stated that woman who drank caffeinated coffee on a daily basis had a 10 percent lower risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Six or more cups of coffee a day translated to a 30 percent reduction in risk. Mouse studies have also confirmed the link, with both ingested and topically-applied caffeine lowering skin cancer rates in the animals. But exactly how the stimulant protected against cancer remained mysterious. One possibility is the drug’s inhibition of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR), a large protein kinase that senses incomplete DNA replication often a result of DNA damage and signals the cell to not divide. By inhibiting ATR activity, caffeine could make cells more likely to die in response to UV damage, preventing damaged cells from ever becoming cancerous.

Studies have shown that the caffeine molecule acts as a sunscreen. It therefore blocks the penetration of UV rays. And that is why today we see many sunblocks with a good amount of caffeine in them.

The basic ways to prevent cancer is to eat healthy and to exercise regularly. But many a times we do not have enough time for exercise. In such cases what to do? How do one lower the risk and take prevent cancer? Here are easy and simple lifestyle modification that one can adopt to help prevent cancer.

You can prevent the risk of having cancer by switching on to non-stick and stain resistant products. Scotchgard and Teflon are brand names for perfluroooctanoic acid, which is used to protect clothes, carpets and furniture from stains and water; to cook food without sticking; and to prevent grease from leaking out of microwave food containers. This acid is associated with birth and developmental defects, brain and nervous system disorders, immune system problems, and cancer. Scientists advice to ditch pans with scratches, since the PFOA can seep into food.

From body soap to counter spray, the products we use to clean ourselves and our homes can affect us negatively. The antibacterial ingredient triclosan, which is in most liquid soaps, some toothpastes, many body care products and even some toys, has been linked to organ system and reproductive toxicity, irritation, hormone disruption and cancer. Studies have shown that overuse of these antibacterial ingredients has helped to create new resistant bacteria. Scientist say that plain white soap and water are just as effective as another antibacterial soap. Many natural products like baking soda, vinegar and so on are also effective.

The effective use of pesticides has its own harmful causes. Farmer who work with them have higher rates of skin, lip, stomach, lung, brain, blood and lymphatic system cancers. Also even after washing items like berries or peppers, you may be unable to get the pesticides off. In such case you should either peel off the skin or switch to organic food.

Forty percent of U.S. community water systems operate in violation of the Safe Water Drinking Act, which sets drinking water quality standards. This means that 23 million Americans receive low-quality drinking water. Cancer-causing elements found in state water supplies across the U.S. include arsenic and radioactive radium-226.

Traditional dry cleaners use a solvent called perchloroethylene to clean delicate fabrics. An exposure to the solvents vapor an also have certain effects on kidney and liver. Therefore people who live above dry-cleaning establishments have higher rates of cancer, as do dry-cleaning workers. If you do dry-clean your clothes, strip them of their plastic and leave them to air out away from your house.

We are know the causes of cancer. It could be hereditary or may be caused due to some environmental factor. Many people try their best to stay away from this dreadful disease. They take numerous steps to prevent themselves. However, there is evidence that limiting the consumption of some foods could prevent or delay the onset of cancer, especially for those with a known family history of cancers of the digestive system. Cancer causing food are typically rich in refined sugars, processed carbohydrates, preservatives and by-products of deep-frying. Many of these foods also have harmful effects on health in general, effecting the cardiovascular, nervous and reproductive system. These cancer causing food further lead to the development of diabetes, obesity and other heart diseases.

1. Sweet beverages: Food sources high in refined sugars such as sweetened beverages, sodas and many juices can increase cancer risk. A 2010 study stated that people who consume two or more servings of soda per week have an 87% higher chance of developing pancreatic cancer compared to individuals who do not consume soft drinks. Other studies have also shown a link between sugar consumption and cancers of the stomach and colon. While sugar itself does not directly turn healthy cells into cancer, it is the preferred food source for cancerous cells and helps to promote tumor growth during the tumor formation process. Over time, a heavy sugar intake can also increase overall metabolic output of cells, increasing the amount of oxidative by-products that are produced and released into their environment.

2. Fried food: This we all know that fried food not only increases the risk of cholesterol and other heart diseases, but also risks the developing of cancer especially when they contain hydrogenated oils, trans-fats, and a by-product of the deep-frying process called acrylamide. Acrylamide is a well- known tumor causing agent and also a potent neurotoxin, having adverse effects not only on the brain, but on the reproductive system as well. High level carbohydrate food like fried potatoes like French fries, tater tots and so on produce acrylamide during the frying process.

3. Doughnuts: Doughnuts are the culmination of three major classes of cancer causing foods. They are deep fried, they contain tons and tons of sugar and they are based on heavily refined carbohydrates. The combination of by-products from the frying process together with heavy amounts of sugar and processed flour make doughnuts particularly risky to those hoping to reduce cancer risk.

4. Hot dogs: Preserved, cured or pickled meats are a known risk factor in stomach cancer and other malignancies of the digestive system. Such meats turn out to be more dangerous for our health when other ingredients like sodium nitrate which is a key preservative in hot dogs and other meat products, is added. Hot dogs and other preserved, salted meats such as bacon or bologna should be consumed in moderation or avoided, especially for those at risk for stomach cancer.

5. Burned Meats: When organic plant or animal matter is burned, a number of toxic, mutagenic by-products are formed. Many of these by-products are exactly the same as those produced in the burning of tobacco that accounts for the toxic and cancer promoting effects of cigarettes.

Cancer is a broad term used to encompass several malignant diseases. There are over 100 different types of cancer, affecting various parts of the body. Each type of cancer is unique with its own causes, symptoms, and methods of treatment. Like with all groups of disease, some types of cancer are more common than others. Here is the list of most common cancers in America.

1.Skin cancer: Skin cancer is divided into the non-melanoma and melanoma categories. Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common type of cancer among men and women. Exposure to the UV rays of the sun is the primary cause for non-melanoma skin cancer and also melanoma. Non-melanoma (basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer) is the more common form with over 2,000,000 cases expected to be diagnosed in the country in 2012. It affects approximately five percent of people diagnosed with skin cancer, but is attributed to over 75 percent of all skin cancer deaths.

2.Lung cancer: During 2012, 226,160 new cases of lung cancer were expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. Lung cancer accounts for about 28 percent of all cancer deaths. An estimated 160,340 deaths were expected to occur from lung cancer in 2012. Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for lung cancer.

3.Prostate cancer: It’s estimated that 1 in 6 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. It’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men (excluding skin cancer) and the second most common cause of death. Doctors say that PSA screenings and digital rectal exams (DRE) can help for early detection.

4.Breast cancer: According to the American Cancer Society, 226,870 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to occur during 2012 in the U.S. More than 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States each year. After lung cancer, breast cancer is the second cause of death among women.

5.Colorectal cancer: It is the third most common cancer among men and women. An estimated 103,170 new cases of colon and 40,290 cases of rectal cancer were expected to occur in 2012.

6.Kidney cancer: Tobacco is a strong risk factor for kidney cancer, as well as obesity and hypertension. The American Cancer Society estimated 64,770 new cases of kidney (renal) cancer in 2012 with 13,570 deaths from this disease.

7.Bladder cancer: Blood in the urine is a common symptom of urinary bladder cancer. An estimated 73,510 new cases of this cancer were expect in 2012. Surgery, in many cases, used.

The general treatment of cancer incorporates poisoning the uncontrollably growing cells to kill them or at least stop or slow down the process of their multiplication. The problem is most of these procedures harm not on the target cells but also the healthy non-cancerous cells around it. The combined effect of the cancerous cells and the damage of the healthy cells makes the patient thinner and weaker every day. But according to the latest cancer related news this problem will soon become history when the ‘molecularly targeted therapy’ comes into effect.

Design
The drug is designed according to the human cell molecules so that they can be specifically directed at the target cells instead of target areas that have the cancerous cells in focus along with a radius of healthy cells around. The molecular structures will be developed such that one drug will affect only one type of cancer cell so that the effect is more focused than bombarded on the whole area of the body.

The life-saving model drug
The cancer related news has revealed the first drug modeled for the molecularly targeted therapy is ST1571, also known as Glivec. It has proved to cure the chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a very rare type of leukemia. Around 7,000 Americans are diagnosed with this rare leukemia every year and the invention of this drug is expected to make this disease even rarer and eventually help the planet be free from this horrible disease.

Doctor are treating this drug as a pathway to invent similar drugs for various kinds of cancer cells. The President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology has confirmed the truth of the existence of this drug and is hopeful that this is going to be a major breakthrough in the history of the treatment of cancer.

People behind the drug
The drug is being developed under the reliable brand name of Novartis Pharmaceuticals under the direction of Doctor Brian Druker, director of Portland University’s Leukemia Program at the Oregon Institute of Health Sciences. His aim is to target only the cancer cells and destroy them effectively with a non-toxic therapy. This cancer related news will also reveal to you how in 1993, Doctor Druker had observed the ST1571 working against gastro-intestinal stromal tumor or the GIST because of an enzyme similar to the target CML enzyme present in the GIST.

The focus is on the identification of the critical abnormalities in each type of cancer so that a molecularly targeted drug like the ST1571 can be invented for all types of cancer. When this becomes possible, cancer will no more be recognized as a fatal disease. It will become for the future generations what the plague and tuberculosis are for us.

It is essential to identify the critical abnormality and the unique enzyme in the cancer cells because the molecular target drugs are developed on a backward principle where the drug is created specifically for the target enzyme with a limited spectrum of use to ensure that it will be non-toxic and harmless for the surrounding cells.

Chemotherapy is by far the most commonly used treatment procedure for cancer. It is used to cure cancer and also to palliate the symptoms and pain in a patient who cannot be cured of cancer. Some cytotoxic and anti-neoplastic drugs are used as the chemotherapeutic agents are incorporated in chemotherapy. The therapy can go hand in hand with other forms of treatment like radiation therapy (chemo-radiotherapy), with the exposure to light (photo-chemotherapy) and surgery.

History
The term ‘chemotherapy’ was initially referred to as the treatment of non-oncological procedures including the antibiotics or antibacterial chemotherapy. The broad definition of the word is “therapy using chemical substances especially in the treatment of cancer”. However, the uses of a chemotherapeutic drug is not limited to the treatment of cancer. The first ever modern-age chemotherapeutic agent was called arsphenamine. It is a compound of arsenic discovered in 1909 and was then used in the treatment of a Sexually Transmitted Disease called syphilis. The first use of a chemotherapeutic agent was an accidental discovery in the 20th Century during the World War. The mustard gas used in warfare was found to contain a potential suppressant of blood production.

Use in the treatment of cancer
There are two ways in which chemotherapeutic treatment can be given:

• Single-agent: With just one therapeutic drug at a time.
• Poly-chemotherapy: With a combination of different chemotherapeutic agents.

Uses apart from treatment of cancer
There are some chemotherapeutic agents that can be used in the treatment of other ailments as well including:

• Spondylitis: Inflammation of parts of the vertebrae
• Crohn Syndrome: A type of inflammatory bowel disease.
• Psoriasis: A chronic skin disease.
• Psoriatic arthritis: Arthritis that stems up from Psoriasis.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: Inflammation of joints resulting in pain and sometimes, loss of mobility.
• Scleroderma: Another skin disease.
• Multiple Sclerosis: inflammation causing brain and nervous damage.
• Systemic lupus: An autoimmune disease damaging the immune system along with the heart, kidney, liver, lungs, blood vessels and the entire nervous system.

Side-effects
The conventional therapy incorporates the act of damaging the uncontrollably growing cancerous cells. It also damages or stops the abnormal growth of cells that are non-carcinogenic. For example, abnormal cell growth in the digestive tract, bone marrow and the hair follicles.

There are quite a few side-effects of chemotherapy including:

• Myelosuppression: Also known as bone marrow suppression, it is an abnormal decrease in the production of cells that produce leukocytes(for immunity) and erythrocytes(for carrying oxygen in the blood)
• Immunosuppression: The decrease in the efficiency of the immune system at large.
• Alopecia: The medical term for abnormal hair loss issues.
• Mucositis: Inflammation of the mucous membrane in the digestive tract.

The search is on for non-toxic chemotherapeutic agents that will damage only the target cells and keep the healthy cells unharmed. This is going to be a major breakthrough in the history of Oncology. Once the non-toxic therapeutic agents are invented (one has already been invented and others are expected to follow suit) and distributed in the market, cancer patients will be free from all the side effects of chemotherapy.

A cancer can occur in almost any part of the body and the key signs and symptoms of cancer or different kinds are different as well. Here is a list of five types of cancer and the signs and symptoms associated with each of them.

Breast cancer
Breast cancer can happen to both, women and men. Symptoms of breast cancer in women include:

• Lump: An abnormal growth in the breast that can be felt with touch. It is usually hard but painless.
• Pain: In the breast or just the nipples.
• Nippleretraction: The inward turning of the nipples.
• Change in skin: A reddened or scaly nipple or breast is a sign.
• Nipple discharge: Fluids other than milk.
• Skin irritation: Inflammation of dimpling of the skin of and around the breast.

Key signs and symptoms of cancer of the breast in men include lump/s, skin dimpling, reddening and scaling chest, and nipple discharge and nipple retraction similar to that in the case of women.

Cervical Cancer
The signs of cervical cancer are usually only noticed when the cancer has become invasive and spreading rapidly. The symptoms include:

• Vaginal bleeding: Do not ignore post-menopausal bleeding or bleeding in between periods assuming it is just normal irregularity of periods. Vaginal bleeding after intercourse is also not normal.
• Abnormal vaginal discharge: Any discharge with or without blood (apart from the usual feminine fluids) is a reason to consult a doctor.
• Painful intercourse: No matter how wild you and your partner may otherwise be, the intercourse part must be gentle and not painful. If you feel pain during intercourse that is supposed to be pleasurable for you, it is something to worry about.

Colorectal cancer
Also known as rectal cancer, colon cancer and bowel cancer, colorectal cancer comes with the following symptoms:

• Bowel obstruction: Including bleeding, constipation and painful bowel movement giving way to nausea and vomiting.
• Diarrhea: Bleeding from the anus.
• Pain: In the belly or/and the lower body around the pelvic region.
• Weight loss: Accompanied with weakness and fatigue.
• Constriction: Almost involuntary constriction of the rectum along with a feeling that you need to pass bowel when you don’t.

Oral Cancer
The key signs and symptoms of cancer of the oral cavity are many including:

• Sores or swellings in the mouth: Painful sores will just not heal on its own.
• Lump in the mouth: Or thickening of the cheeks and the entire mouth.
• Patches: Appearance of white or red patch/es on the tongue, gums or anywhere in the mouth.
• Problem eating: Trouble chewing or/and swallowing and a constant sensation of something caught in the throat.
• Loss of sensation: Numbness in any part of the mouth, especially the tongue, is a sign.
• Bad breath: This is one of the first symptoms but often ignored as just bad breath.

Prostate cancer
Key signs and symptoms of cancer of the prostate include:

• Impotence: Erectile dysfunction.
• Hematuria: Blood in urine.
• Pain: In the pelvic area and back.
• Weakness: The legs and feet can become weak and numb.
• Urinary problems: Resulting from loss of bladder control and a constant urge to urinate.

There are many other types of cancers with similar as well as unique symptoms to look out for.