The worst disease many women can imagine is breast cancer. Research shows one of approximately every nine women is at risk of breast cancer at some time in their lives. The good news is that early detection and treatment can reduce mortality, regardless of a woman’s age.
A mammogram is an x-ray procedure that visualize the internal structure of your breasts. It can detect lumps or calcifications ( tiny specks of calcium that often appear with cancer) that may be too small for you or your doctor to feel. Mammography usually consists of 2 x-rays of each breast, one taken from the top and one from the side. The procedure requires compression of your breasts against the x-ray film to produce a high quality image, and maybe a bit uncomfortable.
Another detection technique is doing your own breast self-exam (BSE). Mercedes Bremeisen , M.D, an oncologist from the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, recommends the following technique: Lie on your back with a pillow under your right shoulder , right hand behind your head. With your left hand, firmly press the finger pads of your three little fingers in a grid pattern over the entire breast and up toward the armpit. Make note of what you feel its normal, for example, to detect a hollowness underneath your nipple or a ridge of dense tissue at the bottom curse of your breast.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Laetrile (B17) In Cancer Treatment
Can laetrile marketed as B17 cure cancer?
The substance is derived from the apricot pit and is promoted as an unproven anticancer drug.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the effectiveness of laetrile in cancer treatment showed no benefits in the cure of cancer. What it did show was laetrile’s toxicity and patients who elect to use it run the risk of cyanide poisoning.
The Food and Drug Administration banned foods containing amygdalin, laetrile’s main substance and chemical found in peach, apricot, apple, plum, and bitter almond pits. If taken in large amounts, amygdalin can cause poisoning and death, the study said.
The substance is derived from the apricot pit and is promoted as an unproven anticancer drug.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the effectiveness of laetrile in cancer treatment showed no benefits in the cure of cancer. What it did show was laetrile’s toxicity and patients who elect to use it run the risk of cyanide poisoning.
The Food and Drug Administration banned foods containing amygdalin, laetrile’s main substance and chemical found in peach, apricot, apple, plum, and bitter almond pits. If taken in large amounts, amygdalin can cause poisoning and death, the study said.
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