HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR ORAL CANCER

Oral cancer can form in any part of the mouth or throat . Most oral cancers begin in the tongue and in the floor of the mouth. Anyone can get oral cancer, but the risk is higher if you are male, over age 40, use tobacco or alcohol or have a history of  head or neck cancer. Frequent sun exposure is also a risk for lip cancer.

Symptoms of oral cancer include---White or red patches in your mouth, A mouth sore that won't heal, Bleeding in your mouth, Loose teeth, Problems or pain with swallowing, A lump in your neck, An earache

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

CARCINOSIM 1M- Start treatment with this remedy

ARSENIC IODIDE 3X- Epithelioma of the lips which is painful

CONDURANGO 3X- Tumors  on lips

CONIUM MACULATUM 30- Hard tumors on lips

OXALIS ACETOSELLA JUICE- Fresh juice of the plant applied locally on the cancerous growths of the lips destroy the cancer

PHYTOLACCA DEC. 30- Blisters on the sides of the  mouth with a fissure or a yellow patch in the middle of the lip. Pain in the lips during rains or exposure to cold and damp weather

SEPIA 6X- In epithelial cancer upon the lip which bleeds often and has a broad  base with burning pains, pricking as from a needle

STAHYSAGRIA 30- Soft tumors on lips

STRYCHNINE SULPHURICUM 30- This remedy should be given three times a day with a gap of three hours between two doses in cases of oral cancer

SALT CAN KILL CANCER CELLS

  The next weapon to effectively fight cancer could be salt as researchers have found that an influx of salt into a cell triggers its death.

The finding could lead to new anti-cancer drugs, said the researchers who created a molecule that can cause cancer cells to self-destruct by carrying sodium and chloride ions into the cells.

"This work shows how chloride transporters can work with sodium channels in cell membranes to cause an influx of salt into a cell," said study co-author professor Philip Gale from the University of Southampton in Britain.

"We found we can trigger cell death with salt," Gale added.

Cells in the human body work hard to maintain a stable concentration of ions inside their cell membranes.

Disruption of this delicate balance can trigger cells to go through apoptosis, known as programmed cell death, a mechanism the body uses to rid itself of damaged or dangerous cells.

Unfortunately, when a cell becomes cancerous, it changes the way it transports ions across its cell membrane in a way that blocks apoptosis.

The new synthetic ion transporter works by essentially surrounding the chloride ion in an organic blanket, allowing the ion to dissolve in the cell's membrane, which is composed largely of lipids, or fats.

The researchers found that the chloride transporter tends to use the sodium channels that naturally occur in the cell's membrane, bringing sodium ions along for the ride.

"We have shown that this mechanism of chloride influx into the cell by a synthetic transporter does indeed trigger apoptosis," said co-author of the study Jonathan Sessler from the University of Texas at Austin.

The study appeared in the journal Nature Chemistry.

EARLY SIGN OF PANCREATIC CANCER IDENTIFIED

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and other institutions have discovered a sign of the early development of pancreatic cancer – an upsurge in certain amino acids that occurs before the disease is diagnosed and symptoms appear. The research is being published online today by the journal Nature Medicine.

Although the increase isn’t large enough to be the basis of a new test for early detection of the disease, the findings will help researchers better understand how pancreatic cancer affects the rest of the body, particularly how it can trigger the sometimes deadly muscle-wasting disease known as cachexia.

“Most people with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) [by far the most common form of cancreatic cancer] are diagnosed after the disease has reached an advanced stage, and many die within a year of diagnosis,” said Brian Wolpin, MD, MPH, of Dana-Farber, co-senior author of the new study with Matthew Vander Heiden, MD, PhD, of MIT and Dana-Farber. “Detecting the disease earlier in its development may improve our ability to treat it successfully. In this study, we asked whether PDAC produces metabolic changes – changes in the way the body uses energy and nutrients – that can be detected before the disease is diagnosed.”

The researchers utilized blood samples collected years earlier from 1,500 people participating in large health-tracking studies. They analyzed the samples for more than 100 different metabolites – substances produced by the metabolic process – and compared the results from participants who had gone on to develop pancreatic cancer and those who had not.

“We found that higher levels of branched chain amino acids were present in people who went on to develop pancreatic cancer compared to those who did not develop the disease,” Wolpin said. (Branched chain amino acids are one family of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.) The amount of time that would elapse before those individuals were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer ranged from two to 25 years, although the highest risk was in the several years before diagnosis, the researchers found.

“These findings led us to hypothesize that the increase in branched chain amino acids is due to the presence of an early pancreatic tumor,” Wolpin remarked. This theory was confirmed in laboratory experiments performed by Vander Heiden’s group at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. Their experiments showed that mice with newly formed pancreatic tumors had above-normal blood levels of these amino acids.

The researchers found the increase was due to a breakdown of muscle tissue, which caused branched amino acids to be released into the bloodstream. This process is similar to what occurs in patients with cancer cachexia. “What was surprising about our results was that it appears the breakdown of muscle protein begins much earlier in the disease process than previously appreciated,” noted Vander Heiden.

The findings provide an important lead to scientists studying how pancreatic tumors interact with patients’ normal tissues, the authors say. According to Vander Heiden, this work provides a glimpse into how pancreatic cancer changes the way the rest of the body handles nutrients. “This work has the potential to spur progress in detecting pancreatic tumors earlier and identifying new treatment strategies for those with the disease,” he remarks.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR LUNG CANCER

Lung cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the lungs. Your lungs are two spongy organs in your chest that take in oxygen when you inhale and release carbon dioxide when you exhale.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, among both men and women. Lung cancer claims more lives each year than do colon, prostate, ovarian and breast cancers combined.

People who smoke have the greatest risk of lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer increases with the length of time and number of cigarettes you've smoked. If you quit smoking, even after smoking for many years, you can significantly reduce your chances of developing lung cancer.

Causes-Smoking causes the majority of lung cancers — both in smokers and in people exposed to secondhand smoke. But lung cancer also occurs in people who never smoked and in those who never had prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke. In these cases, there may be no clear cause of lung cancer.

Symptoms--Lung cancer typically doesn't cause signs and symptoms in its earliest stages. Signs and symptoms of lung cancer typically occur only when the disease is advanced.

Signs and symptoms of lung cancer may include:A new cough that doesn't go away, Changes in a chronic cough or "smoker's cough"Coughing up blood, even a small amount, Shortness of breath, Chest pain, Wheezing, Hoarseness, Losing weight without trying, Bone pain,Headache

HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINES

It is to remember that Homoeopathy treats the whole person and not the disease

GERANIUM MACULATUM Q- Vomiting of blood due to bleeding from lungs in case of cancer. Give 20 drops every hour till the bleeding stops

PHOSPHORUS 200- Streaks of blood  in mucus from the lungs. Sputa rusty, blood colored or full of mucus

ARSENICUM ALB 200- Cough , worse after midnight, worse lying on back.Expectoration scanty and frothy.Darting pain through the upper third of right lung. Wheezing respiration. Hemoptysis with pain between shouldres

BADIAGA 6—Cough , worse in afternoon, better in warm room. The mucus flies out of the mouth and nostrils

CALADIUM 3- Larynx constricted.Breathing impeded. Asthmatic breathing. Mucus not readily raised. Patient afraid to go to sleep

CONIUM MACULATUM 200- Dry cough, almost continuous, hacking.Worse evening and at night. Expectoration only after long coughing . Oppressed breathing, pain in chest, constriction of chest

HIPPOZAENIUM 30- Cancer of lungs with hoarseness and feeling of suffocation . Cough with much secretion of mucus. Irregular and noisy breathing

MILLIFOLIUM  200-- Coughing up of pure blood

SILICEA 200- Thick yellow lumpy mucus. Violent  cough

STAINS INCREASE BREAST CANCER RISK

A new study has revealed that long-term use of controversial heart drug statins can aggravate breast cancer risk.

The Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association are currently mounting an official challenge to the decision over concerns about the side effects of long term statin use, the Daily Express reported.

Dr. Clare Gerada, former chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs said that the link with breast cancer and statins was worrying and they did not know the impact of these drugs on millions of people taking statins for up to 40 years.

The authors concluded that the contemporary population-based case-control study, long-term use of statins was associated with increased risks.

The new study is published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology.

MODIFIED VITAMIN D SHOW PROMISE AS TREATMENT FOR PANCREATIC CANCER

A synthetic derivative of vitamin D was found by Salk Institute researchers to collapse the barrier of cells shielding pancreatic tumors, making this seemingly impenetrable cancer much more susceptible to therapeutic drugs.

The discovery has led to human trials for pancreatic cancer, even in advance of its publication today in the journal Cell. By attacking a wound repair mechanism called fibrosis, the findings may also have implications for other tough-to-treat tumors, such as lung, kidney and liver cancer.

"While the success of this drug in humans with pancreatic cancer is still unclear, the findings in animal studies were strong, raising hope that ongoing clinical trials will give people with this terrible disease hope for a truly new type of therapy," says Ronald Evans, director of Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory and senior author of the new paper.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, a fact highlighted in recent years by the deaths of well-known figures such as Steve Jobs and Patrick Swayze. About 46,000 people are diagnosed in the United States each year and about 40,000 people die from the disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

"For pancreatic cancer, the five-year survival rate is the lowest of all cancers," says Evans, holder of Salk's March of Dimes Chair and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "Part of the problem is that the science of pancreatic cancer and its renowned resistance to therapy has not been understood and that's why the work that we're doing is so important."

Evans and his colleagues knew that the ability of the pancreatic tumor to communicate with nearby cells -- called the tumor microenvironment -- is key to its growth. Tumor cells send out signals that make the microenvironment inflamed and dense; this "living shield" around a tumor not only helps the cancer grow, but blocks the access of immune cells and chemotherapeutic drugs, making the cancer particularly hard to treat.

Evans -- in collaboration with researchers around the country involved in an interdisciplinary initiative supported by Stand Up to Cancer -- wanted to figure out how to restore this inflamed microenvironment to its normal or "quiescent" state and weaken the wall around the tumor.

"There was evidence that the activation of the microenvironment was theoretically reversible, but nobody knew exactly what was responsible for the activation, making it hard to turn off," says Salk postdoctoral research fellow Mara Sherman, first author of the new paper.

Sherman, Evans and their collaborators focused their attention on one component of this wall: pancreatic stellate cells, which usually respond to small injuries by briefly switching to an activated state, spurring new cell growth. In the case of cancer, however, the stellate cells near a tumor -- in response to signals from the tumor -- are constantly turned on. This chronic activation of the stellate cells provides the tumor cells with extra growth factors and therefore helps them proliferate, but also forms a wall-like barrier around the tumor that protects it from chemotherapeutics and other cancer-fighting drugs.

In 2013, Evans' group discovered that stellate cells in the liver could be inactivated by a chemically modified form of vitamin D. They wondered whether the same could hold true in the pancreas, despite the fact the vitamin D receptor was not thought to be present in pancreatic tissue.

But indeed, when the group of researchers examined the differences between activated and inactivated stellate cells in the pancreas, they found that activated stellate cells near a tumor had high levels of the vitamin D receptor. And when the researchers then added modified vitamin D to activated stellate cells the cells quickly reverted back to a healthy, inactivated state, stopping production of signals that spur growth and inflammation.

"This was a big surprise because vitamin D has been tried multiple times as a therapy for pancreatic cancer and never worked," says Evans.

It turns out that activated stellate cells rapidly break down normal vitamin D, preventing the vitamin from binding to the receptor, Evans explains. But systematic analysis of vitamin D analogues allowed the team to discover a modified form of vitamin D that is more stable, resilient and effective in vitro.

To see whether this new vitamin D-like compound could halt the growth of a tumor, Evans and the team next studied its effectiveness in mice. The researchers found that combining the drug with existing chemotherapeutics gave a 50 percent increase in lifespan compared to chemotherapy alone.

"It's really remarkable considering that vitamin D itself is not attacking the cancer cells," says Michael Downes, a senior staff scientist at Salk and co-corresponding author of the new work. "It's changing the environment to a more favorable setting needed for the chemotherapy drugs to work."

Studies have shown that people deficient in vitamin D are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. Based on the new results, Evans thinks that healthy levels of vitamin D may help keep vitamin D receptor signaling in stellate cells normal and squash a cancer's growth -- at least until a tumor itself forces the stellate cells to "turn on."

"Recently, other research groups have explored the idea of destroying the microenvironment altogether to weaken a tumor," says Downes. "Our approach is very different. Instead of destroying, we simply want to reprogram the tumor microenvironment to a healthy state. This has the dual effects of delivering more drugs to the tumor as well as replenishing the tissue with normal stellate cells."

Evans group has already teamed up with clinicians at the University of Pennsylvania to launch a clinical trial testing the effectiveness of using their vitamin D-like drug in cancer patients before pancreatic surgery. "Previous trials with vitamin D failed because they didn't understand the need for a special form of vitamin D and that for pancreatic cancer it must be used in combination with chemotoxic drugs," Evans says. "So, by re-thinking the problem, have been able to open up a new route to the treatment of pancreatic cancer and, looking forward, hopefully other diseases as well."

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR ORAL CANCER

Oral cancer can form in any part of the mouth or throat . Most oral cancers begin in the tongue and in the floor of the mouth. Anyone can get oral cancer, but the risk is higher if you are male, over age 40, use tobacco or alcohol or have a history of  head or neck cancer. Frequent sun exposure is also a risk for lip cancer.

Symptoms of oral cancer include---White or red patches in your mouth, A mouth sore that won't heal, Bleeding in your mouth, Loose teeth, Problems or pain with swallowing, A lump in your neck, An earache

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

CARCINOSIM 1M- Start treatment with this remedy

ARSENIC IODIDE 3X- Epithelioma of the lips which is painful

CONDURANGO 3X- Tumors  on lips

CONIUM MACULATUM 30- Hard tumors on lips

OXALIS ACETOSELLA JUICE- Fresh juice of the plant applied locally on the cancerous growths of the lips destroy the cancer

PHYTOLACCA DEC. 30- Blisters on the sides of the  mouth with a fissure or a yellow patch in the middle of the lip. Pain in the lips during rains or exposure to cold and damp weather

SEPIA 6X- In epithelial cancer upon the lip which bleeds often and has a broad  base with burning pains, pricking as from a needle

STAHYSAGRIA 30- Soft tumors on lips

STRYCHNINE SULPHURICUM 30- This remedy should be given three times a day with a gap of three hours between two doses in cases of oral cancer

LUNG CANCER CAN STAY HIDDEN FOR OVER 20 YEARS

Lung cancers can lie dormant for over 20 years before suddenly turning into an aggressive form of the disease, according to a study published Thursday in the US journal Science.

The study, led by researchers at the Cancer Research UK, examined lung cancers from seven patients, including smokers, ex-smokers and never smokers.

It found that after the first genetic mistakes that cause the cancer, it can exist undetected for many years until new, additional faults trigger rapid growth of the disease, Xinhua reported.

The researchers hoped this study will help improve early detection of the disease.

Currently, two-thirds of patients with lung cancer are diagnosed with advanced forms of the disease when treatments are less likely to be successful.

"By understanding how it develops we've opened up the disease's evolutionary rule book in the hope that we can start to predict its next steps," study author Charles Swanton, professor at the Cancer Research UK said in a statement.

NEW TREATMENT DESIGNED TO SAVE MORE EYES FROM CANCER

Doctors at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have developed a new technique for treating the eye cancer retinoblastoma to improve the odds for preventing eye loss, blindness or death in children with advanced forms of the disease.

Treatments for retinoblastoma have progressed dramatically in recent years, one being a procedure called ophthalmic artery infusion chemotherapy. A tiny catheter is inserted into an artery that provides blood flow (and chemotherapy) directly to the eye and tumor. Originally introduced in the late 1980s, direct ophthalmic artery infusion significantly increases treatment effectiveness while reducing side effects.

Unfortunately, many children with retinoblastoma are not good candidates for conventional ophthalmic artery infusion -- in particular younger, smaller patients with advanced disease, according to Todd Abruzzo, MD, director of Interventional Neuroradiology at Cincinnati Children's.

"The catheters are so large compared to the smaller arteries of the child that they restrict blood flow to the eye, causing back pressure that pushes blood flow and chemotherapy away from the eye and tumor," Abruzzo said. "Unfortunately, for too many of these children there is no option other than enucleation, or loss of the eye. You can imagine what that means for a child."

Four-year-old Khloe Cline is one of these children. Her case was especially challenging because she had advanced cancer in both eyes (bilateral retinoblastoma). When she developed retinoblastoma at 18 months old, doctors in her hometown of Indianapolis identified 11 tumors in both eyes.

After an unsuccessful attempt with conventional chemotherapy therapy, Khloe's physicians referred her to Cincinnati Children's, where researchers have been testing an innovation to ophthalmic artery infusion chemotherapy.

Working with physicians in the Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute (CBDI) at Cincinnati Children's, Abruzzo developed a double-catheter infusion technique that involves inflating a tiny balloon in the external carotid artery to prevent backpressure and ensure blood and chemotherapy flow to the eye and tumor. He further improved the technique by administering verapamil, a drug that increases the flow of chemotherapy to the tumor and helps block the tumor's ability to pump chemotherapy away before it does its job.

The result is a safe, effective and reproducible method for delivering chemotherapy treatment to the eye, especially in patients with advanced retinoblastoma who are not candidates for conventional infusion therapy, according to a recent study Abruzzo and colleagues published in the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery. Of 19 eyes (17 patients) treated in the study, 11 eyes were saved.

After undergoing a series of treatments at Cincinnati Children's with the new procedure, Khloe's mother, Alicia Gray, credits the physicians with saving her daughter's eyes and allowing her to retain functional eyesight. And while Khloe's eyes have been scarred and her vision is not perfect, she carries on like any normal energetic four-year-old, with a penchant for learning and a strong desire to be a doctor when she grows up.

"Just to look at her, you would never know (about her eye cancer). That's why I have to tell people, like her teachers, 'you might notice this child falls a lot or runs into things if she's running. She probably shouldn't be running too much,' " explains Ms. Gray. "But Khloe tells me all the time she wants to be a doctor. She loves coming to the hospital. The doctors here brought us all the way and they did it for her."

Although additional research into the new double-catheter technique continues and its overall benefit still must be verified in larger clinical studies, its development is part of a larger overall effort at Cincinnati Children's to broaden the range of enhanced treatment options for children with retinoblastoma, according to James Geller, MD, Khloe's oncologist and a physician in the CBDI.

This comprehensive approach to retinoblastoma includes investigating different delivery techniques for cancer-fighting drugs and testing the dosage levels and safety of different chemotherapies. It also includes helping patients and their families successfully manage the treatment process and life after the cancer is gone.

In Khloe's particular case, where the cancer was in both eyes and other effective treatment options were very limited, the new double-catheter procedure helped saved her vision, Geller said.

"In the field of pediatric oncology we have had a lot of success in past years, but in reality we don't have an every-year situation where we can bring a new technology to the forefront and actually see a difference in a case-by-case basis," Geller said. "With the advent of selective ophthalmic arterial infusion, and being able to build the retinoblastoma team we have, and then to see kids like Khloe come here who were perceived to have no options and suddenly save two eyes -- it's wonderful for her more than anyone else, but it's wonderful for all of us who are involved in treating retinoblastoma and other families facing it."

E CIGARETTES UNHELPFUL IN SMOKING CESSATION AMONG CANCER PATIENTS

In a new study of cancer patients who smoke, those using e-cigarettes (in addition to traditional cigarettes) were more nicotine dependent and equally or less likely to have quit smoking traditional cigarettes than non-users. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings raise doubts about the potential benefits of e-cigarettes for helping cancer patients give up smoking

Because of the risks of persistent smoking, all cancer patients who smoke should be advised to quit. But the rising use of e-cigarettes has raised many questions among patients and their health care providers including whether e-cigarette use helps or hinders quitting efforts. Even regulators are struggling with the complexities associated with e-cigarettes as they weigh the benefits and risks to the general population and subgroups of individuals.

To examine available clinical data about e-cigarette use and cessation among cancer patients, Jamie Ostroff, PhD, of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and her colleagues studied 1074 cancer patients who smoked and were enrolled between 2012 and 2013 in a tobacco treatment program within a comprehensive cancer center.

The researchers observed a three-fold increase in e-cigarette use from 2012 to 2013 (10.6 percent versus 38.5 percent). At enrollment, e-cigarette users were more nicotine dependent than non-users, had more prior quit attempts, and were more likely to be diagnosed with lung or head and neck cancers. At follow-up, e-cigarette users were just as likely as non-users to be smoking. Seven day abstinence rates were 44.4 percent versus 43.1 percent for e-cigarette users and non-users, respectively (excluding patients who were lost to follow-up).

"Consistent with recent observations of increased e-cigarette use in the general population, our findings illustrate that e-cigarette use among tobacco-dependent cancer patients has increased within the past two years," said Dr. Ostroff. She stressed that the study had several limitations, and additional studies are required. "Controlled research is needed to evaluate the potential harms and benefits of e-cigarettes as a potential cessation approach for cancer patients. In the meantime, oncologists should advise all smokers to quit smoking traditional combustible cigarettes, encourage use of FDA-approved cessation medications, refer patients for smoking cessation counseling, and provide education about the potential risks and lack of known benefits of long-term e-cigarette use ."

Nerve Damage As A Result Of Cancer Treatment

Today's post from cancernetwork.com (see link below) discusses the neurological consequences of cancer treatment, especially neuropathy, which seems to be occurring more and more frequently according to which chemotherapy drugs are administered. Unfortunately, whatever other medical complications we may have, we're all at risk of cancer of one form or another, therefore neuropathy is showing up more and more as a co-morbidity problem in that area. That said, once it is established that you have nerve damage, the treatment progression is pretty much the same whatever the cause of the nerve problems. This is why neuropathy patients are such a diverse group - there are over 100 causes and over 100 forms but in the end we all face the same treatment regimes, which won't cure the nerve damage but may keep the symptoms under control.
 

Managing Treatment-Related Neurotoxicity
By Michelle Bragazzi, BS, RN May 01, 2015 | ONS 2015
 
Understanding treatment-induced neurotoxicity can be difficult when treating patients with central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. This was a topic of discussion at the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) 40th Annual Congress, held April 23-26, in Orlando, Florida.

Using a case-based approach, clinical nurse specialist’s Mary Elizabeth Davis, RN, MSN, AOCNS, and Wayne Quashie, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, AOCNS, both from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, explained how nurses can effectively manage the signs and symptoms of CNS toxicity and disease.

Surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy may cause acute or delayed CNS issues such as necrosis, encephalopathy, intracranial hemorrhage, and myelopathy. Neuropathy—a common symptom associated with chemotherapy—would be considered a peripheral nervous system (PNS) disorder. While all require intervention, treatment options may vary, depending on the extent of the toxicity.

How do you distinguish between toxicity and disease symptomology?

It can be tricky to distinguish tumor recurrence from neurotoxicity. Metabolic imaging and perfusion scans may help decipher between the two. Pathological analysis would be the best way to confirm this, but obtaining another biopsy in a patient with brain cancer can be risky.

Radiation necrosis of the cerebral hemispheres and spinal cord is related to the administration of radiation treatment—especially with higher doses. Patients generally present with cognitive dysfunction, personality changes, increased intracranial pressure (which may result in brain herniation), paresis, and other neurological deficits. While radiation necrosis can be difficult to manage, there are treatment options available:

• Corticosteroid therapy (standard of care)

• Surgery

• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

• Bevacizumab

It’s important to keep in mind that while steroid use in patients with CNS tumors is the standard, patients can develop what’s commonly referred to as, “steroid psychosis.” Patients receiving high doses of steroids, those with a psychiatric history, blood-brain barrier damage, and cytochrome P450 inhibition are at risk.

Another toxicity to consider is chemotherapy- and radiation-induced neuropathy. Many patients experience peripheral neuropathy from drugs such as bortezomib, vinca alkaloids, taxanes, and platinum-based therapies. Patients typically complain of a numbness and tingling sensation in the extremities, specifically in the fingers, toes, and feet. Autonomic neuropathy can also occur and causes symptoms such as constipation, erectile dysfunction, bladder retention, and orthostatic hypotension.

Radiation patients may experience neuropathic side effects as well. For patients receiving radiation, specifically to the sacral plexus (colorectal cancer, gynecological cancers) or to the brachial plexus (upper airway cancers), are at risk for developing radiating neuropathic pain.

Currently, there are no established agents available to prevent neuropathic toxicity, but there are pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options available:

• Duloxetine

• Anticonvulsant drugs (gabapentin, pregabalin)

• Tricyclic antidepressant drugs (nortriptyline, amitriptyline)

• Compounded topical gel containing baclofen, amitriptyline, HCL, and ketamine)

• Refer patients to occupational medicine

• Cognitive and behavioral modifications such as guided imagery for pain control

• Educate patients on safety measures in the home such as water temperature, clutter, and wearing shoes

Lastly, another neurotoxic adverse event that’s referred to as, “chemo brain/chemo fog,” is a form of cognitive dysfunction that healthcare practitioners generally relate to cancer treatment. These patients have difficulty resuming their precancer lifestyle, and it can significantly impact their quality of life. Fatigue, the inability to concentrate and learn new skills, and memory loss are the typical symptoms. Pre-existing conditions and direct neurotoxic effects are associated with chemo brain.

Research studies suggest that cancer patients with undiagnosed, pretreatment cognitive impairment via imaging studies (white and gray matter abnormalities) are at a higher risk of developing chemo brain—especially those receiving high-dose chemotherapy. Pre-existing conditions (existing comorbidities, cognitive dysfunction) are some of the indirect factors contributing to chemo brain. The direct effects from treatment, such as chemical toxicity, inflammatory factors, vascular injury, blood clots, and defects in neural repair, are other possible etiologies.

Nurses need to be diligent about screening cancer patients for chemo brain. Imaging studies and neuropsychological testing should be performed at all patient visits. There are treatment options to also consider for these patients:

• Investigate confounding factors (medications, nutrition, sleep disorders)

• Consider neuropsychiatric evaluation

• Consult occupational therapy

• Administer psychostimulant drugs if necessary (last line of therapy if other interventions have failed)

• Encourage physical activity, but rest periods as well

• Urge patients to limit alcohol or other substances that may alter cognition

• Encourage patients to use memory aids (planners, to-do lists, etc)

Oncology nurses are in a great position to help identify signs and symptoms of neurotoxicity early on. Immediate intervention will maximize the patient’s quality of life, and possibly reduce the need for excessive drug administration.

http://www.cancernetwork.com/ons-2015/managing-treatment-related-neurotoxicity

PROSTATE CANCER RISK REDUCED BY SLEEPING WITH MANY WOMEN BUT NOT INCREASED WITH MANY MEN

Compared to men who have had only one partner during their lifetime, having sex with more than 20 women is associated with a 28% lower risk of one day being diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to researchers at the University of Montreal and INRS -- Institut Armand-Frappier. However, having more than 20 male partners in one's lifetime is associated with a twofold higher risk of getting prostate cancer compared to those who have never slept with a man

Marie-Elise Parent and Marie-Claude Rousseau, professors at university's School of Public Health, and their colleague Andrea Spence, published their findings in the journal Cancer Epidemiology. The results were obtained as part of the Montreal study PROtEuS (Prostate Cancer & Environment Study), in which 3,208 men responded to a questionnaire on, amongst other things, their sex lives. Of these men, 1,590 were diagnosed with prostate cancer between September 2005 and August 2009, while 1,618 men were part of the control group.

Risk associated with number of partners 

Overall, men with prostate cancer were twice as likely as others to have a relative with cancer. However, evidence suggests that the number of sexual partners affects the development of the cancer.

Consequently, men who said they had never had sexual intercourse were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer as those who said they had. When a man has slept with more than 20 women during his lifetime there is a 28% reduction in the risk of having prostate cancer (all types), and a 19% reduction for aggressive types of cancer. "It is possible that having many female sexual partners results in a higher frequency of ejaculations, whose protective effect against prostate cancer has been previously observed in cohort studies," Parent explained.

According to some studies, the underlying mechanism of this protective effect is in reducing the concentration of cancer-causing substances in prostatic fluid or lowering the production of intraluminal crystalloids. It should be noted that for all participants, the age at which they first had sexual intercourse or the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) they had contracted did not affect the risk of prostate cancer. Moreover, only 12% of all participants reported having had at least one STI in their lifetime, which is few.

Male partners and increased risk 

The data indicate that having only one male partner does not affect the risk of prostate cancer compared to those who have never had sexual intercourse with a man. On the other hand, those who have slept with more than 20 men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer of all types compared to those who have never slept with a man. And their risk of having a less aggressive prostate cancer increases by 500% compared to those who have had only one male partner.

Parent and her team can only formulate "highly speculative" hypotheses to explain this association. "It could come from greater exposure to STIs, or it could be that anal intercourse produces physical trauma to the prostate," Parent said.

Avenues for further research 

Parent, Rousseau, and Spence are specialists in prostate cancer and are the first research team to suggest that the number of female partners is inversely associated with the risk of developing cancer.

"We were fortunate to have participants from Montreal who were comfortable talking about their sexuality, no matter what sexual experiences they have had, and this openness would probably not have been the same 20 or 30 years ago," Parent explained. "Indeed, thanks to them, we now know that the number and type of partners must be taken into account to better understand the causes of prostate cancer." Does this mean public health authorities will soon be recommending men to sleep with many women in their lives? "We're not there yet," Parent said.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR STOMACH CANCER

Stomach cancer is cancer that occurs in the stomach — the muscular sac located in the upper middle of your abdomen, just below your ribs. Your stomach receives and holds the food you eat and then helps to break down and digest it.

Another term for stomach cancer is gastric cancer. These two terms most often refer to stomach cancer that begins in the mucus-producing cells on the inside lining of the stomach (adenocarcinoma). Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of stomach cancer.

Stomach cancer is uncommon in the United States, and the number of people diagnosed with the disease each year is declining. Stomach cancer is much more common in other areas of the world.

Causes-Doctors aren't sure what causes stomach cancer. There is a strong correlation between a diet high in smoked and salted foods and stomach cancer. As the use of refrigeration for preserving foods has increased around the world, the rates of stomach cancer have declined.

In general, cancer begins when an error (mutation) occurs in a cell's DNA. The mutation causes the cell to grow and divide at a rapid rate and to continue living when a normal cell would die. The accumulating cancerous cells form a tumor that can invade nearby structures. And cancer cells can break off from the tumor to spread throughout the body.

Types of stomach cancer

The cells that form the tumor determine the type of stomach cancer. The type of cells in your stomach cancer helps determine your treatment options. Types of stomach cancer include:

Cancer that begins in the glandular cells (adenocarcinoma). The glandular cells that line the inside of the stomach secrete a protective layer of mucus to shield the lining of the stomach from the acidic digestive juices. Adenocarcinoma accounts for the great majority of all stomach cancers.

Cancer that begins in immune system cells (lymphoma). The walls of the stomach contain a small number of immune system cells that can develop cancer. Lymphoma in the stomach is rare.

Cancer that begins in hormone-producing cells (carcinoid cancer). Hormone-producing cells can develop carcinoid cancer. Carcinoid cancer in the stomach is rare.

Cancer that begins in nervous system tissues. A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) begins in specific nervous system cells found in your stomach. GIST is a rare form of stomach cancer.

Because the other types of stomach cancer are rare, when people use the term "stomach cancer" they generally are referring to adenocarcinoma.

Symptoms--Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer may include:

·         Fatigue

·         Feeling bloated after eating

·         Feeling full after eating small amounts of food

·         Heartburn that is severe and persistent

·         Indigestion that is severe and unrelenting

·         Nausea that is persistent and unexplained

·         Stomach pain

·         Vomiting that is persistent

·         Weight loss that is unintentional

Risk factor--Factors that increase your risk of stomach cancer include:

·         A diet high in salty and smoked foods

·         A diet low in fruits and vegetables

·         Eating foods contaminated with aflatoxin fungus

·         Family history of stomach cancer

·         Infection with Helicobacter pylori

·         Long-term stomach inflammation

·         Pernicious anemia

·         Smoking

·         Stomach polyps

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Along with strict diet restriction Homeopathic  remedies effective for all cancer cases. Some of the important remedies are given below

CARCINISIM 1000- Start treatment with this remedy.

ACETIC ACID 30-Acetic acid is best for stomach cancer with violent burning pain in the stomach and chest followed by coldness of the skin and cold perspiration on forehead. Stomach feels as if she has taken a lot of vinegar. Bleeding from bowels causes anemia.

ARSENIC ALB 30-Arsenic alb is best for stomach cancer with burning pain. The patient have great anxiety, fear of death ,restlessness and extreme weakness. Dark blood is present in vomitus and in stool. After eating or drinking anything there is vomiting and diarrhea.Vomiting of blood, bile, green mucus or brown black mixed with blood. The stool is very offensive.Everything swallowed seems to lodge in the esophagus  and does not move down.

There is thirst for small quantities of warm water at requent intervals. The patient get relief from hot application

CONDURANGO 3x-Condurango is best for cancer of stomach accompanied in most cases with painful cracks in the corners of mouth. There is vomiting of food and constant cramping pain behind sternum where food seems to stick. Vomiting of food and indurations in left hypochondrium with constant burning pain. Even a touch on stomach causes pain.

CADMIUM SULPH 30- Cadmium sulph is prescribed when there is violent burning and cutting pain in stomach. There is coffe ground vomiting. Vomiting of mucus, green slime , blood with great weakness and tenderness over the stomach.

GERANIUM MACULATUM  Q-Geranium maculatum is excellent for stomach cancer where there is hemorrhage from stomach due to cancer. Geranium lessens the vomiting in cancer cases.25 drops every hour is given till the bleeding stops.

ORINITHOGALUM Q-Orinithogalum is best for cancer of stomach where there is painful sinking across epigastrium and belching of offensive gases. Another feature is vomiting of coffee groung looking matter sometimes accompanied with blood. Orinithogalum is useful for cancer anywhere in the intestinal tract, especially in the lower part of he stomach before start of the intestines. Give three doses per day for four days and then wait for results before repeating.

HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS 3X- Hydrastis is best for ulcers and cancer of stomach with pulsation in the epigastrium and gastritis.  Weak digestion with  flatulence and distress in the bowels after meals. There is pain in stomach as from a hard-cornered substance.Bitter taste in mouth and the tongue shows the imprint of teeth.

BISMUTHUM 30-Bismuthum  is effective for cancer of stomach with very easy vomiting of clear water or enormous quantities of food which appears to have laid in the stomach for days. Another feature is water is vomited as soon as it reaches the stomach. There is burning and a feeling of load in the stomach.The digestion is slow with fetid eructations. The tongue is coated white with metallic, sweetish taste in mouth.

PHOSPHORUS 1000- Phosphorus is best for stomach cancer with vomiting of coffee ground substance , especially when about to pass into the state of ulceration. There is vomiting of food and water after it gets warm in the stomach.The patient find very difficulty in swallowing. Stomach pain is better from cold drinks and ice.The Phosphorus person have a craving for ice creams, juices and cold drinks.