NATURE CURE FOR COMMON SYMPTOMS OF CANCER: PAIN

Pain is usually considered to be one the chief symptoms of cancer, but is not actually a common symptom in most cases of the disease. As many as half the cancers in even an advanced stage, do not cause pain. But where it is present, it may be continuous, gradually increasing in intensity and may become unbearable. Thus, for instance, painless swellings in the breast or in the muscle may indicate an underlying carcinoma or sarcoma, respectively. Lymphomas are usually painless enlargements of lymph nodes or spleen. Space-occupying lesions in the brain will cause symptoms of raised intracranial pressure such as headache, vomiting or visual disturbance.Natural Remedies: The use of garlic and garlic milk has been found highly beneficial in relieving pain. This vegetable should be cut into small pieces and taken with a teaspoon of honey with each meal. Taken over a period of time, it will yield good results in relieving pain and suffering. Garlic milk can be prepared both in cooked and uncooked states. In the raw state, the uncooked form is more powerful. This milk is prepared by adding the pulp of crushed garlic in uncooked buffalo milk. The proportion is four cloves to 110ml. of milk. Another method is to boil the garlic in milk.Hot fomentation can also be applied on the painful part of the body to get relief. *8/355/5*

BREAST FEEDING AND HORMONE DISRUPTERS – INTRODUCTION

Mother’s milk is considered the perfect food. And, indeed, it is an elixir that bestows untold benefits to the newborn. A lactating mother transfers to her child a temporary immunity to the various diseases that she herself has overcome during her lifetime. It also helps to set up the infant’s permanent immune system. Breast fed babies have fewer allergies. Breast milk acts to speed up intestinal growth. Elements in breast milk also turn on certain genes in the cells of the small intestine, which in response send protein signals to developing immune tissues. Special sugars in human milk feed the growing intestinal flora. These sugars, which are not found in infant formulas, provide food for the beneficial bacteria in the colon. There is no infant formula that can even come close to the miracle of mother’s milk.*13/165/1*

MANAGEMENT OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF RADIATION THERAPY IN CHILDREN: SIDE EFFECTS OF THORACIC IRRADIATION

I. EARLY EFFECT
Esophagitis A. Prevention
1.    Sucralfate (Carafate) slurry, starting on the 1st day of irradiation, has been suggested to decrease incidence and severity.
a.    Dose: 10-20 mg/kg per dose PO q.i.d.
b.    Available: suspension: 100 mg/mL
2.    Ranitidine HC1 (Zantac) has also been suggested to decrease severity.
a.    Dose: Infants and children: 4-5 mg/kg/day, divided, b.i.d. or t.i.d.
b.    Available
Tablet: 75 (OTC), 150 or 300 mg Syrup: 15 mg/mL
B. Presentation
Symptoms include substernal pain on swallowing, sensation of lump in throat, and sore throat.
Symptoms begin about 2 weeks into the course of thoracic radiation therapy.
Symptoms usually ease after radiation to esophagus stops or even decrease when oblique fields start.
a. Treatment
i.    Treat the same as oral mucositis.
ii.    If dysphagia persists or there is evidence of oral can-
didiasis, start candidal treatment (See above,
“Section IB under “Side Effects of Head and Neck
Irradiation”).
iii.    If the dysphagia is severe, the patient may need a
break from radiation treatment.
II. INTERMEDIATE EFFECTS
Radiation pneumonitis
A. Presentation
This presents either during radiation therapy or up to about 6 months after treatment is completed; it is very rare with doses <3000 cGy
Symptoms are shortness of breath, dyspnea on exertion, and cough
Fever is rare.
Radiographic changes seen in most patients are infiltrates within the irradiated volume of lung.
Decreased vital capacity and diffusing capacity are present.
Actinomycin D and Adriamycin may reactivate.
Abrupt steroid withdrawal may reactivate.
B. Treatment
Bedrest
Prednisone
a.    Dose: 0.5-2 mg/kg/day (maximum 80 mg/day), divided
t.i.d. to q.i.d.
b.    Available
Tablet: 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, or 50 mg Syrup: 1 mg/mL (5/6 alcohol)
III. LATE EFFECTS
A. Cardiac complications
1.    Late cardiac complications
a.    Acute myocardial infarction
b.    Acute pericarditis
c.    Constrictive pericarditis
d.    Valvular disease
2.    Risk factors
a.    Complications are dose, volume, and exact target
dependent.
i.    Proximal coronary arteries tend to be in high-dose
mediastinal fields.
ii.    Pericardial problems require that most of the heart
be in treatment volume; this is rare today.
b.    Age dependent: Risk decreases as child’s age at treatment increases.
c.    Acute pericarditis may be precipitated by abrupt
steroid withdrawal.
d.    Malignant hypertension can exacerbate arteriosclerosis in irradiated vessels, precipitating myocardial
infarction in patients at risk.
e.    Previous treatment with doxorubicin enhances the
risk.
3.    Presentation
a.    Acute myocardial infarction
Remember this risk in patients who present with chest pain or congestive failure after chest irradiation.
b.    Acute pericarditis
Pain
c. Constrictive pericarditis
Chest pain, poor tolerance of exercise, and normal heart size
B. Pulmonary fibrosis Presentation
Radiographs: scarring in field of radiation, sometimes with retraction
Rarely symptomatic
Reduced diffusing capacity
*47\168\2*

OTHER CAUSES OF LUNG CANCER: GENETICS

Ideas about the cause of lung cancer have been so dominated by recognition of the effect of smoking for the last forty years that it is sometimes easy to forget that there may be other important causal factors and that lung cancer still occurs in non-smokers. The effect of smoking is so strong that it can be quite difficult to unravel other causes, because the presence of a few smokers in any group will so alter the statistics. However, there are undoubtedly other factors at work in the development of lung cancer and many of them can now be judged.
Lung cancer is not inherited in any simple way and in Scandinavia, studies of identical twins have shown that it is smoking that determines any difference in risk of lung cancer. Identical twins have identical genes and if there were a simple relationship between inherited genes and lung cancer, we would expect the incidence of cancer to be the same in identical twins, regardless of any differences which we might find in the smoking habits of each twin in a pair. This is not the case. If one of a pair of twins smokes, the risk of lung cancer in that twin is greater. While, however, there is no simple link between genetic inheritance and the incidence of lung cancer, the fact remains that some non-smokers get cancer and some smokers do not. This raises the possibility that genetic inheritance may be influential in some subtle way and provide at least part of the explanation for this odd fact. One of the teasing questions which biologists now have to tackle is the part played by innate genetic make-up in protecting some smokers from cancer and disposing some non-smokers to the disease. One suggestion that is being studied is that there may be genetic differences in the way in which the body handles the chemicals produced in cigarettes so as to detoxify them. If research along these, or similar, lines produces answers, we shall be able to identify the patients whose genetic make-up puts them at special risk.
*46\194\4*

YOUR CANCER YOUR LIFE – RIGHT TO TREATMENT BY EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS (EXAMLE)

Every year, medical diagnosis and treatment become more and more complicated. No one doctor can possibly know everything about the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.-For this reason doctors specialise. Whenever you consider having any specialised diagnostic or treatment method you have the right to insist on referral to someone who is qualified and experienced in the use of that method.

For example, say you have a shadow in your lung which looks like cancer. You may be advised that, to make a diagnosis, a specimen must be taken with a needle passed through the skin and lung guided by X-rays. Make sure this is done by someone who has had plenty of experience with the method. An experienced person is more likely to succeed in getting a good specimen without puncturing your lung or causing undue pain.

You may have a cancer of the lower bowel and be advised to have this removed, leaving you with a colostomy (bowel ending in an opening on the abdominal wall). Ask to be referred to a surgeon who has done a lot of these operations. A well placed and well constructed colostomy is quite easy to look after, a poorly placed and badly constructed colostomy is a nightmare.

*23/40/1*

CANCER-FIGHTING AND HEALING RECIPES: SALAD DRESSINGS

Antioxidant Dressing

125 ml low-fat acidophilus yogurt

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons apple concentrate

50 grams cottage cheese

1 tomato

1 small red onion

1/2 red capsicum

3 cloves garlic

5 ml lime or lemon juice (fresh)

1 pinch of chilli powder

1 teaspoon flaxseed or linseed oil

Combine the yogurt, mustard, vinegar, apple concentrate and cottage cheese in a food processor. Blend until it forms a smooth mayonnaise texture. Peel and de-seed the tomato. Dice the flesh. Dice the onion and capsicum, and crush the garlic. Add all of the ingredients to the yogurt mayonnaise, together with lemon juice and chilli powder. Mix well and serve with salad.

Garlic Dressing

1 cup apple cider vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded

2-3 cloves garlic

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend for 1 minute. Place in a sealed jar and store in the refrigerator until needed.

Lemon Tahini Dressing

1 tablespoon tahini

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed Pinch of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon apple juice or pear juice concentrate

Mix all ingredients together. Pour over salad.

Vitality Dressing

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil or organic flaxseed oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

If desired, chopped herbs for flavouring

1/2 lemon, squeezed

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or food processor. Pour over salad.

*227/34/5*

AFTER CANCER: MORE HANDLES HELPING TO GET NEW LIFE

Cancer victims and cancer survivors are people in the same situation with a different frame of mind.

Focus on what you still have and what you have gained, not on what you have lost. Focus on what you can do, not on what you cannot do. Two people in the same situation can experience their lives completely differently, depending on how they focus. How you experience your life depends on your state of mind.

Control is an illusion.

Having cancer and undergoing cancer treatment make you painfully aware of how little control you have over important things in your life. Checkups, posttreatment medical problems, and social problems can be unwelcome reminders of your vulnerability. Remember that complete control is an illusion. Your” cancer did not create a loss of control; it revealed the lack of control. If anything, the tools and strengths that you can gain through your cancer experience will allow you to exercise more control over your life after cancer.

Pursue things that help; avoid things that do not.

You can shape your environment by choosing the tools you use to cope. The more tools you have, the more flexibility you will have for coping well with different situations. Support groups, helping others, reading, long discussions, private time, and exercise will be helpful or harmful depending on the circumstances and your feelings at the moment. Be willing to try varied activities and approaches over and over in order to find what works best for you at the time.

Learn to control your reaction to bad thoughts or feelings.

Isolated thoughts do not cause cancer recurrence. Everyone has unpleasant or pessimistic thoughts. Recognize these thoughts, accept them as normal phenomena, and then shift to more constructive, optimistic thoughts. You cannot always stop bad thoughts, but you can control your reaction to them. If you are troubled by frequent, persistent negative thoughts, counseling will help you sort out the source of these thoughts, find healthy ways to react, and thus gain control over them.

AFTER CANCER: TALKING ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE AND SEXUAL FUNCTIONS WITH DOCTOR

What If I Am Reluctant to Talk about Ну Sexual Function with Ну Oncologist?

Many people are reluctant to mention sexual concerns to their oncologists. This may be because you

• are embarrassed or ashamed of your loss of sexual function •see your oncologist as someone who deals with life-and-death

decisions, making your concern about sexual function appear petty

•are grateful to have survived and do not want to appear ungrateful by complaining

• do not want to deal with any more medical issues

Your ability to function sexually at a level that is satisfactory to you and your partner is an important factor in your overall quality of life.

What If I Have Tried to Talk with My Oncologist about Sexual Difficulties But Obtained No Satisfactory Answers or Advice?

If you tried to communicate your concerns about sexual function but were too uncomfortable to deal with it or if your doctor seemed uncomfortable or unable to deal with the topic, look for help elsewhere. Professionals who are well trained and comfortable dealing with issues of sexuality include

• gynecologists

• urologists

• psychologists specializing in sexual dysfunction

You can obtain information about sex counselors with experience in problems resulting from physical illness by calling the Cancer Information Service.

(for men) Has My Treatment Affected My Ability to Father Children?

Radiation therapy to the testicles can cause sterility. Whether or not it is permanent depends on

• your age when treated

• the total dose of radiation received

•use of concomitant chemotherapy

Chemotherapy can also cause temporary or permanent sterility. Sterility is the more likely and has a greater chance of being permanent,

• the older you are when treated

• the higher the total dose of chemotherapeutic agents known to cause sterility

• the longer the duration of exposure to chemotherapeutic agents known to cause sterility

• the larger the number of drugs used that are known to cause sterility

Is Posttreatment Sterility Ever Reversible?

Yes. Men and women have been known to regain fertility twelve to sixty months following completion of cancer treatment.

*88/32/5*

AFTER CANCER: WHAT TO DO IF FATIGUE IS INTERFERING WITH SEXUAL FUNCTION?

Explore the various causes of diminished sexual function, and address those that apply to you. You cannot force sexual function to return quickly, but you can facilitate its return by

• seeing the change as one of the many aftereffects of your cancer experience

• aiming to develop a sexual balance with your partner that may, of necessity, be different from the earlier balance

• accepting the reality that things will be different for a while, if not forever

• trying to be patient

• developing new ways to express affection and sexuality that do not deplete your energy reserves

Remember that your partner, too, has to adjust to the changes brought on by your illness and recovery. He or she may be dealing with many of the factors that are bothering you, such as grief, anxiety, depression, anger, and depleted emotional and physical reserves. Moreover, a solution or balance that works for you may be unacceptable to your partner. Simple caressing may satisfy your needs, but not your partner’s. Anytime that two people’s needs and goals get out of synchrony, honest and caring dialogue helps them approach a mutually acceptable solution.

Before blaming any sexual difficulties on fatigue or the cancer experience, reflect on how things were going prior to your illness. Current difficulties may merely be the continuation or reappearance of old problems. If you had sexual difficulties before, chances are that the stress of your treatment and recovery has not helped (although some people do settle problems and attain a new level of intimacy during the cancer treatment phase). Apply the insights and tools gained during your treatment and recovery to any current difficulties; long-standing problems may, at last, be resolved.

Sexuality can be difficult to discuss with your partner under the best of circumstances. Encourage a sharing of feelings and concerns. If you cannot figure out how to broach the subject with your loved one, or if you have tried unsuccessfully, ask your doctor or nurse for referral to someone skilled in dealing with the effects of illness on relationships. Time alone is often a great healer. But why wait? Quality counseling may enable you and your partner to reach a new equilibrium faster. This not only prevents or minimizes the added stress of sexual difficulties; it also gives you the benefit of the psychological lift and emotional comfort of resumed relations.

*61/32/5*

AFTER CANCER: WHAT IF I FEEL LESS FAMILIAR WITH OR LESS SURE ABOUT НУ BODY?

As you grow up, you learn the strengths and weaknesses of your body. By the time you are an adult, you know whether you are double-jointed or inflexible, a sprinter or a long-distance runner, resistant or susceptible to infections, mellow or hyper-excitable, a heavy or a light sleeper, a pessimist or an optimist “by nature,” sensitive to foods or able to eat anything that doesn’t walk, and so on.

Cancer and cancer therapy can upset patterns that have been set for a long time and have come to feel comfortable in identifying “you.” Being different in a few or many ways is unsettling, especially if unexpected and undesired. You do not know what to expect of your body or emotions, so you do not know what the rules are any more. You have become unfamiliar with the body and emotions you always knew best—your own.

If before your episode with cancer all sore throats, coughs, headaches, stomachaches, or backaches cleared up by themselves if left alone, you learned that these things did not need medical attention or intervention. Now that you have had cancer and cancer therapy, some of these symptoms may signal a problem for you that need early intervention to prevent a more serious illness. The same symptoms that you had before your cancer now have different implications. Depending on your type of cancer, your type of treatment, your medical condition before cancer, and your style of dealing with symptoms, you may need to become reacquainted with your body and learn a new style for dealing with its signals.

Bodily changes happen to all people as they get older, but they happen over decades. Gradual changes allow gradual acceptance and adaptation. Cancer and its treatment cause enormous changes practically overnight. Unfortunately, the acceptance and adaptation still take a long time. There is a disparity between how quickly the changes occurred and affected your life and how quickly you can absorb the changes and adjust. This disparity causes a sense of unfamiliarity and stress.

*148/32/5*