Mobile Phones | Brain Tumors

You might have heard or read news articles linking mobile phone use with brain tumors, but fear not, using mobile phone do not increase the risk of developing the most common type of brain tumor, according to a recent study. Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and three British universities found no link between regular, long-term use of cell phones and glioma.

During the past two decades, the use of mobile phones has risen rapidly worldwide but there has been no hard evidence to substantiate fears that the technology causes health problems ranging from headaches to brain tumors. Some scientists said mobile phones could pose a higher health risk to people living in rural areas because they emit more intense signals in the countryside. But the researchers has so far haven't found any increased health threats for rural dwellers.

Earlier mobile phones used analogue signals which emitted higher power signals than the later digital models. If there were health dangers from mobiles phones, they would be more likely to result from the earlier models but the scientists found no evidence of it. So it goes to say that people should not worry that their cellphones could pose a health risk, but of course, any new studies that may prove otherwise should be taken seriously.

Brown Rice | Cancer

Rice is the staple diet in Asia and it's in this region where many people suffer from cancer. But new scientific studies and research conducted on brown rice show that it is a concentrated source of many nutrients and minerals, especially fiber, which is essential for reducing the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with the cells of the colon.

Although brown rice contains the same amount of carbohydrates as the popular white grain, there is a significant difference in the amount of nutrients in its content. The fiber in brown rice helps reduce symptoms of diseases such as colon cancer, atherosclerosis, constipation, diarrhea, and gallstones. Brown rice’s fiber content also acts as a detoxifier, absorbing and flushing out unwanted toxins, and preventing them from being absorbed by the intestines’ cells.

In just a cup of brown rice, vital nutritional benefits can be absorbed by the body, among them manganese, phytonutrients and magnesium. It also has selenium, a trace mineral that has been shown to significantly diminish the risk of colon cancer. Although priced slightly higher than regular white rice. The health benefits far outweighs any additional expense and as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Green Vegetables | Cancer

Scientists have recently discovered why a diet high in green vegetables helps to ward off cancer. Chemicals released when vegetables such as spinach or okra are chopped, processed, cooked, chewed and digested make cancer cells mortal, stopping them from proliferating indefinitely. The protection is provided by the chemical that gives the vegetables their slightly bitter taste. This anti-cancer mechanism is the same as that of some modern cancer drugs.

Sinigrin, a chemical compound found in brassicas, is converted by processing or eating into allylisothiocyanate (AITC). This interrupts the division of colon cancer cells, instead of going on dividing indefinitely, the cells float free and then go into apoptosis, the process of cell suicide.

Normal cells commit suicide at the end of their life cycles. But when this process goes wrong and cells continue dividing unchecked, the result is a tumor. One of the targets of drug scientists is to devise ways of restoring normal behavior, and it appears that AITC can do this. That a diet high in fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer has been known from studies that show eating plenty of greens can halve the risk. But exactly how it worked has, until now, been unclear.

This is not a miracle cancer cure, but it does show that preventive dietary measures can be discovered and exploited in the same way as drugs. It is for many years that sinigrin breakdown products kill cancer cells. But by uncovering a previously unknown part of the process working in a similar way to some anti-cancer drugs, this hopes to show how important diet can be in your personal anti-cancer armory. It is also important to note that the shorter the cooking time and the less water used to prepare the vegetables, the greater the preventive effect is, is it's best if possible to eat the vegetables raw or just cook it in the least possible time.

Colorectal Cancer

Cancer ranks third as the worlds most common cause of death. Among the many types of cancer, colorectal cancer is the third most common and the number steadily increases because less focus is given to it compared to that of lung and breast cancer.

The good news is that it can be prevented. Here are some useful prevention tips to combat the disease:

• A balanced diet - Diets high in fat and cholesterol, especially those coming from animal sources, as well as low fiber diets have been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Even if one can eat steak and liver at every meal and stay trim, it can still increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer by virtue of what one is eating. So cut down on these types of food and you will lower your risks dramatically.

• Lose those excess fats - Do you weigh more than you want? Obesity, defined as having a BMI (Body Mass Index) greater than 30, increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer. An by reducing your body's excess fats, you will bring down the risk of developing colorectal cancer.

• Exercise - An unhealthy lifestyle of just sitting around and doing nothing increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer. The longer waste sits in the colon or rectum, the longer toxic materials have to leach out of the solidifying stool and back into tissues. Exercise gets things moving, not just the body, but also the waste in the body.

• Avoid smoking - Researches indicate that 12 percent of fatal colorectal cancers may be attributable to smoking. Smoking increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer for two main reasons: First, inhaled or swallowed tobacco smoke transports carcinogens to the colon. Second, tobacco use appears to increase polyp size.

• Take your vitamins daily - Some research suggests that taking a daily multivitamin containing folic acid can lower colorectal cancer risk. Taking calcium and Vitamin D may also work together to reduce colorectal cancer risk, as Vitamin D aids in the body’s absorption of calcium. In addition, a recent study suggested that a diet high in magnesium may also reduce colorectal cancer risk in women.

• Screening - One of the most powerful weapons in preventing colorectal cancer is regular colorectal cancer screening or testing. More than 90 percent of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer are 50 or older and the average age of diagnosis is 64. Research indicates that by age 50, one in four people has polyps. Most people have an excellent chance of preventing colorectal cancer if they get regular colon cancer screening. So visit your doctor regularly as detecting the cancer earlier makes it easier to cure.

• Talk to your doctor about your personal medical history - Research indicates that women who’ve had breast, uterine, or ovarian cancer are at increased risk for developing colorectal cancer. Chronic inflammation of the bowel also increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Be sure to talk to your doctor about these as well as other important health ailments you might have developed.

Cure for Lymphoma

Have you ever felt a painful bean shaped mass under your armpit or somewhere whenever you have a fever or wound? That's most probably an enlarged lymph node.

Lymph nodes are specialized organs of the body that process infectious agents such as bacteria and virus. Whenever a lymph node increases size, it is palpable and feels like a mass. Other areas where enlarged lymph nodes can be felt are at the neck, under the jaw and chin, and back of the head.

When there is an infectious process, the lymph nodes try to ward it off from spreading, but when the infection overwhelms it, the lymph node itself becomes inflamed and increases in size a condition called lymphadenitis.

Lymph nodes become enlarged not only during infection but also when its cells transform cancer. Cancer of the lymph node is called lymphoma. Lymphoma can develop anywhere in the body where lymph nodes are distributed. Lymphomas can be seen and felt under the skin because there are numerous minute lymph nodes under the skin.

Tonsils are lymph nodes. Hence, an enlarged tonsil can either be an inflammation called tonsillitis or cancer like lymphoma. Lymphoma can also occur deep inside the body such as in the lymph tissues of the thymus, stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, bone marrow and brain.

How can you differentiate infection from cancerous process in an enlarged lymph node?

An enlarged lymph node due to infection is soft or doughy, and painful even at early onset. Fever may occur and is always accompanied by an obvious infection.

An enlarged lymph node due to cancer progressively enlarges and affects other lymph nodes. It is hard and not painful at early onset, but becomes painful when it is quite large, immovable, and pressing a nerve. Lymphoma or cancer may also be accompanied by fever, as well as unexplained weight loss of at least 10 percent over a short period of time, lack of energy, general fatigue, and drenching night sweats.

Consult your physician if you are afraid that your "kulani is a lymphoma. Your physician will look for the cause of the enlarged lymph node. If it is infection, infection control and antibiotic will be administered. Otherwise, he will refer you to a surgeon who will get a biopsy sample of the enlarged lymph node for pathology analysis.

Unlike other forms of cancer, lymphoma is very responsive to treatment. The primary treatment surgery is drugs, with radiotherapy adjunct. Responsiveness to drug treatment is somehow dictated by the histological and immunological type of the lymphoma, which would also dictate which of the cytotoxic drugs, so patients whi are suffering from this should not worry because it's very uch treatable with todays advances in medicine.