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Avoid Shower Filters That Don’t Remove Cancer-Causing Chemicals

As you might have predicted, shower filters with a two stage or dual filter system provide considerably more protection against contaminants than a single filter media. Chlorine shower filters with only one filter media can reduce the level of chlorine in your water, but they may leave other impurities and harmful synthetic chemicals like THMs (Trihalomethane). Unlike a shower water filter that utilizes only one filter media, brands like the Aquasana shower filter system use a two stage filtration process with two filter media.

When taking a warm shower, the pores of your skin open up more than usual. When this happens, it’s not just chlorine that is absorbed through your skin. There are over 2,100 toxic chemicals in your tap water that can cause cancer, according to the Ralph Nader Research Institute. Dermal absorption and inhalation of chlorine and other chemicals while showering has now been linked to breast cancer, bladder cancer, asthma and many other diseases. Most shower filters with a single filter media use only Granular Activated Carbon (GAC), which is generally effective at reducing chlorine and certain other organic contaminants. This leaves a lot to chance considering the massive amounts of harmful chemicals that are coming from our showerheads and faucets.

For the best protection against absorbing and inhaling chemicals in your shower, research quality shower filters that feature a dual filter system. To show the power of a two stage shower filtration process, let’s look at the specifics of the Aquasana AQ-4100 Pure Shower Filter. Stage one utilizes 16 oz. of granular zinc and copper KDF-55D media. Together, the zinc and copper create an electro-chemical reaction that transforms harmful contaminants into harmless particles. The result is that chlorine and dangerous chemicals are filtered out of the water by as much as 99%. Additonally, the pH of the water is also enhanced. The second filtration stage uses 7.2 oz. of carbonized coconut shell medium for the removal of synthetic chemicals, THMs (Trihalomethane), and VOCs (Volatile Organic Chemicals).

While the threat of serious health conditions like cancer is enough to make many people see a chlorine shower filter as a necessity, the amazing cosmetic benefits that customers notice are easily worth the cost of 21 cents a day. If you have swum in a chlorinated pool, it is very likely that you noticed how it robs your skin and hair of moisture, and leaves your eyes red and irritated. However, many people are unaware that the chlorine level coming from a home shower head or sink faucet usually has as much or more chlorine than most swimming pools. Cosmetic conditions that occur from showering in chlorinated water can result in symptoms ranging from dandruff and irritated eyes to eczema and psoriasis. Dual stage shower filters offer the best protection against minor and major health problems.

With literally thousands of cancer-causing chemicals making their way into public water supplies, shower filters are considered by many to be a necessity rather than a luxury. Aquasana For Life is the only Aquasana store that offers a true risk-free 60-Day Guarantee by promising free return shipping if you are unsatisfied.

www.aquasanaforlife.com

Metastatic Breast Cancer: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

In women, breast cancer is the common type of cancer and it is affecting one out of eight women. At any time, this cancer may develop and the risk increases with developing of cancer as the women get older. In most of the post-menopausal women, it is common and with the increase in age will increase the risk as well.

When the breast cancer is spread beyond the breast, then it is said to be in metastatic state. This means that cancer has traveled from breast to another part of the body. The cells of cancer will travel through blood vessels or lymphatic system.

Causes

As of today, the breast cancer like any other forms of cancer is considered as one of the final outcomes of multiple hereditary and environmental factors. The risk of breast cancer will be increased by 70% in young people by inhaling the secondhand smoke and primarily menopausal women are affected by this.

Symptoms

So many fears are elicited by breast cancer including the ones that are related to surgery, loss of body image, death and loss of sexuality and however, if the breast caner is diagnosed earlier, then it is curable. Therefore, it always recommended doing a regular self screening of the body. Usually, the breast cancer will show thickening or lump in the breast tissues but not all the breast lumps are cancerous.

Often, the breast cancer will occur in left breast and also in the upper quadrant. Other than the lump, the indications of this cancer include skin dimpling, changes in breast shape and size, spontaneous discharge of single nipple or nipple inversion.

Treatment

In order to treat the breast cancer, controversies are still raging all over the world. The options to treat the breast cancer include chemotherapy, surgery, herceptin, hormonal therapies, radiotherapy and other complementary treatments.

Whenever the tumor is localized, surgery is the mainstay of the breast cancer treatment. Some of the surgeries include the possible hormonal therapy (with aromatase inhibitor or with the tamoxifen), radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.

MammaPrint test is the first tests that became one of the first breast cancer predicator, which won the formal approval of the USFDA. This is a new type of gene test, which will predict whether women with the early stage of cancer will replace in about 5 to 10 years. This test will help to influence on how aggressively the tumor in the initial stages can be treated.

ILT (Interstitial Laser thermotherapy) is one of the innovative methods that are used to treat the breast cancer through minimal invasive manner. This method does not involve any surgical procedures. This procedure will not have any adverse effect on health and during the intermediate follow-up; the survival rate of the patient is high.

Routine mammography of the women aged more than 40 to 50 years is very much recommended by many science institutes. By doing so, if there is cancer, then it can be detected at the earlier stages and it can be treated effectively at early stages.

Abortion Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women’s Center in March 1996. Florida Abortion Clinic, physical examinations, family planning, counseling. Late Term Abortion Clinic.

How to Deal With Stress When You Have Cancer

It is the diagnosis that nobody wants to hear. Despite all the advancements the field of medical science has made especially in the treatment and cure of cancer, cancer as a diagnosis is dreaded by all people alike. Cancers are of many kinds and they affect many parts of the body. Some cancers are found predominantly in women while others like prostate cancer are exclusively found in men.

Cancer can be extremely stress inducing. Stress is a state of physical or mental unrest. Stress is the condition when you find things not going your way and worrying and anxiously pondering over the situation again and again adds to the tension. Any illness can lead to stress and also stress can lead to many other illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and even cancer.

Cancer has become very much treatable today and there are many individuals who have survived the once fatal disease. Having cancer can cause people to become depressed due to the thoughts of death and mortality which become very active in their subconscious. Depression if not checked can lead to further stress. Another stressful thought caused by cancer is the thought of the mounting medical bills. Chemotherapy and radiation sessions are not inexpensive. Add this to the hospital, medication and doctor’s costs and you have a huge medical bill in front of you. Your medical insurance many not cover all of these expenses and it could all lead to a drain on your finances. Worrying about depleting finances can lead to stress and other negative conditions.

It is important to keep a check on stress because untreated stress can lead to many other health complications. There are ways to tackle the stress which an illness brings on. It is important to stay in a positive frame of mind and in a cheerful demeanor. It is definitely not easy when one is undergoing treatment for a possibly fatal disease but at least that effort should be made. The treatment of cancer or any other life threatening condition becomes faster and quicker when a positive attitude is maintained.

In order to stay in a positive mind frame one can join a cancer group where patients with cancer or cancer survivors meet and speak about their battles or victories. These real life stories can be inspiring and can give one the determination and courage to go through the treatment. Another way to beat the stress is to read awe inspiring books about people who have beat the odds and come out victorious.

Taking the effort to make those little lifestyle changes while undergoing treatment for cancer can make the recovery faster and smoother. You can change your diet and increase the intake of fresh fruits, leafy green vegetables, and mineral and protein rich foods and anti oxidants rich foods like green tea for instance. The body becomes strongest and gains immunity which in turn is good for the treatment of cancer.

No matter what kind of cancer one has acquired, treatment and cure are not impossible if every sincere effort is taken along with constant prayers to God.

Orlando Vaccine Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women’s Center in March 1996. Pain Free Abortion, physical examinations, family planning and counseling. Abortion Clinic.

Safe Non-Toxic Deodorants May Lessen the Cancer Risk

Our generation has made revolutionary inventions and discoveries our forefathers never thought of during their era. We also now live in a world where everything is available in an instant. The trade-off however is, many of the products we now use are laden with toxic chemicals.

Research has shown that a lot of the home and personal care products we use daily expose us to toxins that can bring on ailments. Allergic reactions may also be brought about by intolerance to some chemical ingredients. Certain components of antiperspirants for example, contain aluminium chlorohydrate and parabens which have been suspected to contribute to symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

Over the last quarter of the century, cases of breast cancer in Britain have doubled from about 20,000 per year in the late 1970s to almost 40,000 nowadays. One possibility for the alarming increase is that the majority of anti- perspirants contain chemicals such as zirconium and aluminium that are absorbed through the hair follicles and react with water to cause swelling of the area.

Scientists at Reading University have published new research that points to the possible link between the use of anti-perspirants (containing aluminium) and the rising rates of breast cancer. Researchers originally deduced that a build-up of toxins in the lymph nodes of the armpits was caused by inhibiting perspiration, which can cause changes near the breasts after some time.

Researchers now think there is another way in which anti-perspirants may increase the cancer risk. In recent laboratory tests aluminium and zirconium have been found to enter the cells and cause DNA mutation that could lead to cancerous growth and disrupt hormone levels.

Is there a link? Yes, since anti-perspirants contain aluminium salts with metal ions that mimic the effect of oestrogen, they may add to the breast cancer factor risk.

“Since oestrogen is known to be involved in the development of human breast cancer, any components

in the environment that have oestrogenic activity and which can enter the human breast could theoretically influence a women’s risk of breast cancer”, says Dr. Phillippa Daibre, author of the review who works in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading.

So why should we take the risk then? True enough toxins are everywhere in our environment and we have developed some resistance to it, but why add to it when we can avoid it? If you prefer to remain cautious while research continues, choose your antiperspirants, deodorants, and other personal care products carefully. Check the labels, and avoid those that contain aluminium or parabens (listed as methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl parabens).

But do we have an alternative? Most leading brands today contain aluminium and zirconium-based components. It may be hard to look for one, but there is actually a safe alternative - Aloe Ever-Shield Deodorant Stick. Forever Living Products is proud to offer the safe alternative - an aloe-based product that has eliminated these risks by avoiding aluminium and zirconium in its state-of-the-art formulation.

The Aloe Ever-Shield Deodorant Stick is a very good gentle formula containing stabilised aloe vera gel that provides effective all-day protection against underarm odour and can be applied directly after showering. Its gentle formulation including soothing aloe vera means it can also be applied directly after shaving or underarm waxing without stinging.

Aloe Ever Shield can also be used during chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment, whereas most consultants will categorically tell their patients not to use chemical-based anti-perspirants during such treatments.

We don’t have full control over environmental factors that can damage our health - by using Aloe Ever-Shield Deodorant Stick, you are protected naturally without adding ingredients that could jeopardise your health. It makes sense. So use it!

I’m British American currently living in Mauritius. My husband and I have been in the natural health and personal growth field for over 25 years. We’ve helped hundreds of people take care of their health & vitality with natural products. We now run our online business from home so we can spend time swimming and surfing with our daughter, when we’re not helping people achieve total wellness! View revolutionary products that can give you TOTAL WELLNESS

How To Slash Your Prostate Cancer Risk – With Sunlight!

According to a study published in the British Journal of Cancer 2009; 100: 450-454, men with prostate cancer are as much as seven times less likely to die if they have high levels of vitamin D – the “sunshine vitamin”.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men. Each year close to 3,300 men die of prostate cancer annually and around 20,000 new cases are diagnosed in Australia each year. So, for all you male readers, if you want to prevent prostate cancer, and protect your health, getting regular sun exposure to optimize your vitamin D levels is an absolute must.

Prostate cancer is typically slow growing, and the five-year survival rate for all stages of prostate cancer combined is 99%. So it is very much a disease that can be managed…if you make the appropriate lifestyle changes.

Why Sunlight Is An Important Cancer-Fighting Tool

A previous study found men with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood were half as likely to develop aggressive forms of prostate cancer as those with lower amounts. Numerous other studies also confirm the link between vitamin D deficiency and multiple types of cancer. The “sunshine vitamin” has a protective effect against cancer in many ways including:

• Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (they can lead to cancer if allowed to replicate)

• Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells

• Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often cannot be differentiated by the body)

• Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones (which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous)

What Is The Optimal Vitamin D Level For You?

Vitamin D3 is produced by our bodies when UV radiation from sunlight hits our skin and reacts with a compound called 7-dehydrocholesterol. Ever since I was a child growing up in Australia we have been told to protect against UV radiation. But UV levels vary according to season, geographic latitude, smog, cloud cover and time of day. A UV level of 3 or higher, which usually occurs between 10am to 3pm daily in the tropics and during spring and summer in temperate regions, requires most people to apply sun protection. Either side of those times up to 10-15 minutes of sunlight at least twice a week is adequate for Vitamin D synthesis. During winter take advantage of sunny periods but usually 2-3 hours of sun exposure spread over a week is adequate.

Your doctor can measure your serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D to determine your vitamin D status. Your vitamin D level should always be above 32 ng/ml (nanograms per millilitre), and anything below 20 ng/ml is considered a serious deficiency state, which would increase your risk of prostate cancer.

The optimal level is 45-52 ng/ml but previous research has suggested that maintaining a slightly higher level of 55 ng/ml is optimal for cancer prevention. Optimizing your vitamin D levels is an important part of prostate cancer prevention, but it is far from the only method. Another sensible strategy is eating a healthy diet including natural lycopene foods such as tomatoes, raspberries, watermelon and broccoli.

In addition, supplementation with important micro-nutrients is also essential in preventing and fighting cancer. Research has shown that a group of saccarides called glyconutrients are essential for a healthy immune system. Recent studies in numerous scientific journals have shown that glyconutrients not only retarded human prostate cancer cell growth, but also encouraged their destruction.

If you would like to know more about glyconutrients and their importance in maintaining a healthy immune system and fighting cancer then click on the link below.

Click on Disease Fighting Report for natural ways to fight prostate cancer and improve the quality of your health. Richard and Ruth Webster are Health and Wellness Consultants who help people struggling against major health issues. They have a successful Health and Wellness business offering natural solutions and Free Consultations for people looking to improve their health through natural means.

How to Prevent Cancers Psychological Impact?

Cancer is, as we know, a life changing experience for the cancer sufferer, their friends and families. Cancer and cancer treatment both have instead drastic psychological and physiologic effectuates on the diseased person. Knowing of these effectuates earlier treatment may give you a head start and a adventure to mentally prepare yourself, just a little, for what is to come. This info may also helper you weigh up the odds, on whether you prefer to go through with treatment or not.

Physiological Effects of Cancer

Sexual Dysfunction: a few cancer patients and sub sisters may know a level of sexual dysfunction. This can occur to both male person and female person and there are ways around them.

Chronic Pain: The cancer patient may experience consistent, chronic pain later prolonged cancer treatment.

Infertility: Both male and female patients and survivors may experience infertility.

Constant Fatigue: Patients and sub sisters may feel like they’re constantly tired and don’t have the motivation or energy to total easy, daily tasks.

Numbness: Numbness is caused by a condition called Neuropathy. The numbness is common in the patient’s hands and feet.

Osteoporosis: Is a condition which causes your bones to get really fragile and weak.

Incontinence: Uncontrollable urination is effectuating a few patients may know.

Multiple Cancers: it’s possible to get a 2nd cancer, other than the one diagnosed for. It’s better to find this out through with your doctor, as soon as possible.

Hair Loss: Hair loss is basic during the treatment of cancer. Whenever this is a problem, consult with your doctor on ways to deal with the hair loss.

Ostomies: An Ostomy is a surgical opening, with a pipe linking to a bag on the outside of the body.

Psychological Effects of Cancer

Stress: A high ranking of stress is often attributed to cancer and can be common fallout.

Low Confidence: Due to the physical and mental changes cancer and cancer treatment can have on the patients it can often result in down self esteem and self confidence.

Depression: Depression is generally found in cancer patients and sub sisters. This could be attributed to the physical effects of the cancer treatment.

Whenever you see these side effects in either yourself or a dearest, later operation, please alert your doctor so that they can give advice on what steps to take next. If you’ve found out that you’ve cancer, or someone you know is named with cancer, try to help them understand fully what they’re up against before they’ve start the treatment. Get your doctor to explain everything in particular, the pros and cons and everything middle so that you can be mentally prepared for what is ahead.

Fear getting cancer? You are not lonely. The fear of cancer is one of the biggest long run anxieties plaguing modern man. A United Kingdom nonprofit survey has newly demonstrated that more than 15% of United Kingdom citizens consider the fear of cancer to be their biggest fear. In several persons, this fear can result in such that debilitating panic that it interferes with normal life. Has not cancer caused sufficiency pain already, to those who have it and their grieving friends and relatives? It’s a real tragedy that, in addition to the devastating effects of the disease itself, cancer must cause this second order anxiety among people who do not even have it.

Cancer Anxiety Can Hurt Your Life

several of those who live their lives dreading this fearful disease are embarrassed about their fearful state. These victims of phobia headache that their anxieties are not legitimate even though they cause them important pain, After all, what’s to be afraid of? Does not their imaginary suffering do ill service to real victims of the disease?

However, cancer phobia is a critical problem in one’s own right. This sort of terror can seriously interfere with a sufferer’s medical health. Those who fear cancer routinely reject to see medical health care provider or clinics, out of irrational dread of catching the disease or because they dread the prospect of being diagnosed.

Seomul Evans is a copywriter with an interest in: Website Marketing Services, Anxiety Disorders, and Mental Health Relief.

Do Alternative Cancer Therapies Work?

Many people facing cancer choose alternative cancer therapies. These alternative cancer treatments are sometimes chosen in lieu of traditional treatments and sometimes they are taken in conjunction with the more traditional cancer therapies like chemotherapy and radiation. Deciding upon a course of treatment for cancer is a personal decision that shouldn’t be reached lightly. If you are dealing with cancer, you should thoroughly research alternative treatments and discuss them with your doctor so you can choose the best option for you.

Dietary changes are among the most popular alternative cancer therapies today. This includes juice fasting like the Gerson Diet and Hallelujah Diet which emphasize the consumption of freshly juiced raw vegetables. The Budwig Diet is another popular alternative cancer treatment where you eat specific foods, namely cottage cheese blended with flax oil in order to bring about healing in your body.

The idea behind using diets to treat cancer is that a proper diet will nourish your body and allow it to become strong enough to defeat cancer. In addition, some foods are known to feed cancer cells, like sugar, and some foods are known to fight cancer, like broccoli sprouts. Green tea is another popular food used to treat cancer and prevent its occurrence because of its reported antioxidant abilities.

Other alternative cancer therapies involve the use of certain cancer fighting herbs. One of the most widely known herbal formulations is known as Essiac and is taken in tea form. It is a combination of Indian rhubarb, slippery elm, burdock, and sorrel. Other herbs thought to fight cancer include red clover, turmeric, saw palmetto, wheat grass, and pau d’arco.

Mind body medicine also plays a big role in alternative cancer therapies. Using techniques like meditation to help relieve stress and visualization to kill cancer cells calls upon the powers of your mind to help your body fight off cancer cells. You can buy guided visualization CDs or download them from the internet that walk you through a meditation where you visualize an army of white blood cells destroying cancer cells in your body. Mind body techniques can assist traditional treatments and do not interfere with them like other techniques might.

Even though herbs might be all natural, they still have a medicinal effect upon your body and can interact with each other and with prescription drugs. Therefore, it is not a good idea to consume herbal remedies blindly. More is not necessarily better. Before you begin alternative cancer therapies, you should discuss what you plan to do with your doctor to make sure your chosen therapy will not have harmful side effects based upon your individual medical condition.

You may find that your doctor is not supportive of your decision to use alternative cancer therapies. In that case, you may want to seek advice from a holistic health care provider or herbal healer. You may even want to change medical doctors. Remember, it is your body and your health is your responsibility. While you want to make an educated decision, your course of treatment is ultimately up to you.

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The Use of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy in Lung Cancer Treatment

Lung cancer may be treated by a variety of therapies including surgery, but chemotherapy and radiation treatments are used extensively to treat the disease whether surgery takes place or not.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves drug medication which is designed to kill fast growing cells in the body – cancer cells are fast growing and it is this uncontrolled growth which causes tumors to develop. Unfortunately, the medications which are administered are unable to differentiate between cancer cells and other fast growing cells, such as the red blood cells and hair. As a consequence, there are side effects involved in receiving chemotherapy which includes hair loss and other debilitating symptoms.

Many patients do not like the idea of receiving chemotherapy because they have heard of the side effects usually associated with receiving the treatment. Management of the side effects has come a long way and in many instances, patients do not experience them to as great an extent as they originally anticipated.

Typically, chemotherapy will involve a combination of drugs which will target specific types of cancer cell – not all cancer cells are fast growing, and different drugs will attack different types of cancer cell depending on the stage it has reached.

Radiotherapy or Radiation Treatment

Radiation treatment uses ionizing radiation such as gamma rays to kill cancer cells. The radiation can be targeted very precisely at the area where the cancer has occurred within the body and in some instances is capable of being delivered so that it affects only the tumor and not healthy tissue.

Radiation treatment may also be used to reduce the size of a tumor so that it becomes operable.

Radiation stops cells from undergoing division and forming new copies of the DNA which they contain. If a cell is reproducing quickly, it is likely to be susceptible to radiation which will interfere in its development and as cancer cells are fast growing, they are especially vulnerable to the treatment. Unfortunately, cancer cells are not the only cells which are fast growing as we have already seen, and radiation therapy affects blood cells, hair and skin.

Side effects include hair loss, redness of the skin, itching, loss of skin through the outer layers sloughing off, pain and heightened sensitivity, skin pigmentation and swelling (known as “edema”).

Both therapies may cause a loss in appetite, changes in how your sense of taste and heart issues as well as nausea and vomiting. Patients undergoing these treatments tend to become tired very easily while receiving treatment and there is an increased risk of infection as the white blood cells are also adversely affected by the treatment.

We have already noted that radiation treatment may be used to shrink a tumor so it may be removed, but they also are used to tackle cancers which do not lend themselves to surgery in the first instance. Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is usually inoperable and is treated by these joint therapies while operable lung cancers use these treatments both before and after surgery to ensure that any cells which have not been removed by surgery are killed off to prevent recurrence of the condition.

Find the right lung cancer doctors or mitral valve repair surgeons. Early diagnosis can lead to successful results.

The Diagnosis of Lung Cancer

Many patients find that they have lung cancer either because they present symptoms such as persistent coughing and wheezing, sometimes coughing up blood or pain the chest and stomach. This usually prompts further investigation of the chest, typically calling for an x-ray (which may also occur as part of a routine health check) and the testing of sputum samples.

At this point more investigations will be called for dependent upon the results.

Detailed Diagnosis

The purpose of a chest radiograph or x-ray, is to detect enlarged lymph nodes in the chest or the existence of a mass in the lungs. More advanced techniques can be used to provide much more detailed information and include the following:

CAT Scan or CT Scan – a CT Scan is a computer assisted examination which provides a cross-sectional image of the body under examination;

MRI Scan – a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan uses hydrogen ions within the patient’s body which respond to magnetic fields when they are applied to the body or in this case, the chest. A computer then uses the results to create a chest image which allows for precise location of any mass which has been detected and whether it involves the lungs;

Bronchoscopy - this involves an examination of the airways (the windpipe and lung branches) and is usually conducted by a pulmonologist ( a physician who specializes in respiratory diseases). The examination may involve the taking of a swab from these areas or a biopsy (the removal of a tissue sample);

Needle Biopsy – a physician inserts a needle using the results of a CT Scan to guide where the needle, so a sample of tissue may be removed from the mass which has been detected; the tissue samples obtained are then “smeared” on a microscope slide and examined by a histopathologist to detect whether the cells are cancerous; and

Bone Scan – this test may be undertaken to check whether any cancer cells have spread (known as “metastasized”) to the bones from the original tumor.

A technological advancement is the CT/PET fusion imaging scan - this diagnostic tool uses an injected sugar solution which contains a radioactive element to highlight any cancerous mass. Cancer tumors are very fast growing and use a lot of energy so they rapidly absorb the sugar solution which is accumulates around and within the tumor. When a scan is then performed, the concentration of the radioactive sugar is detected and provides the location and detail of the cancer tumor. It should be borne in mind that there are other tissues which will cause the sugar solution to accumulate such as a bacterial infection, so even this test is not conclusive.

Once lung cancer has been diagnosed, the team of oncology physicians treating the patient will review the results to assess the treatment options for the lung cancer and to check whether any spread of the disease has occurred to other parts of the body. Where it is found the disease has not spread to other parts of the body, then a surgical inspection may take place to assess the disease in detail around the lungs, heart, windpipe and tissues of the chest. In addition, extensive blood tests will take place to look for cancer “markers” which are usually proteins that are associated with the development of lung cancer.

Find the rightlung cancer surgeon or mitral valve repair specialist. Early diagnosis can lead to successful results.

Lung Cancer Surgery Options

Lung cancer may be treated by a variety of therapies which are frequently used in combination to provide an optimal outcome for the patient. Surgical resection is the process by which the tumor is surgically removed, and this is usually recommended when the cancer has not metastasized (or spread) beyond the lung into other parts of the body.

There are several options for performing a resection which may involve minimally invasive surgery or a full operation. Which technique is used will depend on a variety of factors, notably the size and stage of the cancer and whether the tumor can be accessed by the surgeon.

A thoracotomy is performed by the surgeon making an incision through the chest wall and a median sternotomy is performed by entering the chest cavity through the breastbone. Both of these methods are commonly employed in lung cancer surgery but they do involve considerable patient discomfort and extended stays in hospital with a longer recovery period.

Alternative surgical procedures include an anterior limited thoracotomy (ALT) which involves a small incision to allow entry, again through the front of the chest. It should be stressed that the incision is considerably smaller than in a standard thoracotomy or median sternotomy. An alternative is the anterior axillary thoracotomy (AAT) which involves a small incision on the chest front but near the underarm and finally, there is the postero-lateral thoracotomy (PLT) which involves an incision the back or side of the of the patient’s trunk.

Even with these improved surgical techniques, a patient will experience considerable pain if the operation involves opening the chest (sometimes referred to amongst doctors as “chest cracking”).

As a consequence of the extended recovery times and patient discomfort, surgical techniques have been developed which do not involve full-blown surgery – these are the so-called, minimally-invasive techniques.

Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT) uses a high powered video camera and hi-definition screen combined with diagnostic scans, such as CT or PET scan, to target the tumors in the patient’s lung. The incision required is much smaller and there is no need to open the chest cavity which results in much less discomfort for the patient and greatly reduced recovery periods. Using the video display, the surgeon is able to resect the tumors which have been identified during the diagnosis and staging phases.

Some doctors do caution the use of VAT however, as a traditional thoracotomy may reveal tumors and other metastasized cancers which have not been discovered in the initial scans and diagnosis. If these remain undiscovered the cancer can return and the patient will become ill again and for this reason, VAT is usually recommended for early stage (I & II) cancers and which have not spread to other parts for the lungs and body.

It is quite usual for any surgical procedure to be accompanied by a phase of chemotherapy or radiation treatment to ensure that the patient’s cancer has been completely removed or killed off. How the treatment proceeds and at what stage a particular therapy will be recommended will be determined by the type and stage of lung cancer a patient has got.

Find the right doctor for lung cancer surgery or mitral valve disease. Early diagnosis can lead to successful results.

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