moreabtcancers: Mother’s Day – A Time to Raise Pink Compaign

moreabtcancers: Mother’s Day – A Time to Raise Pink Compaign

moreabtcancers: CANCER MICROVESSEL INTERVENTION(CMI)

moreabtcancers: CANCER MICROVESSEL INTERVENTION(CMI)

CANCER MICROVESSEL INTERVENTION(CMI)

Fighting the Cancer

What’s new in cancer treatment:part I

CANCER MICROVESSEL INTERVENTION(CMI)

Cancer treatment is traditionally being treated with the modalities involving surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy either done alone or more commonly in combinations. Chemotherapy classically means the delivery of injectable drugs to the patient which has the cancer killing property. When patients are treated with general chemotherapy, chemo medicine will naturally spread throughout the body. Unfortunately, the drug distribution is not limited to only cancerous areas, but healthy areas as well. For this reason, general chemo has such strong side effects, and is not particularly successful as a therapy. Therefore, a new research is being conducted at many centres where transarterial chemo-injection are given instead of systemic chemotherapy. In this procedure a catheter is inserted and chemo medicine are given through the artery that supplies blood to the cancerous area. The advantage is a big increase in drug density inside cancer within a short period of time. The disadvantage is that the high drug density inside cancer is difficult to maintain, because the chemo medicine will eventually spread to the rest of the body along with blood very quickly. However, in this procedure, the side effects are less than the effects associated with systemic chemotherapy. So we are researching whether there is an effective way to keep the chemo medicine staying at the cancer site as long as possible, instead of spreading to the whole body, which may cause many serious side effects.

Cancer Microvessel Intervention (CMI) combines different chemo medicines into a fine grain particle. By using superselective catheterization, this fine grain particle will be distributed inside the artery which supplies the target cancer. These fine grain particles of chemo medicine will stay inside tumor tissue and maintain a high density for a long period of time. CMI is based on the following theory: there are a lot of gaps among the cancer capillary endothelial cells, and tight junctions among the normal capillary endothelial cells. The fine grain chemo particle will go inside the interstitial space of cancer tissue, which causes an increase osmotic stress, selectively constricts the cancer micro-capillary, and then block the blood flow. Therefore, the fine grain particle chemo will stay for a relatively long time inside the tumor. Meanwhile, because of the small size, there will not be embolism (blockage) in the normal capillary. Because it is possible to use so much less chemo medicine, the side effects on the entire body are much less than with systemic chemotherapy.

Advantages of CMI

There is an example which helps you understand the advantages of CMI.

If a patient weights 60kg and the tumor weights 50g(0.05kg)

General  chemo by vein infusion	If we give 150mg of drug(oxaliplatin) by vein infusion, there is only 0.125mg of this drug inside the tumor, others will inflow to other organs of body.
Cancer Microvessel   Intervention (CMI)	Just 15mg of the same drug by superselective catheterization and intervention. For example, two thirds (10mg) of the drug has been distributed throughout the body via blood circulation; only one third (5mg) of that remains in the targeted tumor tissue. The dose of chemo medicine remaining inside tumor is 40 times greater than with general chemo vein infusion. (5mg=0.125mg X 40)

Mother’s Day – A Time to Raise Pink Compaign

Breakfast in bed, flowers, cards and “coupon” books are just a few meaningful Mother’s Day traditions. Whether you are a mother, future mother, your mother is

no longer here, or just a loving son or daughter – it is a special

holiday for all. On this day we give thanks to our mothers and remember

 those who are no longer with us .

Mothers are caregivers to their children  and sometimes even their

spouses or own parents. They are hardworking and selfless people who rarely 

 stop to take time for themselves. Mothers need to take time for themselves for

 their own mental wellness. We nourish our bodies with food and water every

 day, but our mental health needs to be nourished just as much. By not taking

 time for themselves, their stress levels will increase and cause a loss of

 productivity and performance. Mental Health America, a member agency

of Community Health Charities, suggests the following tips to help mothers

 take a mental break.

• Learn to say no. If you’re overwhelmed at home or at work, be realistic with yourself and do not take on unnecessary work.
• Stop trying to be Superwoman. No one is perfect and you can’t expect it from yourself.
• Visualize. Use your imagination to picture how you would like to manage stressful situations.
• Meditate. Take at least five to ten minutes of quiet reflection. Turn off all thoughts and clear your mind.
• Exercise. Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day is proven to help the body and mind. Even a short walk on your lunch break is better than nothing.
• Share your feelings. Everyone is fighting their own battle – you don’t have to do it alone. Rely on your friends and family to provide support.
• Be flexible. Make a conscience decision to stay calm during stressful situations.

After Mom has had her mental break, she should also be encouraged to get screened for breast, cervical and skin cancer and other diseases

Breast cancer fact sheet

Breast cancer is amongst the most common cancer in women in India. Around one in 10 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Although breast cancer can affect all adult women, risk increases with age and the average age of first diagnosis in women is 50 years.

Today, thanks to developments in prevention, detection and treatment of breast cancer, and continuing clinical trials research, more women are surviving breast cancer long term

What is breast cancer?

The human body is made up of cells which divide and grow in an ordered way. Cancer occurs when these cells divide in an uncontrolled manner. Over time these cells form a lump or “tumour”. Tumours are either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Breast cancer usually appears in the cells which make up breast milk glands and most tumours start in the milk ducts. If found early, and treated promptly, most women can go on to lead long lives.

Breast cancer risk factors:

Being a woman

Simply because you are female, you are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer (99% of breast cancers occur in women).

Most women diagnosed with breast cancer have no additional risk factors.

Your age

As you grow older, your risk increases. About 75% of all new breast cancers are diagnosed in women aged 50 and over, while

25% are in women under the age of 50.

Family history

Most women who develop breast cancer have no family history of the disease. However, a woman’s risk increases if she has close relatives who have had breast cancer – either on her mother’s or father’s side – particularly if they were diagnosed underthe age of 50.

If you have had breast cancer before

A woman who has had breast cancer, compared with women who have never had the disease, is at an increased risk of developing it again – either in the same breast, the other breast, or other sites. Therefore long term follow-up is very important.

Genetics

Researchers have found that changes or mutations to two specific genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) substantially increase a woman’s risk. These changes can be detected by genetic screening and doctors can suggest treatments to delay or prevent breast cancer

from developing. Recently, new genes associated with breast cancer have been discovered.

Oestrogen

The female hormone, oestrogen, also has a role. Women who began menstruation early or women who have a late menopause may be at a slightly increased risk. Women who have no children and those who have their first child after age 30 may also be at

a slightly higher risk. Long term Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) increases risk.

Lifestyle

If you eat a diet high in sugars and fats and low in fresh fruit and vegetables, if you are overweight, or if you drink too much alcohol, you may be putting yourself at greater risk of developing breast cancer.

Being sedentary

Research shows that women who are physically active and maintain a healthy body weight have a lower risk of breast cancer

Breast Changes It is important to be aware of the normal look and feel of your breasts and to report any persistent breast changes promptly. The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better the chance of long term cure. If you experience any of these symptoms, particularly if they persist for several weeks, see your doctor as soon as possible: A new lump or lumpiness, especially if it is only in one breast. A change in breast size or shape. A change to the nipple, such as crusting, ulcer, redness or inversion. Nipple discharge. A change in the skin of the breast such as redness or dimpling. An unusual pain that doesn’t go away.

It is recommended that woman at average risk for breast cancer receive clinical breast exams at least every three years from age 20 to 39 and then every year beginning at age 40.  Also beginning at age 40, a woman should receive a mammogram every year.  Women at higher risk may need to get screened earlier and more frequently than recommended above. If you know you have a higher risk, talk with your healthcare practitioner about the best early detection plan. This could mean starting mammograms when you are younger, having extra screening tests or having more frequent exams. There are charts called Risk Assessment Tools that a healthcare practitioner can use to determine if you are at higher risk.

Women should also perform a monthly breast self-exam to look for any changes in their breasts and see a doctor right away if they notice any swelling or lumps, skin irritation, nipple pain or the nipple turning inward, redness or scaliness of the nipple, or any discharge that is not breast milk. If breast changes occur, it is best to be certain that it is not cancer.

On this day we should remember cancer when diagnose early is curable. After all, wouldn’t "a world without breast cancer" be the best Mother’s Day gift of all?