More men and women die from lung cancer than any other cancers. Who is most susceptible to this disease? Nearly 70 percent of the elderly 65 and older will be diagnosed with this disease. Three percent of lung cancer cases have appeared in people younger than 45 years old.

Until the 1930s, cancer of the lungs was not as prevalent but still quite common. However, once there was an increase of tobacco smoking use, lung cancer cases rose drastically. As information and education circulates about the hidden dangers of smoking, lung cancer related deaths are beginning to see a decline. Despite all the education and the public awareness, it’s still a common human cancer. For women, breast cancer is no longer the number one killer. Lung cancer has exceeded breast cancer related deaths.

Lung Cancer Causes

Smoking – Most lung cancer related deaths (about 90 percent) have been associated with smoking. Each time a person smokes a cigarette, they increase their chances of getting lung cancer. Based upon doctors’ formula regarding the quantity of packs to the amount of years smoked, someone who has a 30 pack to year history has a greater chance to develop lung cancer. For those people who smoke two, three or more packs a day, statistics show that one in seven diagnosed will die from the disease. Cigarette smoking is not the only culprit to lung cancer. Cigar smoking and pipe smoking can also lead to the disease at a lower rate. Those who smoke cigars or pipe smoke are five times more likely to get lung cancer than a person who never smoked.

The smoke found in tobacco has over 4,000 element compounds. Many of these are cancer causing. Two key carcinogens are polycyclic aromatic hdrycarbons and nitrosamines. Once a person has given up tobacco use, lung cancer risks decreases every year. Normal cells will begin to grow and outnumber damaged lung cells. After 15 years of not smoking, lung processes and the threat of the disease gets close to that of someone who has never smoked.

Passive Smoking – What is passive smoking? This is when people who are in close quarters smokers breathe in the smoke filled air. Those who don’t smoke have a 24 percent likelihood to develop lung cancer if they live with a smoker. Nearly 3,000 deaths can be associated with passive smoking.

Asbestos Fibers – Mesothelioma and lung cancer through asbestos exposure is high. People who work in asbestos related fields and smoke dramatically increase their chances of getting a lung cancer connected disease. When compared with their non smoking counterparts, they have a 50 to 90 percent greater risk of getting lung cancer or other lung related illness.

Radon Gas – Radon gas has been documented to be the next leading cause in lung cancer deaths, killing anywhere from 15,000 to 22,000 people in the United States every year. Like asbestos exposure, radon exposure augments lung cancer risks. The gas is able to travel through soil. It can gain entrance into homes by the gaps found in its foundation, its drains and its pipes. Nearly one in 15 homes is found with dangerous level of radon gas according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Can a person tell if their home has high amounts of radon gas? Only by a kit. The gas cannot be smelled, nor can be it seen.

Genetics – It’s true that most cases of lung cancer can be linked back to smoking. However, not every smoker will get the disease. That means other factors like genetics could play a part behind the causes of lung cancer. Studies have revealed that cancer can and does occur in families that have smokers and nonsmokers. It would seem a gene can increase the vulnerability of smokers in getting lung cancer.

Lung Diseases – When a smoker or even non smoker has other lung diseases such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), they are at an increased risk to develop the disease even if they quit smoking and all the effects have worn away.

History of Lung Disease – People with a record of lung cancer are at a higher risk of developing it a second time. People who have survived a non-small cell lung cancers have a one to two percent risk to getting the disease a second time while those who have beaten small cell lung cancers have a six percent increase each year.

Air Pollution – The chances of getting lung cancer from air pollution is raised in individuals that breathe in polluted air every day. Pollution from cars, power plants and industrialized areas increases these risks. Yet, they only account for one percent of lung cancer related deaths. Experts have suggested that every day exposure to air heavily polluted can be compared to passive smoking.

eCancerAnswers.net is a comprehensive Cancer guide that covers topics from Cancer Symptoms to Breast Cancer and Cancer Treatment.

Doctors and researchers are sifting through tons of promising data to conclude how breast cancer occurs. From there, they hope to find ways that will prevent the disease from striking women. To this day, doctors are baffled by the mystery surrounding this silent killer. Why do some women get breast cancer but others do not?

Every person knows someone who is suffering or has suffered from breast cancer. When faced with this particular issue, many women wonder if they too will become afflicted with the disease. This is a normal reaction to something fearful. Women often look for ways to lessen their chances of getting breast cancer. However, there just isn’t enough prevention data out for women to make effective health choices to keep the disease at bay. There is no way to prevent the disease from striking a woman at the present moment.

Researchers are looking to two factors, internal and external, which affect women’s health, thus increasing the chances of them getting the disease.

Internal Factors

What sort of internal factors are used by researchers in determining why a woman may or may not get breast cancer? For starters, they will look at genetics. Those are the genes that are given at conception by the parents. Next, hormones are then looked at followed by illness, feelings and finally thoughts.

External Factors

What sort of external factors do researchers look at when making a breast cancer determination in women? They tend to look at the air everyone breathes, the food and drinks that are consumed. They’ll look at music and noise as well as people and lastly, stress. Each day, the external factors enter the human body. Another thing researchers look at when dissecting the factors is how these external factors are inhaled into the body. This can include the home, the workplace or the people women are around.

Researchers know that two factors will have a direct impact on a woman’s breast health. These direct impacts include the genetic makeup of the woman or medicines that she is taking to live healthier. However, little information is known regarding the indirect factors that can affect a woman’s breast health. These indirect factors include but aren’t limited to: exercise, air quality, time together with friends/family and meditation.

When trying to understand breast cancer and its factors, women need to know that anything that amplifies their chances of getting the disease is a risk factor. When a factor reduces the woman’s chance of getting breast cancer, it’s known as a protective factor.

Women do have some control over breast cancer risk factors. For instance, if a woman is overweight, she can lose the extra baggage she carries. An informed decision regarding the medicines she takes is another control factor.

While women can controls some aspects of their health, there are still many others they cannot change. This includes gender. Women are at much greater risk than men to develop breast cancer. Why? Men’s bodies do not have near as much estrogen and progesterone which is vital in growing normal and abnormal breast cells. Another factor that cannot be changed is age. Growing older is a part of life.

If a woman wants to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer, she could find ways to raise the protective factors to outweigh the internal factors that are already working against her. However, controlling those factors to work in her favor does not mean she will not get breast cancer. Yet, women can be at high risk to get the disease but never develop it.

Women should always speak with their physician regarding their risk factors behind breast cancer. The more women know, the better the chance of surviving this disease.

eCancerAnswers.net is a comprehensive Cancer guide that covers topics from Cancer Signs to Prostate Cancer and Chemotherapy.

Many smokers tend to quit at least once if not twice in their lifetime. Yet, they may not utilize several techniques to help them completely quit thus getting stuck in a cycle of not being able to stop. However, if a smoker wants to prevent being diagnosed with lung cancer, it’s vital they get some help. What kind of help is there?

- Nicotine gum

- Nicotine inhalers

- Nicotine sprays; among many more

Smokers already know how to lessen their chances of getting lung cancer. Yet, non smokers are still at risk of getting lung cancer by being exposed to passive smoking. Non smokers may be exposed to radon gas and not even know it. For that reason, radon gas test kits are important in identifying the levels of gas inside their home. Radon gas is capable of causing lung cancer to appear in non smokers with limited history of passive smoking.

Doctors can use the helical low-dose CT scan to help them to identify and diagnose lung cancer in patients. These scans may be able to detect smaller cancers that are usually cured by surgical means thus preventing the spread of an incurable cancer.

The Facts behind Lung Cancer

Of all cancers, including breast cancer in women, diagnosed in the United States and around the globe, this disease is the primary killer in men and in women.

Despite the existence of passive smoking, cigarette smoking, not including cigar smoking, is a main favor behind lung cancer growth.

When a non smoker is exposed to tobacco smoke, there is an increased risk lung cancer due to the passive smoke.

There are actually two forms of lung cancer. The first is small cell lung cancers or SCLC. SCLC has been found to be the most aggressive. Survival of this aggressive cancer when it is untreated is about two to four months. Yet, it does respond well to chemo and radiation therapies. Survival rate increases through this treatment methods. The second is non small cell lung cancer or NSCLC. Cancers of this form usually will need to be surgically removed to be an effective treatment method. A small number of patients with SCLS can be helped by radition therapy. However, if the disease is in its advanced stages, there is a small chance of survival through chemotherapy treatment.

How extensive the disease, the size of the tumor, what sort of symptoms the patient has and the kind of lung cancer will determine at what stage the lung cancer is classified by doctors. Physicians will use x-rays, MRI scans, CT scan and bone scans to also determine the stage of the lung cancer.

Lung cancer treatments can involve any number of options including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Treatments may also be combined to achieve success in beat the cancer. Some lung cancer patients may be invited to participate in experimental treatments.

Lung cancer survival, unlike other cancer types, has a low rate. Generally, survival rates are approximately 16 percent for five years.

Quitting smoking is the most vital way that can reduce the chances of getting lung cancer.

eCancerAnswers.net is a comprehensive Cancer guide that covers topics from Cancer to Cancer Risk Factors and Breast Cancer.

Emotions. Emotions! EMOTIONS!! Cancer and emotions – what a potentially dangerous combination.

Why?

Think about it, not only do you have to deal with finding out you have cancer but you also have to deal with your emotions and the emotions of people around you. It can be overwhelming! Not to mention very stressful.

First off, there isn’t much cancer information about dealing with your emotions. And right now you don’t need more stress in your life because this further burdens your immune system.

So, where do you start?

Let’s start at the beginning. Your sub-conscious mind is the feeling part of you – the emotional part of you. This is the part of you that can wreak havoc in your life if you don’t take charge of it.

First of all, you must recognize there is a scale of emotions. Next, you must learn how to control your emotions. And lastly, you need to know how to move up the scale of emotions.

The scale of emotions ranges from best to worse – from pure joy and love all the way down to fear, grief and depression.

Every single experience of our lives includes emotions. Each experience doesn’t touch on every point of the scale of emotions. All experiences are different. And everybody is different – we don’t all react the same way. Nor do you react the same way every time you have the same experience.

You can experience something today and react by totally losing it. Tomorrow you can have the same experience and not react at all. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have learnt something from the previous day’s experience. You may not have. You may just be too tired to react or simply no longer care about the situation.

When it comes to you and your cancer, where do you want to be on the scale of emotions? It seems like a silly question, doesn’t it? But it does bear out the fact that most of us have never thought about this question before.

Here’s some cancer information for you - if you don’t know that the scale of emotions exist, then how could you ever move up the cancer scale of emotions? And if you don’t have a target to aim for, then how would you ever achieve it?

What about this startling piece of cancer information – today I can categorically say that I am happy about my cancer experience! How is that possible you might ask? Well, it’s like this. I learned many amazing things about myself during my cancer experience.

I learned that I have courage. I learned that I can focus on and achieve the goals I set for myself about my future. And, most importantly, I learned that I had strength of character.

I truly never realized that I possessed these qualities. And yes - if you haven’t already guessed - I had unresolved emotional issues like lack of self worth.

I never truly realized what I was capable of. So when the ‘test’ of cancer came along I swore I’d beat it. And beat it I did. That’s what I learned about myself. I learned that I was able to raise myself up, make a decision, and succeed.

For me cancer was such a life changing experience. But make no mistake, this was for the better! If cancer didn’t happen to me, I’d still be a “walking generality” – going nowhere!

Inadvertently, cancer gave my life direction. I am able to say this now.

This wasn’t always the case however. In the beginning, I started way down at the bottom end of the scale of emotions at depression. Over time I was able to lift myself up and now I’m happy with my experience. I’m happy because I realise the result of the cancer experience has been a huge positive in my life.

Am I saying this was such a good experience that I would choose to have cancer again? That’s a resounding NO! Once was enough, thank you. I learnt from the cancer experience the first time.

Effectively dealing with emotions and feelings is something we were never taught at school. You might say we learned it from social conditioning, from our parents and teachers. But often the results of these childhood experiences were that we learned how to suppress our feelings and emotions.

What you need to do is feel better about your experiences, even slightly better. And to maintain this new point of reference until you move up to a better feeling. Notice I didn’t say the aim is to make you feel good right now, about your cancer experience. That will come in time.

Have you learned anything about yourself during your cancer experience? Has the experience given your life new direction? New meaning? What pearls of wisdom have you gleaned from cancer?

Feeling better relates to you and only to you. You cannot control other people. So, dealing with your loved ones emotions’ can sometimes be more trying than your own. It can be more difficult because you certainly can’t change the way other people think.

Here’s a case in point. When I was diagnosed with cancer, relatives often asked - almost insisted - that my wife, Barbara, assure them that I would be okay and that everything would be fine. Note this was never asked of me.

You see, when there is crisis in the family, many look around to the strongest person to support them emotionally. In this case Barbara was perceived as the strongest (outside of myself) and relatives turned to her for comfort and support.

But they did this without realizing that Barbara may have needed support herself. You must understand that finding out a loved one has cancer is devastating for all involved.

Not everyone is able to lend support in a meaningful way to those who need it. Not everyone is able to be positive or even just maintain a ‘neutral’ attitude. Not everyone is able to rise to the occasion. It’s unfortunate. But that is just the way life is sometimes. Nobody is perfect.

“But if only they would ……..if only they could……..why can’t they…..”. This sort of thinking only increases your own emotional stress. So don’t think this way, it doesn’t serve you. And it doesn’t help your wellbeing. Accept people for where they are at. They are doing the best they can.

Realize that others around you are also hurting. Understand that others may not be able to support you. Understand that you may have to support them. It may not be fair. Some days you may struggle to support yourself. That’s okay. But recognize that everybody is in emotional pain.

Tell the people around you, how you are feeling. Tell them that you love them. Communication can help to relieve and reduce the stress involved with cancer and the fear of the unknown. And that goes for everybody involved. Let’s face it, nobody wants to lose you. And worse still, nobody wants to deal with the experience either.

That’s what my wife and I experienced and that’s what we learned. And now we teach others how to do the same.

Now is the time to be patient with everybody. Including yourself. Love yourself and love others. Learn from your experience. Embrace the learning. And know that the people around you do love you. They aren’t perfect but they do love you.

Michael Mihalcic is a cancer survivor, enduring a coma and near death experiences. Michael and his wife, Barbara King, spent the last 10+ years researching alternative health. Visit www.LymphomaAdvice.com/articles to read all about how Michael beat cancer, and how you can too!

Most women know that keeping an eye on their breasts is essential to their health and well being. By doing monthly breast exams, women get an idea of how their breasts are supposed to look and feel. When something feels out of the ordinary, they will likely turn to their physician for an official diagnosis. Their physician will then conduct a breast exam and then order other tests. These include: MRIs, ultrasounds, mammograms and PET scans.

Any one of these tests can cause great anxiety for a woman. They are already worried about what could be wrong with their breasts. However, each one of these tests is vital to their health for three reasons.

- It helps to detect breast cancer in its early stages. That’s when breast cancer can be treated the most.

- It helps doctors determine and design a plan of action that is best for the woman’s needs.

- It helps doctors determine how to go about with the patient’s ongoing care.

To fight breast cancer, there are two testing stages: screening tests and diagnostic tests.

First, screening tests involve a yearly physical exam and mammogram. These are done during a woman’s annual physical exam. Often times, a woman with breast cancer will not exhibit any signs of the disease in its early stages thus screening tests are vital in finding and diagnosing the illness.

What is a mammogram? A mammogram is an X-ray machine and is usually the first tool used by doctors to locate breast cancer. For women ages 50 and over, mammograms have been able to reduce the number of women with breast cancer from dying by 35 percent. When women ages 40 to 50 years old get mammograms, their chances are also lowered by 25 percent to 35 percent. When the disease is found in its early stages by a mammogram, women have a greater chance of keeping their breasts instead of needing a mastectomy which can scar a woman for years to come.

Second, diagnosis testing involves more advanced technology devices including a magnetic resonance imaging machine or better known as the MRI and ultrasound. Doctors may also do bone scans and blood tests to get full confirmation of the illness.

What is a MRI? A MRI machine utilizes magnetic fields to obtain pictures of the body. When a doctor orders tests on a woman’s breast, technicians will use a breast coil to keep it in place. When a MRI is being done, the patient must lie absolutely still during the procedure. There are many advantages to using the MRI to detect breast cancer but it is also very expensive and can cause some metal objects in the body to move.

What is an ultrasound? An ultrasound uses sound waves of high frequency to give doctors a picture of the breast. Ultrasounds are usually done after a breast lump is found. It will allow the doctor to determine if the lump is firm. Yet, this device cannot give doctors the pertinent, need to know information on what kind of lump it is. That is… if the lump is benign or malignant . Ultrasounds can help doctors with biopsy needles by using it to guide the needle directly to the suspicious tissue.

It’s very important that women are screened and tested each year so they increase their chances of surviving this deadly disease.

Check out ecanceranswer.net for all type of Cancer information from Cancer Signs to Cancer Risks and Breast Cancer

Bladder cancer symptoms are often not apparent until the disease has progressed to an advanced and sometimes fatal stage. This means that if you’re genetically susceptible to bladder cancer, you must be diligent about testing and early detection. To learn more about the risks of bladder cancer, its causes and its symptoms, keep reading.

Signs Associated With Bladder Cancer

The common bladder cancer symptoms that are visible to the naked eye include blood in the urine (which gives the urine a rusty-to-red appearance), painful urination or possibly frequent urination.

These symptoms, though almost always present in bladder cancer, are also always present in other urinary and bladder problems like urinary tract infections, prostate issues, prostrate infections, gall stones, cysts and more.

How Bladder Cancer is Diagnosed

The patient at the highest risk for developing bladder cancer is the one with a genetic predisposition for the disease, meaning one or more immediate family members or two or more extended family members have been previously diagnosed with the disease. If a person is at risk, he or she should consult a urologist regularly for cytology, a method used to detect the presence of the malignancy.

Another method used to detect bladder cancer is called cytoscopy. A cytoscopy is basically a small camera that’s inserted through the urethra and into the bladder. Once inserted, a urologist can view the interior of the bladder to check for lesions or tumors.

How Bladder Cancer is Treated

The method used to treat bladder cancer will often depend on the stage of the disease and what form it has taken. For example, a superficial tumor may be easily removed in surgery simply by shaving it off. In other cases, immunotherapy is used to treat tumors, while chemotherapy may be used with others.

However, tumors or lesions that are not considered superficial must be removed by removing all or part of the bladder. Some skilled surgeons can even construct a new bladder out of the remaining skin. This is done either in conjunction with or as an alternative to radiation and chemotherapy - often used to finish off any remnants of the cancer.

Are You At Risk for Developing Bladder Cancer?

Though genetic disposition is the most common factor in determining a patient’s risk for developing the disease, most urologists agree that environmental factors can play a huge part. For example, holding excessive amounts of toxins and carcinogens in the bladder can become a major cause of bladder cancer.

Born out of concern for these results, recent studies have shown that drinking more than 8 glasses of water in a day can dramatically reduce an individual’s risk for developing bladder cancer.

If you are at risk for developing bladder cancer, then you should take action before you see evidence of bladder cancer symptoms. Often, these outward signs are not present until the disease has advanced to a sometimes untreatable stage. So, if you have a strong family medical history that includes multiple instances of this malignancy, you should talk to your doctor and get tested.

For great information on recognizing disease symptoms, please visit diseasesymptomtips.com, a popular site to assist you in spotting early warning signs of diseases, such as a alcoholism symptoms, teenage depression, and many more!

Pancreatic cancer symptoms are often difficult to detect, making it even harder to diagnose this potentially deadly disease. It’s important to remember that many of the indicators will not present themselves until after the disease is in an advanced stage. Keep reading for a list of possible signs.

Stomach Pains

Among the basic pancreatic cancer symptoms is a soreness or pain in the high abdomen. Patients often complain that the pain spreads through the area and around to their back. Many people going through this type of discomfort will often experience alleviation once they lean forward.

This type of abdomen pain is usually present in the majority of patients (approximately 80%), but is typically only evident during the advance stages of the disease. Eating can often worsen the pain or cause increased discomfort.

Weight Loss

Loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss are also common symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, appetite loss and decreased weight are also symptoms associated with a number of other diseases and ailments, including digestive issues.

Painful or Painless Jaundice

Since pancreatic cancer can block the bile duct - which flows partly through the head of the pancreas - jaundice is a frequent symptom of the disease. Tumors that develop on the pancreas are typically the root of jaundice development, which is characterized by a yellowing of the skin.

Generally, those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer see jaundice companioned with orange or dark urine and constant itching of the skin. Roughly one-half of localized pancreatic cancer patients endure painful jaundice, while half of those with less advanced or treatable forms of the disease are diagnosed in the midst of painless jaundice.

Trusseau Sign

Trusseau Sign is a secondary or complex evidence where blood clots form in portal blood vessels, deep veins and superficial veins spontaneously. It is sometimes associated with or common to patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Clinical Depression

Though not as exhaustively accounted or referenced, depression is a subtle side effect of pancreatic cancer. The clinical depression often develops even before the disease is detected. Doctors and researchers are still unsure why or how the two connect.

How Pancreatic Cancer is Diagnosed

To properly diagnose pancreatic cancer, your doctor must either do a liver function test or check for certain markers, like CA19-9, which indicate the presence of pancreatic cancer when detected in high amounts. Most patients are not screened until the above symptoms are presented.

In addition, imaging such as ultrasounds and a CT scan on the abdomen can be done to identify potentially visible tumors. Some patients may require an endoscopic ultrasound to obtain tissue samples or see the tumor location.

Early Screening for Pancreatic Cancer

If you have two or more immediate family members (or three or more extended relatives) who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer symptoms, you should ask your doctor about early screening for the disease.

Pancreatic cancer symptoms often don’t present themselves until it is too late, making early screening critical for those at risk. So any multiple incidents of signs described above should be evaluted by a trusted physician.

For helpful information on various cancers, please visit cancerinfotips.com, a popular site providing symptom and treatment insights, such as treatments for Leukemia, Chemotherapy effects, and many more!

Breast cancer is a kind of cancer which can occur in the breast cells of both men and women. It is the second most common form of cancer. It is also considered to be the fifth most common cause of cancer related deaths.

Breast cancer is a type of cancer which originates from the breast cells of men and women. In the world, this is the second most common form of cancer after lung cancer. It is also said to be the fifth most common cause of deaths related to cancer. The breasts of both men and women have identical tissues. Thus, this type of cancer can occur in both male and female. However, it is 100 times more common in men than in women.

Symptoms:

The initial subjective sign or symptom of breast cancer is usually a lump in the breast which is different from the surrounding tissues of the breast. According to surveys, over 80% of cases originate from a lump. Lumps found in armpits or collarbone may also indicate this disease.

Other indications include changes in the size or shape of breast, nipple inversion, skin dimpling or impulsive discharge from a single nipple. In breast cancer, you usually do not feel any pain in the initial stages.

Symptoms of an inflammatory breast cancer may include pain, warmth, redness and swelling in the breast along with an orange texture of the skin. Unexplained loss of weight and chills and fevers can also be an indicative sign of breast cancer.

Prevention:

Breast feeding can prevent breast cancer to a great extent. Folic acid is said to counteract the risk of breast cancer. It has been found that women who consume 3-4 glasses of alcohol everyday have more prone to breast cancer.

However, if they consume sufficient amount of folic acid, then they have lower risks of the disease. Foods rich in folic acid include citrus juices and fruits, peas, dried beans and green leafy vegetables like spinach. In order to prevent breast cancer, avoid being a second hand smoker.

Getting your ovaries removes not only reduces the chances of breast cancer by at least 60% but it also reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by as much as 96%.

Screening:

The common methods of breast cancer screening are clinical and self breast examinations, x-ray mammography, genetic testing and MRI. In the process of self-examination, you need to examine your own breasts in order to detect lumps in the breast tissues. Mammography examines the breast for any unusual lumps or masses.

Regular mammography is recommended for prevention of breast cancer, especially for high-risk individuals and older women. MRIs can also be used for spotting possible cancerous masses.

Treatment:

The main treatment procedure for breast cancer is surgery in which the tumor is localized. Other methods are aromatase inhibitor, tamxifen, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Depending on the age, size, metastasis and type of cancer of the patient, they are roughly categorized into low risk and high risk individuals and all of them have different treatment procedures. Other possibilities may include chemotherapy, immune therapy and hormone therapy.

ILT or Interstitial laser thermotherapy is an innovative way of treating this disease. Radiation treatment may also be used for destroying cancerous cells which may linger even after surgery.

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There are many theories about why we get cancer individually, they range from genetic mutations through to environmental carcinogens, improper diet and the use of cell phones and other electromagnetic equipment.

I intend to look at the question form a more metaphysical perspective.

First of all, how much do we suffer from cancer? The statistic that is often cited, especially by people promoting alternative cancer cures, is that 1 in 3 people suffer from cancer at some time in their life.

At first sight this seems unbelievably high so I went looking for the source of this information and found it in statistics published by the American Cancer Society.

In the period 2002 -2004 the chance of developing invasive cancer over a lifetime (from birth – death) is 44.94% or 1 in 2 for men and 37.52% or 1 in 3 for women.

Further information from the same source tells us that 1,500 Americans are predicted to die every day from cancer in 2008 and that it is responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths. Globally, 7.6 million people died from cancer in 2007.

The only good news in this deluge of death is that the 5 year survival rate over all cancers in the US is 66% in 2008 which is up from 50% in 1975-1977.

So, from a statistical viewpoint, and assuming that the US statistics can be interpreted globally, more than 1 in 3 of us will develop invasive cancer in our lifetime and about half of those cases will prove fatal.

What is cancer? As I am not a doctor I won’t attempt to answer this question from a medical perspective but more from a symbolic viewpoint.

We perceive our body to be a unique and singular organism but it is actually a colony of billions of cells acting in alignment. Each cell in our body has an individual existence, it is created, lives for a period carrying out its function and then dies and is replaced. This all happens below our level of conscious awareness but is essential for our continued existence and good health.

Our very existence is a miracle of cellular co-operation, every second of our life relies on millions of aligned and organised interactions and communications between our cells.

Cells are arranged in groups called organelles and organs and are differentiated to perform different functions, all of which are necessary to the functioning of the organism as a whole. Our cells act with a singular intention; to carry out their individual function for the good of the whole being.

Cancer happens when one or more of our cells starts to act independently; it begins to grow and multiply out of alignment with the needs of the greater body. It’s as if they no longer hear or obey the needs of the body and set off to have their own existence, even though this can lead to the death of the body and therefore their own demise.

Cells don’t really have much imagination, when they set off for an independent existence all that know to do is to multiply and so this is what they do, some cancer cells will also continue to perform their specialised function as they spread and multiply e.g. cells from the testis, when cancerous, can produce high levels of oestrogen throughout the body.

Cancerous cells have certain characteristics

• They acquire the ability to promote their own growth and they develop the ability to ignore the anti-growth signals of the body.

• They lose the ability of apoptosis (which is a mechanism that allows cells to die if their genetic material becomes corrupted) which therefore leads to unchecked growth.

• They lose the capacity for senescence, leading to limitless replicative potential (immortality)

• They acquire the ability to promote the formation of blood supply (angiogenesis) allowing the tumor to grow beyond the limitations of passive nutrient diffusion.

• They acquire the ability to invade neighbouring tissues.

• They acquire the ability to build metastases at distant sites

The completion of these multiple steps would be a very rare event without:

• Loss of capacity to repair genetic errors, leading to an increased mutation rate (genomic instability), thus accelerating all the other changes.

Using the metaphysical principle of as above, so below, we can compare the situation of cells working in co-operation to sustain the body with the similar situation of human individuals being part of the larger whole that is life on earth. There are billions of us living as part of a larger organic system that includes every plant and animal species and the biosphere of the earth. Our species and individual health is totally dependant on the overall health of this greater system, sometimes personified as Gaia.

From this viewpoint we have many characteristics in common with cancer:

• We have the ability to promote our own growth and ignore the antigrowth signals from Gaia (famine, drought, plague etc.) and are experiencing huge population growth globally.

• We have the ability to overcome genetic limitations and experience unchecked growth through technological advances.

• We are developing the ability to live longer and increase our replicative potential.

• We have the ability to increase our resource supply above the limits of natural production, (the use of fossil fuels that represent past deposits of stored solar energy)

• We have the ability of invading neighbouring ecosystems as evidenced by the continuing extinction of other species through human activity.

• We have the ability to build colonies all over the world and do exploit every available ecosystem.

My suggestion as to why we are experiencing so much cancer is that we are behaving so much like cancer and that this behaviour is accelerated by our loss of capacity or intention to repair our errors.

The cure for our collective cancer is therefore to realign our purpose with that of the greater being of which we are a part (of which we are currently apart). As a species we act to multiply ourselves at the expense of our environment even though we know that we can’t survive without a healthy environment. Unchecked, we will become a tumour that kills the body that supports us. Global warming, natural disasters and resource depletion are the signals from Gaia that are telling us to start acting for the good of the whole rather than for our own selfish gain.

On a society level we need to recognise that other cultures and societies are part of our greater being and that fighting for ideological control or resource use is ridiculous. Does your liver compete with your lungs for blood supply? No, because they recognise that they are both part of the same organism. If one country goes to war with another to secure their supply of resources but causes untold death and suffering in the other country, how is the human species better off? Ideas and ideologies that separate peoples are errors of thinking that accelerate our society level cancer behaviours.

On an individual level we need to realise that we are members of families, communities and of society and that our actions need to be aligned with the good of the society as a whole. Our individual acts of selfishness are metaphorical equivalents of the growth of individual cancer cells.

If we strive to increase our position and acquire exclusive access to resources at the expense of others we are creating ourselves as tumours. We may think that this behaviour increases our personal chance of survival but none of us can survive alone, we are all totally dependant on the survival or our communities, our societies and our planet.

We have stopped listening to our intuitive guidance which is always prompting us to act in ways that are aligned with the greater good and are acting from the viewpoint of personal ego.

We are dying of cancer at an alarming rate, I propose that unless we learn from our errors and start acting in alignment with life itself by striving to ensure that every action we take is for the betterment of the whole then cancer will continue to act to reduce our population. Like our bodies, Gaia has inbuilt systems to maintain health, if we threaten those systems then they will act to curb our growth, (increased death through disease, resource depletion and natural disasters). If we overcome those systems then we will die with the planet.

David Elliot is a cancer survivor of both melanoma and glioma multiform blastoma, both considered to be deadly cancers. He attributes his ongoing survival to his absolutely positive outlook and ability to be self-aware. Read his inspiring Ebook on how to survive terminal cancer at www.youdonthavetodiewhenyourdoctorsays.com

There is no doubt that breast cancer is a frightening diagnosis for any woman or man. From the moment those two words are uttered, feelings of uncertainty and fear begin to mount. Uncertainty about the future and whether there’s a way to better the chances of survival collide with feelings of life without one or both breasts. Concern about surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy treatment, as well as whether or not survival is possible at all, is what usually swirls through the mind of any person moments after hearing those two dreaded words.

But there is a silver lining around this dark cloud of bad news. The good news is that tremendous advances in cancer detection and traditional as well as alternative cancer treatments have taken place over the past few decades. As a result, the prognosis for surviving breast cancer, and even avoiding radical surgery, has never been better.

Following the advice and course of treatment recommended by your doctor is of utmost importance. But interestingly, many men and women diagnosed with breast cancer report that their symptoms have been improved, and in some cases reversed, by pursuing one of the many medically-approved alternative breast cancer treatments available today.

Of course, no “one-size-fits-all” alternative cancer treatment exists so finding the right one requires the advice of a physician who is trained in alternative cancer therapies. These physicians take a holistic approach to treating breast cancer. Simply stated, they’ll decide on one or more alternative breast cancer treatments depending on the specific type of breast cancer and the stage of the disease.

Perhaps the most essential alternative cancer treatment involves making specific dietary changes in order to boost the body’s ability to combat malnutrition. Malnutrition is a common consequence of breast cancer, responsible for up to 40% of all cancer-related deaths. Proper nutrition also helps people suffering from the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment by reducing nausea and hair loss, boosting the immune system, and combating the symptoms of organ toxicity.

Only a trained physician who understands the role of proper nutrition in alternative breast cancer treatments can make specific dietary recommendations. However, the general guidelines below typically form the basis of any beneficial physician-approved nutritional plan.

Medical and nutritional research now proves that Zinc is an essential ingredient for anyone seeking alternative cancer treatments. Zinc supports the immune system by increasing antibody production and providing essential nutrition to the macrophage, a critical cell that plays a pivotal role in the immune system.

Foods that are high in Zinc include:

• Oysters

• Red meat

• Poultry

• Beans

• Nuts

• Whole grains

• Zinc-fortified breakfast cereals

• Dairy products

The body absorbs Zinc better with a diet that is high in animal protein than one that is high in plant protein.

Vitamin A is another essential ingredient in nutrition-based alternative cancer treatments. This vitamin contributes to the support of the immune system by assisting in the development of T both-helper (Th) cells and B-cells.

Foods that are high in Vitamin A include:

• Milk

• Margarine

• Eggs

• Beef and chicken liver

• Vitamin A-fortified breakfast cereals

• Carrots

• Cantaloupes

• Sweet potatoes

• Spinach

Selenium is a trace mineral used by proteins to make antioxidant enzymes called selenoproteins. These selenoproteins combat cell damage caused by free radicals; key contributors to the development of cancer as well as heart disease. Only a small amount of Selenium is required by the body.

Foods that are high in Selenium include:

• Brazil nuts

• Walnuts

• Light tuna packed in oil

• Beef

• Turkey

• Fortified oatmeal

• Enriched whole wheat bread

• Long grain white rice

• Eggs

• Cottage cheese

• Cheddar cheese

Vegetables grown in Selenium-rich soils, as well as animals that have been fed grain grown in Selenium-rich soils are also good sources of this essential element.

Besides food, it’s possible to get the required amounts of Zinc, Vitamin A and Selenium by taking food supplements and vitamin pills. Remember though, there is more to consider than these three nutrients when developing nutritional-based alternative breast cancer treatments.

Introducing these nutrients in the wrong quantities, or overlooking other essential ingredients when developing alternative cancer therapies, can actually negate the otherwise beneficial results of a good nutritional plan. That’s why it’s so important to consult a medical professional who specializes in alternative cancer treatments.

For more information on physician-guided alternative breast cancer treatments, visit http://www.newhopemedicalcenter.com/breast-cancer.aspx

Mark Branyon collaborates with international experts in continually improving existing protocols. Their treatment strategy incorporates the best modalities of both worlds mainstream and alternative according to individual needs. http://www.newhopemedicalcenter.com