Cancer Medicine & Health Pages
Is there a good side to Terminal Cancer?
By Dr. Gifford Jones
Can there possibly be anything positive about dying from terminal cancer? For years I have focussed on the pain and agony suffered by so many patients afflicted with a fatal malignancy. But recently a headline in the Medical Post caught my eye. Dr. Robert Shepherd, a physician and victim of terminal cancer, described in an article some of the advantages of knowing you have just a short time to live.
What Dr. Shepherd wrote reminds me of Samuel Johnson’s remark that, “Nothing sharpens the wit so much as the knowledge you’re going to be hanged in the morning.” There’s little doubt that Shepherd’s medical diagnosis helped him rearrange his priorities.
“TSE” Can Save The Lives of Young MenBy Dr. Gifford Jones
How many men ever think to examine their testicles to detect an early cancer? I doubt that one in a hundred ever give it a second thought. Well, it’s about time males took a lesson from the women’s movement. It emphasizes the importance of the early diagnosis of breast cancer. “TSE”, testicular self-examination, is an easy, quick way to detect and cure cancer of the testicle in young males.
Testicular cancer is the third leading cause of death in men between the ages of twenty and forty. Three new cases in every 100,000 men are diagnosed every year.
But even though the testicles are easy to feel, most men have little or no knowledge of their anatomy. Basically, the testes consist of two parts. The testicle itself and the epididymis.
Charlie and Sassafras, Cancer Specialists!By Dr. Gifford Jones
Would you like to make thousands of dollars easily? Well, there’s a catch. You have to be corrupt, unethical and totally lacking in moral principles. You also have to be willing to lead cancer patients to their death. Not exactly an attractive job description. Regrettably, there are unscrupulous scoundrels willing to do it.
I recently received a call from an old friend. He is an intelligent, successful executive who had been aware of rectal bleeding for several months. But since he had an aversion to doctors he had ignored the bleeding.
Ultimately the diagnosis was not pleasant news. He had a cancer of the rectum that would require colostomy.
Another Way To Miss Breast CancerBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Is it possible to miss the diagnosis of breast cancer? If so, how? And why? Some women are so fearful of finding a lump that they neglect monthly examinations of their breasts. Or fail to see their doctor for annual breast examinations. Malignant masses may also escape attention because mammography sometimes fails to detect its presence.
Now, thanks to the legal profession, there’s yet another way to miss the diagnosis of breast cancer. This disaster was waiting to strike as sure as night follows day. And women must be careful not to fall into its trap.
Can The Iron Lady Be Stopped?By Dr. Gifford Jones
Why? Why? Why did the Iron Lady do it? Is Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, who was recently made a peer, so lacking in funds that she has to accept a reported one million dollars from cigarette giant Phillip Morris to act as a consultant? If her true motive is money, what can be done to get Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven out of the Marlboro saddle?
Maggie’s job is to use her world-wide status and influence to help Phillip Morris fight the proposed European ban on cigarette advertising. Sources also indicate she will also help to promote the sale of tobacco products in Eastern Europe and the Third World. How ironic that just as the former Prime Minister assumes this role the macho “Marlboro Man” has just died of lung cancer!
This Christmas Cancer pain can be relieved by a single injectionBy Dr. Gifford Jones
This Christmas is it possible to eliminate the agony of metastatic bone pain without using morphine or heroin? Simply by giving patients a single injection that cures the pain for up to six months? It sounds like science fiction. But a new drug, Strontium-89 (Metastron) is now being used to treat patients in several countries who suffer from the terrible pain of cancerous bone lesions resulting from prostate and breast malignancy. How does Strontium-89 work and why isn’t it being used in this country?
Radioactive P-32 phosphorus has been used for over 20 years as a way to attack bone cancer. It worked well on metastatic lesions, but it was highly toxic to patient’s bone marrow. Later researchers in London and Edmonton switched to Strontium-89. So far over 500 patients have been treated with this drug.
The skin’s memory is like an elephantBy Dr. Gifford Jones
How many sun-worshippers will die of skin cancer in the future? This thought crosses my mind as I look out the window and see the same people day after day basking in the sun. It looks like a healthy pursuit. But looks deceive. The skin is like an elephant. It never forgets the amount of radiation it’s received over a lifetime. Current estimates indicate that one adult in 90 will develop a malignant melanoma within his or her lifetime due to overexposure to ultraviolet radiation. So is a suntan really worth the risk?
Dr. Sidney Hurwitz, a dermatologist at Yale University School of Medicine, recently addressed The American Academy of Dermatology. He had frightening news for sun-worshippers; that it requires only one painful, blistering sunburn to double a child’s risk of a malignant melanoma.
Eat your carrots and prevent CancerBy Dr. Gifford Jones
“Est-il-heureux?” “Is he lucky?” Napoleon Bonaparte asked while debating whether to promote a junior officer. There’s little doubt that luck decided the fate of many historic battles including Napoleon’s own Waterloo. Chance also continues to play a major role in determining the human battle with cancer. But each year evidence mounts that a prudent diet helps to remove some of the gamble. Now a major finding, that beta-carotene reduces cancer risk, has yet to hit the headlines.
Today most people are aware that curtailment of cigarette smoking decreases the risk of lung cancer. Research also proves the wisdom of eating foods high in fiber to protect against cancer of the large bowel. Studies are also proving that cutting down on fat consumption by substituting fish and poultry for meat, and consuming foods high in vitamin C and E decreases the risk of malignancy.
I don’t know what to sayBy Dr. Gifford Jones
How many times have you been in this agonizing position? A beloved family member has a terminal illness. Or a good friend is dying of cancer. You enter the hospital room and don’t know what to say. The majority of people flounder badly when faced with this situation. But you can avoid falling into some of the pitfalls which cause anguish to both you and the patient.
Dr. Robert Buckman, a cancer specialist at the University of Toronto, has written a book, “I Don’t Know What To Say”. He stresses the first step is to establish the correct physical setting and atmosphere to achieve rapport with the patient.
The Lies And Truths Of MammographyBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Never before have women been more confused about breast mammography. A U.S panel of experts now reports that women under 40 years of age do not need mammograms, and those over 50 require them only every two years. So here are eight points women should know about mammography.
By Admin
Contact: Karen Kreeger
215-349-5658
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
PHILADELPHIA Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have developed a new model of skin cancer based on the knowledge that a common cancer-related molecule called Src kinase is activated in human skin-cancer samples.
By Admin
Health report updates over the past few weeks may have left a large number of women in a state of confusion.
Last week, the United States Preventive Services Task Force released a statement recommending that women begin screenings for breast cancer at the age of 50, not at 40 as had been previously suggested by both health care professionals and the American Cancer Society.
By Admin
For young women who have a high risk of breast cancer because of genetic mutations or family history, the radiation from yearly mammograms may make the risk even higher, researchers reported at a radiology conference on Monday.
Beaufort County Health Department and Cancer Society support 34th annual eventBy Admin
On November 19, 2009, the Beaufort County Health Department, in conjunction with the American Cancer Society, will recognize the 34th annual Great American Smokeout. This date is used to encourage smokers to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life.
Government allows more cancer claims from LOOWBy Admin
The federal government is making it easier for individuals who got cancer after working at a Niagara County nuclear site to receive compensation because of a lack of available data about exposure at the facility.
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