Using Yoga and Meditation to Help me Stay in Remission
Yoga and meditation are among the things I do for exercise and stress reduction.
Understanding Immunotherapy for Breast Cancer
Currently, the type of breast cancer that responds best to immunotherapy is triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)
Cannabis and Breast Cancer
The website of the National Cancer Institute has a summary of studies showing that cannabis has antitumor effects and can also stimulate appetite, relieve pain, reduce nausea and vomiting, and reduce anxiety.
What You Need to Know About Mammograms
Many women feel they are protecting themselves against breast cancer when they have their annual mammogram.. However, the truth is that, while mammograms can be useful in detecting breast cancer, they have no value in preventing it or in curing it; and even the value of early detection is less impressive than many people think.
Fasting to Reduce Side Effects of Chemotherapy
I had followed a program that uses fasting for days around each chemotherapy infusion to reduce the side effects .
3D Printing and Breast Reconstruction
3D printing can be used to grow new nipples using living cells and to regrow whole breasts
Reducing Stress to Stay in Remission
One thing experts seem to agree on is that cancer patients should find ways to reduce stress. Even mainstream cancer centers usually offer things like tai chi, yoga, and meditation for this purpose.
Do I Need a Patient Advocate?
Many cancer patients are not able to do the research they need in order to make informed decisions, either because they are too sick or because they don’t have the skills. They can enlist friends or relatives to help, or they can hire a patient advocate.
Making Medical Decisions
When you are newly diagnosed with any serious illness, you will have to make decisions that could have life-or death consequences. You need to know all your treatment options, the likely survival outcomes, and all the side effects and other short-term and long-term risks for each option. You want to be very sure that you will be better off with treatment than without treatment, and you want to be sure that any treatments you choose are the best ones available. You should read whatever you can, and you should also ask questions of other patients and your doctors.
Cancer and the Precautionary Principle
As global climate change adversely impacts economic growth, the right-wing corporate elites are counting on new technologies to save the global economy. One is genetic engineering, which is creating entirely new organisms (GMOs) that don’t exist in nature. Another is geo-engineering, which aims to alter the weather to counteract global warming (also used for military purposes). Another is nanotechnology, which manipulates atoms and molecules. What could go wrong? What are their effects on cancer? It would seem that if ever the precautionary principle were called for, that time is now. However, so long as corporations have the ability to corrupt politicians with money, citizens will be subjects in a global science experiment without our consent.
Body Weight and Breast Cancer
After I finished chemotherapy in 2011, my medical oncologist began expressing concern about my weight. Overweight is usually defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25. In postmenopausal women, overweight is considered a risk factor for estrogen receptor-positive...
My Anti-Cancer Diet
My integrative oncologist has me on a remission maintenance program designed to keep any residual cancer cells from proliferating and also designed to prevent the development of new cancers caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The program consists of diet, supplements, and physical fitness, as well as stress reduction and avoidance of carcinogens,
Pros and Cons of Bisphosphonates to Reduce Risk of Osteoporosis When Taking Anti-Estrogen Hormones
Aromatase inhibitors can cause bone loss, so patients taking them are often prescribed bisphosphonates to help prevent osteoporosis. Unfortunately, they are not always warned about the serious side effects.
Understanding Anti-Estrogen Therapy
About 80% of breast cancers are estrogen-receptor positive (ER+), which means they need estrogen in order to grow. There are two main types of oral anti-estrogen therapy: selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and aromatase inhibitors (AIs). While they both aim to slow or stop the growth of hormone receptor-positive tumors by preventing the cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow, they work by different mechanisms and have different safety profiles.
Radiation as a Cause of Breast Cancer
Radiation is a major environmental carcinogen. The most important distinction in terms of health is whether the radiation is ionizing or non-ionizing. Ionizing radiation has enough energy to remove electrons from atoms, which turns them into ions and creates free radicals. Cancer is the illness most commonly associated with ionizing radiation, because it damages the DNA in cells. Cells that are rapidly dividing, such as those in infants in growing children, are most sensitive to ionizing radiation. Pregnant women in particular should try to avoid ionizing radiation.
Textiles and Breast Cancer
Our skin is permeable, so everything we put on it is absorbed into our bodies. The chemicals used to make these fabrics and finishes have been linked to many health problems including cancer, immune system damage, behavioral problems and hormone disruption, and they also harm wildlife and the environment.
Lawn and Garden Products and Breast Cancer
Chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers all contain known or suspected carcinogens that can be absorbed through the skin, by mouth, or by breathing sprays, dusts, or vapors. They are especially dangerous to children and pets, and they also damage the environment.
Some gardeners now specialize in organic lawn and landscape care. You can hire someone or you can do it yourself.
The Meaning of Life
I think there are three things that make life worthwhile. Nobody achieves perfection in any of them, but I think our lives can be measured by the progress we make in each of these three areas.
Household Cleaning Products and Breast Cancer
Household cleaning products are a big issue for cancer patients because there are known or suspected carcinogens in so many things, including anything antibacterial (they contain pesticides); air fresheners; all-purpose cleaners; cleaning products for the bathroom, kitchen, floors, dishes, laundry, furniture; pet stain and odor eliminators; wood and tile cleaners; stainless steel cleaners; oven and BBQ cleaners; jewelry cleaners; tarnish removers; and much more.
Kitchenware, Food Packaging, and Breast Cancer
There are some food-related dangers in cookware and food packaging. In 2005 the EPA fined chemical giant DuPont a record $16.5 million because for decades it had been covering up the health hazards of a chemical known as C8, also called PFOA. In 2005 the EPA Science Advisory Board found that PFOA is a likely human carcinogen. PFOA was a main ingredient in making Teflon™, the non-stick coating used on pots, pans, bakeware, cooking utensils, and many small electric kitchen appliances. PFOA was also used to make grease-resistant coatings for food packaging, such as microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and wraps for greasy items like French fries
Listen to Dr. Janet Maker's
Interview with Melanie Young
of Fearless Fabulous You
June 27, 2018 on W4WN Network
Listen to Dr. Janet Maker's Interview with Dr. Drew
June 4, 2018 on 790 KABC