NutriSol, a product produced by Empire Health and endorsed by Enzymes Inc, may  be highly sensitive to patients  who seek out BioSET practitioners.  I therefore do not endorse this product and  am no longer involved with either of these two companies.  They previously produced enzymes for Dr. Cutler.  More will follow relative to this product.  And it [...]

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Daily news I get mammograms every six months. I get ultrasounds every six months. I get a breast MRI every year. That's my typical screening routine, intended to keep breast cancer from invading my life for a second time. This combination of testing -- primarily the MRI part -- has not been typical for all at-risk women. It's just the plan my doctors have determined is the best insurance policy for me. But as of yesterday, the American Cancer Society began recommending regular use of MRI scans, rather than conventional mammograms, for women facing a breast cancer risk of 15 percent or more. Family history places one to two percent of women at a 20 percent higher risk of developing the disease than women without such a history. Women carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation face a lifetime risk of up to 65 percent. And women with a personal history of the disease are at risk of a repeat diagnosis. These are the women MRI screening can help. Recent studies show MRI to be much more sensitive than mammograms. And in an investigation of 969 women diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast, MRI found 30 additional tumors in the opposite breast previously missed by mammograms and physical exams. Not typically used for routine screenings due to cost and a few false alarms -- sometimes the scans detect suspicious areas that once surgically tested turn out to be benign -- MRI is still the best tool for detecting more cancerous tumors earlier. There is no proof yet that the cancers detected by MRI will translate into longer lives for patients. Life-extending benefits will become clear only after women are followed for a longer period of time. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: All Cancers , Research Cisco Network Systems, a company that creates intelligent integrated networks to adapt to current and future business needs, reported on a study that says one in three Americans claim that the Internet changed the way they manage their health. The main findings of this survey of over 4,000 people include:

Filed under: All Cancers , Environment , Diets , Stress Reduction , Exercise , Nutrition , Services , Sunday Seven

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Prevention , Daily news Simply being female puts all women at risk for breast cancer. That and age, race, family history, personal history, genetic make-up, when they had children, when they reach menopause, and a whole host of other possible factors. Now U.S. doctors are officially calling body mass index, breast density, and alcohol consumption predictors of the disease, says Therese Bevers, medical director of the Cancer Prevention Center, at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Bevers helped write updated guidelines for the prevention of breast cancer and presented them at the 12th annual National Comprehensive Cancer Network in Hollywood, Florida on Friday. The guidelines, featuring the revised list of risk factors, also offer treatment options for women -- including bilateral mastectomy for women who have tested positive for the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 as well as possible medical treatments with drugs such as tamoxifen and raloxifene. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: All Cancers , Magazines , Survivor Spotlight TIME magazine has faithfully followed the issues defining cancer. The topic has made the covers of many issues, and it receives plentiful press on the pages in between. Stories spotlight an array of different cancers, address research and new developments, and offer personal glimpses into the lives of both everyday survivors and those with celebrity status. A look into the archives of TIME magazine -- seven specific issues -- illustrates a proven commitment to the cancer cause. And it proves the mystery of cancer is much the same today as it was many years ago.

• TIME's January 14, 1991 cover read, One American woman in ten will get breast cancer: Why -- and what can be done? How times have changed. Almost 16 years later and now one American woman in eight will get breast cancer. The question Why -- and what can be done? remains.

• On April 25, 1994, TIME released a cover that read, Hope in the war against cancer. An article reveals that scientists may have reached a turning point with new discoveries and better therapies. The turns are endless -- and while we have certainly reached breakthrough status in the 12 years since this cover first appeared, there are so many more corners to turn.

• May 19, 1998 saw the cover story How to tell the hype from the hope -- a special report topic that reminds us all to really consider every piece of information we gather on the topic of cancer. A 93 percent survival rate for a breast cancer patient with an early form of the disease might seem hopeful -- but this survival rate is for only five years. Not so hopeful.

• There is new ammunition in the war against cancer: These are the bullets. This cover hit newsstands on May 28, 2001 and referred to drugs that target cancer cells only and leave healthy cells untouched. Is this the breakthrough we've been waiting for? was published on this cover. Yes, I think it is. And the promise continues with more and more targeted therapies.

• On February 18, 2002, breast cancer graced the cover again -- fitting for a cancer that gets a lot of attention. The cover title The new thinking on breast cancer led into a story about the smartest drugs, the gentlest treatments, the latest on mammograms.

• A story in the June 21, 2004 issue titled Surviving Cancer addressed again the issue of targeted therapies and threw out there the possibility that cancer might just be a chronic condition that can be managed throughout life. More and more, this possibility seems possible.

• A new old therapy appeared in the January 9, 2006 magazine and revealed that injecting chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity can extend life expectancy by 16 months for terminal ovarian cancer patients. Ovarian cancer is often deadly due to a lack of adequate screening and late diagnoses -- so this revelation was quite remarkable.

Reflecting on past issues of TIME magazine is eye-opening. It reveals comprehensive coverage of a comprehensive disease. It shows just how far we've come in the war on cancer -- and just how far we have to go. A lot has changed over the years. And a lot has remained the same. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Dalene Entenmann , Bloggers And now it is time for a well-deserved introduction to Dalene Entenmann, Life Sciences lead blogger. Dalene not only writes her heart out for the blogs she manages -- The Cancer Blog , The Diabetes Blog , and The Cardio Blog -- she also guides and enlightens and inspires those of us she leads to represent through words all sorts of topics pertaining to these health issues. It is my pleasure to share with you today words that come straight from Dalene -- words that capture the spirit and passion of this talented woman. So without further ado, I introduce you to breast cancer survivor and writer extraordinaire Dalene Entenmann. When did you become a Life Sciences blogger? February 2006. In May 2006, I became the Life Sciences lead blogger. As a writer and a blogger, it has been a dream job and a phenomenal opportunity to get paid to do what I love to do. How has cancer touched your life? In March 2002, I found a lump in my breast while showering. In May 2002, one week before Mother's Day, I was diagnosed with stage 2 infiltrating lobular breast cancer and positive node involvement. The 2.5 cm tumor had a moderately differentiated tumor grade and the surgical margin was compromised. In addition, I had other suspicious calcifications in both breasts. I was 47. The day I was given my personal copy of the pathology report, I folded it up and slipped it into my Day Planner. It has been there ever since. At the time of diagnosis, my prognosis was not the best one you can get if you are diagnosed with breast cancer. It wasn't the worst one either. In the last four-and-a-half years, I have re-read the report from time to time. All the feelings I felt the first time I read it come back full force. It is a reminder of how blessed I am in how far I have been able to come. I am still here. My children have not had to attend the funeral of their mother. My gratitude for being a cancer survivor is tempered with survivor's guilt. There is a part of my heart that is, and will remain, heavy with sadness and loss that all cancer patients do not survive. I cannot seem to accept the inequity. Needless to say, the life I had always known stopped the day I was diagnosed with cancer and was transformed in challenging and interesting ways I could not have imagined ahead of time. What advice would you give the newly-diagnosed cancer patient? Although surviving cancer is a mysterious process to me -- because I do not understand why some of us survive when others do not -- in Cancer Go Away and 5 ways to create hope I wrote about some of the things I did when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Believe in your healers -- then have faith they will do everything they can, as expertly as they can, to help you heal. Know your options -- you may not like your options but you must always realize that you have options. Know you are not alone. Never accept blame -- do not blame yourself or allow others to suggest that somehow you caused your cancer. Accept responsibility for the changes you can make to help with your healing, but never accept blame. What advice would you give loved ones of someone diagnosed with cancer? Just be there. Go with them wherever they need to go. Be a listener. Don't worry about doing the wrong thing or saying the wrong thing. Your love will shine through. What advice would you give cancer survivors? That cancer is something that happened to you but is not a part of who you are -- do not own the cancer -- try not to allow it to define you. You are bigger than the cancer. Because I allowed my fear to run away with me on more than one occasion, I share this well-earned advice: try not to panic. If you spent the entire day gardening, and at the end of the day you feel all achy and sore, it doesn't mean you have bone cancer. Not every headache is a brain tumor. Surround yourself with things that are life-affirming. Each day, find something that inspires you. A quote, a sunrise, the giggling laughter of a child. Each day, take a humor break. What are some of your favorite quotes: "We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement." -- Viktor E. Frankl from Man's Search For Meaning "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -- The Dalai Lama "The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love." -- William Sloane Coffin, Jr. "All that glitters is not gold. Not all those who wander are lost. The old that is strong does not wither. Deep roots are not reached by the frost." -- Tolkien Name three books you would recommend for those touched by cancer: Any book Bernie Siegel has written. Pronoia by Rob Brezsney. A blank journal to tell your own story. Who inspires you? My three children -- each one of them is a uniquely fascinating, intelligent, talented and authentic human being with an exquisite spirit and heart that extends into this world and lights it up brighter than it ever would have been otherwise. My husband for his hilarious sense of humor and for his calm response to my impassioned approach to life. The pioneering independence and courage of the women and men who are my ancestors. The women I call sisters in survivorship who possess a profound tender vulnerability and at the same time, a strength as tough as steel. All people who are working to make this world a better place. What inspires you? The goodness of people. When you are not writing for TCB, what do you do? I am trying to find more balance, and a shift into activities that reflect the future I envision for myself. Cancer overshadowed my perspective and hijacked the direction I was headed in before the diagnosis of breast cancer. I truthfully cannot remember where I was going before cancer. Right now, I am working on launching a blog about the creativity, comfort and charm of cottage life and in the middle of writing an almanac. I love to spend time in the kitchen adapting recipes, cooking, gardening and creating healing home environments. Visit Meet the Bloggers to read about the other fabulous bloggers who make up the our health blogs team. Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Services , Cancer Survivors My father taught me that when you have a problem, find someone else who has the same problem and talk to them about it. Real life experiences trump almost every other kind of information. Although women are 100 times more likely than men to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and less than one percent of breast cancer patients are men, men do get breast cancer. Some of the signs of breast cancer include:

• Lump or thickening in the breast.
• Skin dimpling or puckering.
• Development of a new retraction or indentation of the nipple.
• Redness of scaling of the nipple or breast skin.
• A spontaneous clear or bloody discharge from the nipple.

Some of the known risk factors include: age, family history, genetic predisposition, radiation exposure, Klinefelter syndrome (a congenital abnormality of the sex chromosomes X and Y), exposure to estrogen, liver disease, excess weight and excess alcohol consumption. Breast cancer resources for men are few and far between, but to follow my father's advice about finding someone to talk to and learn from that has faced the same real life experience, I tracked down several resources men diagnosed with breast cancer might find of interest. Newsday is featuring the personal story of breast cancer survivor Cameron Alden . Alden tells his breast cancer story as part of a personal cause to raise awareness that men can be diagnosed with breast cancer. USA Today's Richard Roundtree 'Knows the Score' on cancer features breast cancer survivor Roundtree's personal story and his work with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise men's awareness about the disease. The John W. Nick Foundation was created in memory of John W. Nick, who died from breast cancer at the age of 58. Male breast cancer survivors John W. Nick, Captain Edward J. Wilson, Bob Stafford, Walter Creekmore, David Eisenberg, Mark Eldridge, Dave Lyons, and Ken Graham by Sue Graham share their personal stories of breast cancer on the foundation website. MALEBC is a discussion mailing list for men with breast cancer. Currently it has 27 members. Because men often face shock, embarrassment and isolation when diagnosed with breast cancer, the National Breast Cancer Centre has launched Breast Cancer in Men , Australia's first website launched for men with breast cancer offering information and resources from diagnosis to living beyond breast cancer written specifically for men. The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,720 men will receive a breast cancer diagnosis this year, and 460 men will die from the disease. For men, breast cancer is most frequently diagnosed between the ages of 60 and 70. If any of our readers are aware of other internet resources specifically written for men facing breast cancer, please leave the resource and a link in the comments area following this post. Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Blogs , Cancer Survivors As part of October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, AOL editor Kelly D. Wilson is blogging Think Pink featuring her Global Survivor Story series. While attending the Avon Walk Around the World for Breast Cancer luncheon and the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City, she had the opportunity to meet with and interview breast cancer survivors from around the world as they shared with her personal stories of hope and survivorship. In Think Pink's Walk Around the World for Breast Cancer photo gallery, meet beautiful, strong and wise global breast cancer survivors Rebecca Musi from South Africa; Skaidra Deksne from Latvia; Dympna Watson from Ireland; Ranjit Kaur from Malaysia; Stephanie Elsen-Ensch from Germany; Keila Frauches de Souza Campos from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Yuthar Mohammed Al Rawahy from Oman; Judy Cherry from the US; Yoko Uchiyama from Japan; and Iva Raskova from the Czech Republic. The slide show photos are wonderful tributes to survivorship and the story each breast cancer survivor shares is inspiring. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer I remember thinking when my grandma was a spunky 80-year-old -- still going to aerobics classes in her purple tights -- that it must be sad to be such an age when so many friends and acquaintances are falling ill and passing away. My grandma was always one to care for others, call on others, pray for others -- and often she seemed to be the only one in her circle who was thriving. Somehow, she took it all in stride and continued baking and gardening and sewing and living strong until her own death at the age of 86 -- when she left her remaining friends and acquaintances wondering if their own time on Earth was approaching a quick end. At the time, I thought this loss of friends was merely a side effect of aging. It didn't seem to concern me at my own young age of 30. I didn't really know any 30-year-olds who were dying. And I didn't predict anyone my age would be dying until I was closer to the age of 80. How wrong I was. I am now 36 years old. And I know many women my age who have died -- most of them because of breast cancer, the same disease I have been fighting for nearly two years. So it's not only sad to me that people my age are dying, it's also quite personal and frightening -- for it could easily me in the same predicament. So I feel vulnerable -- so many years earlier than I imagined. I think I know how my grandma must have felt when her loved ones were leaving her. And I think I will take her same approach to coping with this unfortunate fact of life. Although I couldn't possibly bake and garden and sew like she did, I can keep busy with my own hobbies and interests. And I can continue living strong until my own death -- which hopefully won't occur until after I've made my appearance in purple tights. About 50 years from now. Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments