Cancer Treatment: July 2010

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Herbal, diet supplements to help with cancer and treatment side effects

Herbal, diet supplements to help with cancer and treatment side effects?
My father has just recently been diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. It's in the second or third phase (the test results will show on Friday the progression of the cancer). So I was wondering if anyone could recommend any (good) websites about herbal, diet supplements that can help him deal with the cancer as well as the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation?
Cancer - 3 Answers

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1 :
Well, some people may disagree with me but thc is the best med against side effects. There is a legal insurance paid for thc synthetic pill called marinol that he can get. If he uses real mj, he MUST tell his doc because precautions will need to be taken. It is also better to use real mj either by eating or chewing rather than smoking. www.marinol.com Also, while not herbal or really natural, diet meal replacements shakes or bars like Boost or Slimfast or any of them will be good for him to use in addition to whatever he can keep down. Chances are his diet will be poor during treatment and these things will given him the extra calories and protien he needs. Ginger can help with nausea. As can accupressure and controlled breathing. He will need lots of sleep. He will be exhausted from th treatment for one, but the body heals itself while asleep. Also not natural, but carbonated drinks will also help with nausea, ironically sometimes they work better when flat. Bland carbs are the best thing to try to eat because they dont have strong smells or tastes. Although, being that it is gastrointestinal I wonder if there will be additional diet restrictions? (He will already be on a neutropenic diet during treatment... neutropenia is when the white blood cell counts drop below a certain level.. specifically the absolute neutrophil count below 1.0.. This will entail NO fresh fruits or veggies, NO unprocessed or unpasturized foods, and EVERYTHING especially meats MUST be cooked thoroughly) Aloe is great for the skin. The chemo and the radiation both may cause skin side effects like burns. In my case the chemo basically burned me from the inside out. I used things like aloe and eucerin creme. And some of the Chicken Soup books. Most of the stories will make anyone cry their eyes out. While that may not really be his genre, it helps to know you are not alone in the situation. Along the same lines, a support group is good, as well as a psychologist and he may want to think about anti depressants.
2 :
You will want to clear in advance any supplement that your father might take while (or just before and after) doing his actual treatments as many of them will interfere with radiation, chemo or healing from surgery. His oncologist will already know about excellent the anti-nausea meds now available. Besides the meds the Dr will prescribe the main option is potentially using marijuana but if he did not use it when he was younger he might find it very unpleasant to start now. The new anti-nausea meds now available have done wonders to help make cases of chemo nausea either mild or transitory for most people. My suggestion is to not get the cart ahead of the horse. Wait and see what suggestions the Dr will make when you get to the point where he actually has problems because speculating in advance is pretty much wasted energy. Most oncologists are pretty good at suggesting various options for dealing with problems when the timing is right. Also some chemo regimens used now have very little nausea and also some people tolerate them very well. Until the time comes all you are doing is speculating. Instead spend some extra time with your dad and take him out to eat or fix him his favorite meal. good luck to your father
3 :
some people get really bad side effects and some people see none, everyone is different. i had the worst side effects on the first drug ( called A/C ) but after talking to my ONC i was given Zofran. On top of Zofran I ate in little amounts. Ginger also helped For the aftertaste that some get ( metal like taste ) i would suck on peppermint or ginger. The A/C was horrible for me, but now im on a new med and i rarelly have any big side effects. Nothing under the counter worked for me. The legal substance given of Mj relaxed me but I was still sick just high. No one knows how each person wil re-act to the drug till it happens. Before treatment he will prolly get drugs like steriods, bendryl, and anti-nasua meds. He'll have to see what works for him. Good luck to him and your family. Support is what he will need the most right now God bless

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Saturday, July 24, 2010

Is there any Experimental/Research for Cancer Treatment on Dogs

Is there any Experimental/Research for Cancer Treatment on Dogs? ?
I am wondering if there is ANY possible research being done for Treatment of Cancer in dogs who's owner has no funding for Radiation and Chemo Etc? My dog has had several tumors develop in a matter of weeks and the vet said it would be *over* $1,500.00 to treat the dog. I don't have that kind of money and I don't want him to die because I can't help him. What do I do now?
Cancer - 1 Answers
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1 :
Do what you think is best for your dog. Go with your own insticts on this one, because it depends if you want to put the dog through any more torture or not. My father would have put our dog down sooner if he had realized sooner that there was really they could have done to save it. The dog died in it's sleep anyway after monthes of torture.

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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Can either testicular cancer or the chemo treatment cause kidney cancer in his son conceived during this time

Can either testicular cancer or the chemo treatment cause kidney cancer in his son conceived during this time?
My grandson was conceived while my son was being treated for testicular cancer. The baby had a malignant tumor on his kidney, and had to have the kidney removed and is currently undergoing chemotheraphy. Could the cancer be passed through my son's sperm, or be caused by my son's chemo treatment?
Cancer - 2 Answers

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1 :
The chemotherapy drugs should not have caused the renal cancer in the son of the patient (your son) being treated for testicular cancer. This would seem impossible to prove in any case. We hope your son and grandson both recover fully.
2 :
It is very doubtful. Testicular cancer is a different type of cancer than renal cancer. I'm also surprised that someone being treated for testicular cancer could help conceive a child while undergoing treatment.

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Friday, July 16, 2010

There is such a wide range of cancer treatment options for patients simply because

There is such a wide range of cancer treatment options for patients simply because?
______ what should I put there?
Cancer - 2 Answers
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1 :
There are numerous types of cancers and each are treated differently.
2 :
well it depends on how serious the cancer is. if the patient is working or a parent or going to school. it depends if the patient can take the treatments on slowly or needs to get rid of the cancer right away!

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Monday, July 12, 2010

What is the science behind injection of human placenta extract for treatment for cancer? Japan does this now.

What is the science behind injection of human placenta extract for treatment for cancer? Japan does this now.
I would like to know more about the injection of human placenta extract as treatment to slow cancer. I have heard that respected Japanese hospitals are using this along with traditional chemotherapy type treatments. Something to do with Placenta's link to stem cells. Any further knowledge?
Cancer - 2 Answers

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1 :
News to me. Got a link to this article?
2 :
You can look any type of legitimate studies up on Entrez Pubmed. I believe they include worldwide publications. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=PubMed You should be cautious about what you locate on the Internet as their appears to be some type of scam or quackary claims being made about a human placenta extract. Any legit studies like this would be done in Clinical Trials first and would never just pop up on the Internet. So if it has never been in research or Clinical Trials than it probably is not true. (Japan also has Clinical Trials similar to the US called Japan Multinational Trial Organization). J-east Library http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/about/

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Thursday, July 8, 2010

BEST Cancer Treatment Center in the country

BEST Cancer Treatment Center in the country?
Hi, I am in a very difficult time trying to find the best possible care for breast cancer, for a family member. What is the best cancer center in the US? Responses very appreciated, thanks!
Cancer - 10 Answers
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1 :
cancer treatment centers of america. go to their website and it shows all of their places through out the US they are absolutely amazing.
2 :
Its Memorial Sloan Kettering center in Nyc excellent cancer facility (Number one in u.s)
3 :
I just finished "brachy" radiation therapy at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals. THEY ARE AN EXCELLENT UP TO THE LATEST FACILITY!!! They are training other hospitals in Wisconsin on how to do this treatment. Five days of internal radiation for me versus six weeks of external radiation. And they have cancer centers all over the state that work with them as outreach facilities, and are a big network. They are amazing!
4 :
MD Anderson in Texas.
5 :
go to nccn.org
6 :
Hands down MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, USA. Contrary to a previous poster MD Anderson was rated top in the United States for the second year in a row.
7 :
According to the US News & World Report, MD Anderson was the best cancer hospital in the country for 2007. They have an annual rank of hospitals around the country, but are not divided by cancer type. Keep in mind that generally, other hospitals on the list may just be as good in other parts of the country, but may be ranked lower due to research, reputation, etc.
8 :
The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. They are wonderful and extra caring! Seriously the best.
9 :
I just finished treatment at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, N.J., and I could not have asked for more caring doctors and nurses. They are also leaders in research as well.
10 :
I almost died from the wrong high dosage of a cancer med prescribed at MD Anderson. I would not recommend MD Anderson Oncology because of my bad experience with oncology. On the other hand, MD Anderson is one of the few centers in the world that have a proton beam machine to treat tumors. This is cutting edge technology for radiation therapy. Sloan Kettering is number one for Prostate Cancer, but I have not heard overwhelming news that they are number one for Breast cancer. I have heard good things about cancer treatment centers of America for breast cancer, including the use of more frequent chemo at lower doses to improve tolerability to the meds. I heard City of Hope is an excellent place to treat Breast Cancer, and they keep up with current clinical trials of cutting edge meds. I heard they even offer bone marrow transplants for breast cancer that has migrated to the bone. This is a treatment that is denied in most medical institutions.

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Sunday, July 4, 2010

Paying for rare and costly cancer treatment

Paying for rare and costly cancer treatment?
A relative of mine has been diagnosed with a sort of bone cancer, Chondrosarcoma. The surgery and the treatments will cost about a million dollars and we need ways to raise money. Are there any resources in Texas that the state may provide for expensive surgeries or foundations? We are also contacting the American Cancer Society. Thank you! thanks panda, that will get me started. you were right, he doesn't have any health insurance so it is a problem
Cancer - 3 Answers

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1 :
Does your relative have health insurance? If not she will need to find ways to pay for the treatment. Usually a medical social worker can guide you through applying for different financial help. There are some hospitals which provide free and low cost health care programs (Hill Burton). The American Cancer Society can point you in the right direction but they do not 'help' patients financially (they don't have the funding). You can check their online site for information: If there is no health insurance and your relative has a low income they may qualify for medicare or state aide of some kind. Other ideas include a community fundraiser through the church or social organizations. Your relative may need to let the community know they need financial help. There are online Yahoo support groups for Chondrosarcoma . . as there are several different types and you do not mention which kind . . but you can search for them. You can also contact people on the ACOR sarcoma listserv . . some of them have chondrosarcoma and can guide you towards resources.
2 :
google cancer pau d arco tea and go to pau-d-arco.com I was told they send anybody with cancer a free 1lb bag. you can also research essiac tea. I received my free bag a couple weeks ago and the taste for me was awfull but after about a week I dont mind it :)
3 :
Have you considered medical treatment and surgical help for this in India? My cousin got her surgery from a company called Forerunners Healthcare in India. She just paid 25% of the amount she was quoted in USA. Forerunners Healthcare is very famous in India. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and magazines. I have read a lot of their patient stories also. They arrange financing for USA, Canadian, UK and other international patients who plan to have surgery abroad for low cost, as all types of medical treatment and surgery is not covered by insurance. They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. There are huge cost savings. As a doctor I personally believe that your medical treatment and surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of healthcare available In India is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star. http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com Hope this helps.

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Thursday, July 1, 2010

What if a usa citizen gets cancer, what treatment do they get

What if a usa citizen gets cancer, what treatment do they get?
is it true if they dont have insurance they can get no treatment? or the level of treatments can depend on the insurance they have or how much money they can pay? is it true?
Politics - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
They get whatever service they go out and pay for. Unless they were wise and got healthcare insurance. Then their provider pays for the it, and the patient pays the co-pay etc. (unless you are poor...then you get free healthcare) Much like the rest of the real adult world...you don't get anything for free. All that said...US citizens have the BEST statisical odds in the world for surviving cancer.
2 :
The poor with no insurance are better off then working people. The insurance companies deny treatment.
3 :
If they have no insurance, and are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, they are pretty much on their own trying to afford treatment. Even those with insurance can wind up bankrupt as they hit the established limit for coverage decided by their insurance company, but still need treatment. Fun fact: Over 50% of bankruptcies declared in the US are a result of medical expenses. And most of those people are insured.
4 :
US citizen?lol none..you would probably have a better chance of becoming a Mexican citizen & then coming to the US illegally, then you would probably have all the benefits in the world on the tax-payers' dime.
5 :
I'm constantly having to explain this to patients. The insurance alone DOES NOT determine your coverage. It's the deal that the company you work for negotiates with the insurance. If you're not happy with your coverage, you need to get some other unhappy co-workers and talk to the head of your HR dept. No hospital can deny life saving treatment to a patient based on ability to pay in the United States. It's against federal law.

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