Treatment For Pancreatic Cancer

Are you becoming a pancreatic cancer expert? My hope for you is that you never need this information but it is here for you. We have covered symptoms, test and risk factors and now we need to talk about treatments. Pancreatic cancer is has a low survivability rate because of the fact that it is usually diagnosed after it has spread and therefor it is in a later stage for diagnosis. However pancreatic cancer does have low survival rates. For exocrine pancreatic cancer if you are diagnosed with stage 1A your 5 year survival rate is only 14% and that … Continue reading

Dogs Helping to Refine Human Cancer Treatments

Approximately six million dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year. Companion animals with cancer can be used by researchers as models for human cancer, to help develop new treatments for man and animal alike. Comparative oncology isn’t a new idea. Dogs were used for testing bone marrow transplant techniques in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, dogs were used to test limb-saving treatments for bone cancer. In 2003, the National Cancer Institute formally founded the Comparative Oncology Program, which aims to use pets to learn more about cancer — and to test and refine new therapies that … Continue reading

FDA Approves Cancer Drug for Canines

When our four-legged friends battle cancer, they often do it using the same medications used to fight cancer in humans. Until this week, human cancer drugs were the only type of cancer drug available to veterinarians. But now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Palladia — a drug made specifically for treating cancer in dogs. Palladia was made to treat cutaneous mast cell tumors — a type of cancer that is to blame for approximately one out of every five cases of skin cancer in dogs. Some of these tumors are small and easily removed; in some dogs, … Continue reading

Embryo Adoption, Part Two

My last blog was on a relatively new type of adoption, embryo adoption. The visibility of embryo adoption will, I predict, increase quite a bit for three reasons. The increased debate about stem cells will impact people’s awareness of and beliefs about frozen embryos, which are a main source of embryonic stem cells. Some scientists say that embryonic stem cells, which have not yet differentiated into different types of tissues, will be the most useful for treating diseases (although non-embryonic stem cells, obtained from blood, umbilical cords or other tissue, have already been used to treat aplastic anemia, and other … Continue reading

Your Skin in Your 60s

It entirely possible to have beautiful skin throughout your life! As you move into your sixties, you have to deal with skin issues that started in earlier decades plus new problems that can crop up. Skin issues you may encounter as you move into your sixties: Dryness. Your skin has a hard time retaining moisture and natural oil production slows down. Dullness. Cell turnover continues to slow — a process that started in your forties. Dark spots. Between the lack of oil, the loss of collagen and elastin, and the dryness, dark spots can really start to stand out. Bone … Continue reading

Facts about Canine Cancer

The brochure I picked up for Chase Away K9 Cancer was chock full of interesting information. There were a lot of facts about canine cancer that I wanted to share. Veterinary experts estimate that as many as one out of every three dogs will get some form of cancer. That’s a very high (and scary) percentage. Look at it this way: I’ve had three dogs (Miko, Lally, and Moose). Odds are, one of them will experience cancer. Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in dogs. More facts about canine cancer: Approximately HALF of all dogs over the age … Continue reading

FDA Takes Action against Fake Cancer Cures

I find it hard to believe that people out there are trying to get rich by selling fake cancer cures… but they’re out there. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently sent letters warning more than two dozen companies to stop selling fake cancer preventatives and cures. The companies are all over the world — most of the warning recipients are in the United States, but others in Canada and Australia have been targeted by the FDA. Those warning letters cover more than a hundred different tablets, tonics, creams, teas, and “black salves” that claim to cure or prevent cancer. … Continue reading

Protect Your Skin with UPF Clothing

As I’ve been driving around lately, I keep seeing billboards advertising SPF clothing. Since the Northern Hemisphere is officially starting summer on June 21st (though it may feel differently in some parts of the country), it’s a good time to look at skin protection! Basically, sun protective clothing uses fabric to protect your skin from the sun. Sounds simple, right? Sun protective clothing was developed in Australia in the 1990s. Why Australia? That country has the highest skin cancer numbers in the whole world — two out of three Australians will be treated for skin cancer during their lifetimes according … Continue reading

Types of Leukemia

Your bone marrow produces three types of blood cell: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen through the body. White blood cells help fight infection. Platelets help with clotting. In people with leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. These abnormal cells may work normally at first, but can crowd out normal, healthy blood cells and make it difficult for blood to do its work. Leukemia can be divided into two groups, depending on how quickly the disease develops and progresses: Chronic leukemia gets worse slowly. Abnormal blood cells can still do … Continue reading

Two Types of Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is divided into two categories: melanomas and nonmelanomas. Melanoma is a cancer of the melanin cells — the skin cells that give your skin a tan or brown color. Melanin also helps protect your skin from the sun. Melanoma is diagnosed on a scale of I to IV. The early stages — stage I and stage II — are usually localized. Removing the cancer often cures the patient completely. The five year survival rate for a stage I or stage II melanoma is 99 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. Advanced melanomas — stage III and stage … Continue reading