Category Archives: Immune System

Angiogenesis and Metastasis

July 30, 2014

 The Role of Angiogenesis Inhibitors In Integrative Cancer Care
Cancer patients always have a fear that their cancer may become metastatic. If it becomes metastatic it becomes a problem to treat and may cause lots of damage to the healthy cells in the patient’s body. Metastastasis however cannot happen without angiogenesis. Therefore if the cancer doctors find a way of avoiding angiogenesis then it can be easier to avoid metastatic cancer. One of the known characteristics of cancerous cells is that they divide rapidly and their growth is uncontrolled, this is a major challenge as the danger increases with how well they are well spread in the body. The best way to control the spread of cancer is to control angiogenesis by the aid of angiogenesis inhibitors.

What is angiogenesis?

Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels. This is a natural process that occurs majorly during growth and development of children. The mother’s womb has to form new blood vessels that are important in the development of the infant. This is a crucial process and is known as vascologeneis. However this process happens less often in adults and may happen during wound healing. In women it happens during the menstruation cycle. When this formation of new blood vessels is induced by tumor, it is referred to as tumor angiogenesis. This happens when the tumors release molecules that signal the surrounding tissues. It is this signaling that activates genes that make proteins to initiate growth of new blood vessels. These new blood vessels penetrate into the cancerous cells and help them grow by supplying them with the needed nutrients and removing wastes out of them hence creating an environment that favors their growth and metastasis.

For tumors to grow and metastasize, angiogenesis is a necessity without which the cancerous cells will become inactive and may even die. The network of newly formed blood vessels become very dangerous to the cancer patient as they enhance the growth of the cancerous cells, spreading to other parts of the body and inflicting pain. For this situation to be controlled there is need to cut the nutrient and oxygen supply to these cancerous cells.

Being that cancer cells depend on angiogenesis to grow and metastasize, cancer  therapies that target  angiogenesis can potentially help in treating cancer. Angiogenesis is necessary for growth and metastasis of all cancer cells irrespective of the type of cancer. Cancer treatments that target angiogenesis will definitely aid in treatment of all cancers. The basis of therapies that target angiogenesis is that if angiogenesis can be stopped then the cancerous cells will be killed as they will not access the necessary supplies hence will starve to death.

Copper and Angiogenesis

Copper is a trace element the needs to highly regulated as any slight homeostatic copper disruptions may result in serious health complications such as the Wilson’s disease. Copper is also known to be necessary for angiogenesis. Without copper angiogenesis cannot take place. Copper therefore fuels cancer tumor growth and metastasis. Anti-angiogenic therapies can be used to curb this situation. tetrathiomolybdate (TM) is effective in copper chelation.  Researchers have proved that TM forms a stable tripartite complex with copper and protein. If given with food, it chelates food copper with food protein and prevents absorption of copper in the bloodstream. There is endogenous secretion of copper in saliva and gastric secretions associated with food intake, and this copper is also chelated by TM when it is taken with meals, thereby preventing copper re-absorption.

Researchers have tested the effects of the tetrathiomolybdate (TM) on mice that were injected with cancer cells and left for a week for angiogenesis to begin. After the new blood vessels had been formed the mice was injected tetrathiomolybdate (TM). The angiogenesis stopped and the tumor growth stopped. Tetrathiomolybdate (TM) is targeted by many researchers who want to verify if it can be used as a cancer treatment. However from researches that had been done in the past it was concluded that tetrathiomolybdate (TM) has a unique action on the copper that fuels angiogenesis and retarded tumor growth with little side effects. If cancer patients are given TM with food their copper balance become negative which does not support angiogenesis. The copper that is bound by TM cannot do any meaningful biological activity as it cannot be absorbed by cells and is excreted in the urine having been cleared by bile.

Typically the level of cancer that is needed for angiogenesis is much higher as compared to the amount of copper that is needed for cellular activities that are dependent on cancer like cytochrome function and heme synthesis. Cancer therapy that are based on anti-copper may work well as the copper needed for cellular activities will be retained even when TM is used to as an anti-copper angiogenic agent.

Low molecular weight heparins

Researchers have also found out that Low molecular weight heparins helps in improving the cancer patient’s chances of survival as it inhibits metastasis. The low molecular weight heparins are said to curb metastasis by preventing cancer cell triggered destruction of the endothelial glycocalyx. In experimental animal models and clinical tests; it was found that the low molecular weight heparins protects against cancer progression and metastasis. This is said by the scientists is possible as the low molecular weight inhibits metastasis interfering with the cancer cell binding on the platelets. Cancer cell needs to attach themselves to the platelets to move to other parts of the body. Low molecular weight heparins also inhibit metastasis through binding of heparanase or hyaluronidase thereby protecting the vascular endothelium from invasion by the cancer cells.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an expert in integrative cancer treatment and can avail you the best advice to help you cure or better yet prevent cancer. You can always call her for consultations.

 The Role of Angiogenesis Inhibitors In Integrative Cancer Care

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Alcoholism and Obesity

July 30, 2014

Alcoholism and Obesity – Their Relationship

Alcoholism

Alcoholism and Obesity are two health conditions you must not allow to affect you all at the same time.

From the definitions of the two terminologies you may not see clearly the absolute similarities however these two conditions (alcoholism and obesity) may be much more correlated that you have ever imagined. If you look at the two conditions, you will realize that both are provoked by an episode of loss of control. It may not matter how the loss of control took place whether it was genetically instigated, propelled by environmental factors or it was just a moment of one’s weak moments does not count, the common denominator is there is a loss of control.

Many people suffering from these conditions normally invest heavily in the management of their addiction occasioned by various factors like struggling to maintaining control, feeling guilty or just juggling with when they will access their addictive elements that is alcohol or food. With this both conditions can grow progressively worse and when taken to the extreme can be life threatening.

The powerful ingredients making alcoholism and obesity to be similar are the contents of what causes their being addictive which are ethanol and food and how they work on the brain. For instance ethanol stimulates reward centers in the brain exactly the way sugar, salt and fat also do. It is because of this that people with a tendency of over-drinking may also have the same tendency to overeating.

Alcoholism and Obesity – Alcohol and Weight loss

Ignorantly people often say that alcohol consumption increases appetite and therefore alcohol consumers are motivated to eat more thereby gaining weight. This is not true since ethanol which is the key addictive ingredient in alcoholic drinks and fat from foods have approximately the same amount of calories however those people suffering from alcoholism have a tendency not to be affected by obesity primarily because they are often malnourished due to poor feeding habits having replaced a portion of their food calories with calories from alcohol

According to a study conducted in 2005 sampling regular alcohol consumers it was established that those who drank the smallest amount (i.e. one drink per day) with the extreme frequency (i.e. three to seven days per week) had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who drank more occasionally, but in larger units. Even though we may not rely heavily on these findings they may indicate some relationship between over-drinking and overeating.

Connection between Alcoholism and Obesity

Early 2010 researchers from Washington University School of medicine released one of the most important findings regarding the connection between obesity and alcoholism. The study was based on two large alcoholism surveys previously done where 80,000 people participated in both.  They then put proper control on all the factors of the study and the ultimate finding was that in quite recent survey those with a family history of alcoholism had a greater chance of being affected by obesity. For women, who had a 49 percent greater chance, this was especially true. One possible reason is that in trying to avoid the alcoholic behaviors observed in their families, people replace alcohol with a different addiction.

Surprisingly enough researchers did not find any connection or association between obesity and family history of alcoholism in the first survey. The fact that the link strengthened as much as it did in the relatively short amount of time between the two surveys suggests that environmental factors (the increase in sedentary times; the increased prevalence of fatty, sugary and salty foods in grocery stores and restaurants; and the reduced access to opportunities for activity) are involved. In brief a genetic risk might be submissive in a world that makes maintaining one’s weight a relatively straightforward task. But, change the environment to make unhealthy eating easier and being active harder, and the problem will become apparent.

Finally in their (researchers’) comments in their publication they focused on changes to our food environment, suggesting that obesity may be rising in “individuals vulnerable to addiction. This may be specifically the result of a changing food environment and the increased availability of highly palatable foods.”

Alcoholism and Obesity – Overlapping Brain Pathways

More and more, neuroscientists are finding similarities in the pathways that lead to excessive eating and dependence on alcohol and other drugs. Both obesity and alcohol addiction have been linked to the brain’s reward system. Overconsumption can trigger a gradual increase in the reward threshold, requiring more and more palatable high-fat food or strengthening alcohol to satisfy cravings. It is no secret that addiction and obesity the two major and most challenging health problems in U.S and many other nations across the globe today. It is therefore important that we learn from these research findings to not just keep talking but to put into practice some of the knowledge we have gathered about addiction to the study of overeating and obesity.

Every day possess an opportunity to learn something new and we are privileged to be learning more about how eating and drinking are indistinguishably connected at the physiologic level. These physiologic commonalities help to explain why the behaviors of excessive food intake and excessive alcohol consumption share so many similarities. Nonetheless, in appreciation of possible link between obesity and alcoholism we all have a duty to unlock the link and use the findings to understand, treat and most importantly prevent these two diseases from further damaging our societies and families.

It will finally take a collective approach for all of us to win this race. On your part you can contribute by talking to the experts like Dr. Dalal Akoury, Founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center concerning all that may be bothering you concerning these these health conditions. Doctor Akoury and her team of experts are there for you and your friends to ensure you are not just educated but well treated by offering exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to you, your friends, other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. Remember together we will win and celebrate having chosen to be a part of this truly successful and fast addiction recovery treatment.

Alcoholism and Obesity – Their Relationship

 

 

 

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Stress Relief and Cancer

July 29, 2014

Stress Relief Is Essential in Cancer Care
StressCancer is a disease that has caused much pain and has made us victims in one way or the other. The moment a person receives a news that he has cancer, fear become his uninvited companion as no one is ever sure of surviving the disease even with availability of many alternative cancer treatments in the hospitals. Researchers have done lots of work to ease this feeling but history knows that very many people have lost their lives to the disease. Some of the people who lost their lives did not die because of the disease itself but because the treatment was not holistic enough to suppress all the tension that the patient had. Cancer treatment is not just about injecting the patient with drugs that are aimed at killing the cancer cells. This approach of cancer treatment may not succeed because a cancer patient goes through lots of psychological trauma that needs to be addressed as well during the treatment and this is the reason why having an integrative cancer doctor attend to your cancer patient can be very beneficial as they focus on the whole person healing that is the body, the spirit and the mind. Stress is a culprit in cancer treatment and so needs to be addressed well for the cancer treatment to be effective. The patient needs to obtain a peace of mind for the drugs to have effect on the patient. Stress has been mentioned by many researchers as a factor that may make cancer treatment even more complicated.

Stress causes cancer

Many medical research findings have linked stress to cancer. Researchers have found that a gene ATF3 is a crucial link between cancer and stress. The gene is activated during stressful conditions in all types of cells, in normal conditions the gene can protect the body since incase of dangerous stressors; the normal cells can commit suicide to avoid the spread of the poison to other cells.

The researchers however proved that the cancerous cells will coax the immune system that have been put in place closer to the tumors to influence the expression of the ATF3 gene hence makes the ATF3 to inhibit the activity of immune cells making them to act erratically and allow the cancer cells to spread from the tumor to other parts of the body. In that manner stress is linked to metastasis.

It is highly recommended for a cancer patient to engage in practices that helps in reducing the stress levels in the body which in a broader way will help in reducing your risk of getting cancer. The patient ought to be well taken care of by avoiding all stressful conditions.

Stress relief is not only important to those who are already sick of cancer, stress relief is necessary for those who are not sick as well. This is because stress may make a person to involve in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, drinking alcohol and having multiple sexual partners all in a bit to find relief. Smoking tobacco is a major cause of lung cancer while having multiple sexual partners is known to cause cervical cancer.

How to relieve stress in a cancer patient

To relieve stress we need something that may distract the patient from his streams of hopeless thoughts. There are a number of activities that may help a patient be relieved of stress but still the person’s attitude towards the activity will matter so it is important to incorporate the patient’s likes and feelings in every strategy towards stress relief.

Reflexology

Reflexology involves the practice of massaging or applying pressure to various acupressure points on the body with the goal of reducing stress and supporting overall health. This however needs to be done by a qualified integrative cancer doctor in order to reap the desired benefits.

Sound therapy CD

Sound therapy is effective in stress relief in cancer patients. It involves the patient listening to the vibrations from the harmonics overtones of the 5th interval and the 7h cord which is made up of two 5th intervals. The vibrations are said to promote healing in the parts of brains that are responsible for endorphin release by causing a pathetic resonance to these parts. Endorphins are brain chemicals that transmit signals from one neuron to the other and help in reducing stress and enhancing the immune system.

Ballroom dance

Exercise is a great way that helps in stress reduction not only to cancer patient but also to people who dot have cancer cells in them. However for a cancer patient, he may not be having strength enough for a gym workout needless to mention the exercise they need to do is one that is fun like ballroom dancing which increases the blood circulation and reduces muscle tension. It also activates hormonal activities which is key in cancer treatment.

Valid company

StressStress can be worse if the patient is kept in isolation where he does not meet his family and share his moments with them. This explains why patients undergoing home treatment may recover within a short time. Keeping the cancer patients accompanied at all times reduces their stress as they know they have people they can count on.

You need to learn on ways to prevent the disease. You need reliable information to help you do this. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for more information on health matters and be empowered to take good care of your life. Check her website for more information. As always she is readily available for consultations.

Stress Relief Is Essential in Cancer Care

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Causes of Cancer

July 26, 2014

Causes of Cancer And Behaviors That May Increase  Cancer Risk

causeCancer is a disease that is caused by very many causes. The disease has robbed us of our relatives and it is better that we learn how it is caused so that at least we may be able to avoid it given that most of the causes of cancer can be avoided if we adopt a healthy lifestyle. The journey towards being cancer free begins by knowing cancer; its cause, how to avoid it and finally how to treat it. It is therefore important to know the causes of cancer just as much as it is to know its best treatment options available that can work better and safely. There are also some behaviors that will escalate your risk of getting cancer. If these behaviors are made known then those concerned will refrain from indulging in them so as to reduce their chances of getting cancer.

Genetics and cancer

Cancer often begins from a single cell and this happens when the genetic composition of the cell is altered. A condition referred to as gene mutation. Gene mutations will eventually stop a cell from performing its functions normally. The cells that have problem with gene composition become cancerous and begin multiplying uncontrollably a key feature in cancerous cells. Gene mutations may happen to an individual from his interactions with the environment or a person may inherit cancer gene from the parents. Most cancers are caused by gene faults that happen in our lifetime. Most cancers are as a result of destroyed DNA, which may be done by carcinogens that a person is exposed to. These carcinogens destroy the DNA increasing the risk of cancer.

Examples of carcinogens that may result in the destruction of the cell DNA is eating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) such as commercial poultry and commercial dairy. The genetically engineered foods contain harmful compounds that destroy DNA and increasing the cancer risk. Industrial chemicals such as benzene also have a negative effect on an individual and may affect the genetic composition of the cells making them more vulnerable to cancer.

There is a fault repair gene but if it doesn’t work as it should and fails to repair the other genetic mistakes that we all gather as we go through life your chances of getting cancer increases.

People who are born to a parent with a mutated gene have high chances of getting cancer. This however does not mean that they must develop cancer but it actually escalates their risk of getting cancer. We share genes from both parents and therefore if one parent has a faulty gene, we have a 50% chance of inheriting it when we are born.

Environmental causes of cancer

The environmental we inhabit has a great influence on whether we stay cancer free or not. The air we breathe as well as the foods we eat are polluted and so we are highly exposed to cancer. The heavy metals that are dangerous to life have been found in insecticides and herbicides among other chemicals that we use. The traces of heavy metals remain in the foods that the insecticides are used on. These heavy metals cause myriad of problems in our bodies that increases our risk of cancer infection as they may interfere with the normal cell functioning  including cell DNA composition that when affected causes cancer. Exposure to such harmful substances like benzene, chlorinated water and pesticides increases a person’s cancer risks. It is quite a pity that those who are exposed to these harmful substances in most cases do not even know that they increase their risk to cancer.

Researchers have been able to prove that even the antibacterial detergents we use can cause cancer as they contain harmful compounds like Triclosan which is very dangerous to health as it disrupts the endocrine functions interfering with the normal metabolism and concentration of hormones in the body. This compound is available in most household items like soaps and toothpastes among other household items. According to the latest research findings, triclosan can improve the growth of cancer cells especially in the breast tissues.

Smoking and cancer

Smoking tobacco increases the smokers risk to cancer greatly. This is because the tobacco smoke has about 60 chemicals that affect the body functions and cause cancer. The tobacco smoke increases your risk to cancer by damaging a gene called p53. This gene is found in all the cells in the nucleus and it helps by prevent the cancer cell growth. Smoking is the leading cause of the gene p53 mutations in cancer patients. Smoking is the major cause of lung cancer but is also known to cause cancer of the mouth, throat, nasal, bowel, cervix and bone cancer. Lung cancer is the type of cancer with the least survival rates and causes most deaths.

Multiple sexual partners

Cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV. HPV is a viral infection and by putting yourself at risk of HPV increases your chances of getting cervical cancer. Getting yourself into sexual activities with many people increases your chances of getting HPV.

causeThe risk of getting the HPV increases with the number of sexual partners you have. When the number is growing, your chances are also increasing. If you reduce the number of sexual partners you have, the fewer the chances of getting cervical cancer. Having sexual partners not only increases your chances of getting cervical cancer but also other diseases like HIV.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) has a website that avails cancer information to those seeking information. You can check on her website to learn more on how you can stay cancer free.

Causes of Cancer and Behaviors That May Increase  Cancer Risk

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Integrative Cancer Treatment

July 22, 2014

The Importance Of Finding A Well Trained Integrative Oncologist

IntegrativeCancer treatment has evolved over the years and today very many alternative cancer treatments have been discovered. The very nature of these treatments and the basis that they work indicates that cancer is a disease that needs to  be tackled at all possible angles in order to be defeated. In the past people over relied on the conventional means of treatment such as chemotherapy , radiation therapy and surgery. These methods of treatment worked for some people well, while for others they never did. In some cases patients have to go through chemotherapy repeatedly to kill the cancer cells enduring all the pain and discomfort that chemotherapy is always associated with but  to no avail. Overreliance on conventional cancer treatments has made us to lose our beloved ones who could have survived if the treatment was given a more integrative approach.

Apart from the conventional cancer treatment methods there are myriads of cancer treatment alternatives such as the nutrition based treatment, ozone therapy, Colley’s treatment and Sonodynamic therapy among others that can help in treatment of cancer. Some of the alternative cancer treatments can work even better when used alongside conventional treatments like chemotherapy hence help in improving the effectiveness of cancer treatment and reducing the severity of the side effects. The benefit of the many cancer treatments methods when used together is overwhelming , so integrative cancer treatment is the way to go.

By finding a well trained integrative cancer doctor who understands what cancer treatments entails, you will be best placed to receive a cancer treatment that does not only focus on killing the tumor but also looks into ways that can be employed to avoid the hurt that the chemotherapy drugs may cause to the healthy  cell. An integrative cancer doctor treats the cancer patient wholly, that is he aims at healing the body, the soul and the mind of the patient. He combines the most appropriate cancer treatment for the patient.

Combines naturopathic and conventional cancer treatments

An integrative cancer doctor helps in treating  the whole person by combining conventional cancer treatment methods like chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery with naturopathic therapies hence offering cancer care that suits the patient’s conditions best basing on such factors as the patients treatment history, diagnosis, prognosis and the patients choice of treatment. The compatibility of the complementary therapies with the conventional treatments is also considered by the integrative cancer doctor when treating his patients. Integrative cancer doctors are also very knowledgeable having had different experiences with different treatment methods and hence can offer a valuable advice to the patient on the best course of action to take in treating the disease.

An integrative cancer doctor knows that cancer is a complex multi-faceted disease that requires multi-dimensional integrative treatment that unlike conventional treatments does not only  target to kill the cancerous cells only but views cancer treatment as whole-person treatment method that need to put into consideration the trinity that makes a person that is the body, the mind and the soul hence achieving an all round healing. The benefits of integrative cancer treatment are evident in creation of integrative cancer centers  in the United States such as the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment. These centers have come up to fill the gaps that the conventional cancer treatment could not fill.

An integrative cancer doctor understands the importance of giving the patients the best care possible. He knows that the best cancer treatment can be achieved when it is done by combining the best therapies that work to detoxify the body, to uproot the cancer cells, to boost the immunity and to nourish the healthy cells improving their permeability ,oxygen and nutrient supply. They aim to treat the disease in a way that it does not reoccur.

The integrative doctor knows all aspects of cancer treatment and knows when to go for chemotherapy or when to just use dietary cancer therapies. He will also help you in adjusting to the treatment requirements. In most cases effective cancer treatment requires a total lifestyle change which most cancer patients find hard to adapt to. The integrative doctor is experienced in naturopathic treatments and will be of help to the cancer patient as he struggles to fit in the new lifestyle. He knows how to make adjustments that may not trigger any negative reaction from the body. As known they optimally engage the patient wholly in the treatment that is the patient participates in the healing by his mind , body and spirit resulting in a whole-person healing.

An integrative cancer doctor is also not tied to a specific treatment hence is able to personalize a cancer treatment to the patient, incorporating all the necessary therapies to ensure that the disease causing free radicals and malignant cells are done away with. He is able to offer a very effective treatment at an affordable price. He offers total healing tackling all the possibility of the cancer cell reoccurring and any possibility of metastasis. He employs tests such as the Greek test, chemosensitivity test  to know the drug resistance ability of the cancer cells, after which he incorporates the most compatible naturopathic treatment that will help in destroying the cancer cells and improving immunity during the treatment as well as reduce the severity of the side effects if any.

IntegrativeChemotherapy is known to harm the patient’s body by killing healthy cells and weakening the immune system, different studies have proved that chemotherapy can be very effective and would not hurt healthy cells if done alongside other alternative cancer treatment methods. Other diets are also known to work well with chemotherapy. An integrative doctor will be able to know the best combination that can work for you.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) has profound knowledge on cancer and can offer you a good advice on how to stay cancer free. Frequently check this website for most current updates on cancer treatment. Generally, natural approach to cancer treatment is worth a try.

The Importance Of Finding A Well Trained Integrative Oncologist

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