Tag Archives: Adrenal imbalance and cancer

alcohol-addiction

Alcohol consumption research findings on cancer disease

Alcohol consumption

Alcohol consumption research findings on cancer disease indicates if not addressed more catastrophic result awaits the societies

Alcohol consumption research findings on cancer disease

In our previous article we dealt with the effects of alcohol and cancer risk and in particular we were able to disclose who the use of alcohol increases the risk of contracting head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer and breast cancer. You realize that these are not the only types of cancer that are closely associated with alcohol consumption. In this article we are going to further onto the discussion while focusing on the realities of alcohol consumption research findings about the cancer disease. When research is done, what follows is getting the outcome of that research. In this line of duty a lot of studies have been done primarily to establish if there is any association between alcohol consumption and the risk of cancer. And other than what we discussed previously, the risk is not as evident in other cancers like cancers of the pancreas, ovary, prostate, stomach, uterus, and bladder. In these cancers cases, studies have not established any close association with alcohol or where there is evidence it was inconsistent.

However, for two cancers renal cell (kidney) cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) multiple studies have shown that increased alcohol consumption is associated with a decreased risk of cancer. A meta-analysis of the NHL studies (which included 18,759 people with NHL) found a 15 percent lower risk of NHL among alcohol drinkers compared with nondrinkers. The mechanisms by which alcohol consumption would decrease the risks of either renal cell cancer or NHL are not understood.

Alcohol consumption research findings on cancer disease: Alcohol increases the risks of cancer

And according to doctor Dalal Akoury a veteran addiction experts of many decades, several studies have in the past established numerous ways through which alcohol consumption may increase the risk of cancer including some of them as follows:

  • Metabolizing (breaking down) ethanol in alcoholic drinks to acetaldehyde, which is a toxic chemical and a probable human carcinogen; acetaldehyde can damage both DNA (the genetic material that makes up genes) and proteins
  • Generating reactive oxygen species (chemically reactive molecules that contain oxygen), which can damage DNA, proteins, and lipids (fats) through a process called oxidation
  • Impairing the body’s ability to break down and absorb a variety of nutrients that may be associated with cancer risk, including vitamin A; nutrients in the vitamin B complex, such as folate; vitamin C; vitamin D; vitamin E; and carotenoids
  • Increasing blood levels of estrogen, a sex hormone linked to the risk of breast cancer

Besides that alcoholic beverages may also contain a variety of carcinogenic contaminants that are introduced during fermentation and production, such as nitrosamines, asbestos fibers, phenols, and hydrocarbons. With all these immediate action needs to be taken and doctor Akoury and her team of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will be glad to do just that if you can schedule for an appointment today.

Alcohol consumption research findings on cancer disease: Dangers of combining alcohol and tobacco smoking

Epidemiologic research shows that people who use both alcohol and tobacco have much greater risks of developing cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx (throat), larynx, and esophagus than people who use either alcohol or tobacco alone. In fact, for oral and pharyngeal cancers, the risks associated with using both alcohol and tobacco are multiplicative; that is, they are greater than would be expected from adding the individual risks associated with alcohol and tobacco together.

Alcohol consumption research findings on cancer disease

http://www.integrativeaddictionconference.com/wp-admin

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Facilitating cancer risk with alcohol abuse

Facilitating cancer risk

Facilitating cancer risk with alcohol abuse begins with a single drink

Facilitating cancer risk with alcohol abuse: Defining alcohol

Despite the risks that come with alcohol, it is one that is also abused globally. Surprisingly as addictive as it is, it is one of the biggest government source of revenue across the globe. Alcohol despite its effects in human health and the economies of the nations, it is legally acceptable and it finds its way in both the high and mighty and low places of our societies. So what exactly is this drug alcohol? It is the common term used ethanol or ethyl alcohol which is a chemical substance commonly found in beer, wine, liquor, some medicines, mouthwashes, household products and other essential oils scented liquids taken from plants. From the description of what this product is, we can confidently say that alcohol abuse is facilitating cancer risk as we will be discussing going forward.

Alcohol content

And for value addition, we spoke to experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This facility was founded by doctor Dalal Akoury and currently she is also the MD of the establishment. Together with her team of experts, they are going to help us put to perspective some of the concerns we have in relation to our topic of discussion today which is “facilitating cancer risk with alcohol abuse”. Besides that it will interest you to note that alcohol is produced by the fermentation of sugars and starches by yeast, it is equally important that we are aware of the main types of alcoholic drinks and their alcohol content. This is going to be very helpful to us as we explore the primary effects of alcohol to cancer and cancer patients. The alcohol content in various alcoholic beverages is as follows:

  • Beers and hard ciders: 3-7 percent alcohol
  • Wines, including sake: 9-15 percent alcohol
  • Wines fortified with liquors, such as port: 16-20 percent alcohol
  • Liquor, or distilled spirits, such as gin, rum, vodka, and whiskey, which are produced by distilling the alcohol from fermented grains, fruits, or vegetables: usually 35-40 percent alcohol (70-80 proof), but can be higher

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a standard alcoholic drink in the United States for example contains 14.0 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol. Generally, this units of pure alcohol is found in

  • 12 ounces of beer
  • 8 ounces of malt liquor
  • 5 ounces of wine
  • 1.5 ounces or a “shot” of 80-proof liquor

Up to this point let me pose briefly and find out or justify why alcohol is the most abused drug globally besides facilitating cancer risks and other health problems. Take for instance according to the  federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 just five years ago, the federation position or definition of what should be considered to be moderate alcohol drinking is a maximum of one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. Heavy alcohol drinking is defined as having more than three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks per week for women and more than four drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week for men. With that piece of information, you are now beginning to appreciate the realities of alcohol abuse. Ideally what is considered heavy drinking per week is equivalent to what most people consume in just two hours daily. If in just two hours one would take this much, translate that in to a day then to a week, a month and a year. It thus explains why this is the most abused drug in our societies and so the biggest facilitating cancer risks among other health problems. We are certainly going to continue with this discussion in the next article but in the meantime, you can call doctor Akoury for further professional direction about alcohol abuse.

Facilitating cancer risk with alcohol abuse: Defining alcohol

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Beautiful Child wearing a head scarf due to hair loss from chemotherapy fighting cancer

Cancer affects emotional health in many ways

Cancer affects emotional health

Cancer affects emotional health in many ways.

Cancer affects emotional health in many ways: Depression and cancer

It is never fun to be told that you are suffering from cancer. When such news is broken to the patients, devastation, pain and anguish sets in not just to the patient but even to the relatives and loved ones. For sure most patients, families, and caregivers expresses some degree of depression, anxiety, and fear when cancer becomes part of their lives. These feelings are normal responses to this life-changing experience. We want to settle into the discussion of how cancer affects your emotional health and what you can do to help. We will be guided by the help of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where a lot of cancer preventive treatment are done. You can also be part of the many experiencing life transformation with the professionalism approach doctor Akoury is applying in the treatment of her clients.

Like I have just mention cancer is life threatening and people struggling with cancer will have the feelings expressed above which can be caused by many things, including changes in their families’ roles and even assignment at their work stations. A cancer patient is likely to feel the loss of control over life events, and bear the burden of dealing with changes in their body image. They might feel grief at the losses and changes in their lives that cancer brings. There may be fear of the eventualities like death, suffering, pain, or all the unknown elements that lie ahead. This may not be limited to the patients only but even the family members and caregivers may have these feelings too. It is possible that they will be afraid of losing their loved one. Anger of knowing that cancer is affecting their loved ones will be another concern especially with the knowledge that cancer is genetically inherited. This will in many ways cause both the patient and their loved ones frustration and stress that they are either not doing enough to help or that they have to do more at home.

In all these, it’s important to remember that people with cancer, as well as their friends and family, can feel distress about these things at any time after a cancer diagnosis, even many years after the cancer is treated. And as the cancer situation changes, they all must cope with new stressors along with the old, and their feelings often change, too. For instance, people dealing with cancer that’s spread and is making the person feel worse may have more emotional distress than those dealing with early-stage cancers.

People who have physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, or extreme tiredness (fatigue) also seem more likely to have emotional distress. Most of the time, physical symptoms can be controlled with medicines but it could take more than one try to find the right drug or combination of drugs. Doctor Akoury emphasizes that because of this, patient must keep consulting closely with their doctors and with their cancer team. This way they can help with these kinds of symptoms before you feel overwhelmed.

Take note that this link is tailored to equip you with health information that can help your families, friends, and caregivers to know what feelings and behaviors they might expect from their loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer. It is also to help you understand what isn’t normal and when more needs to be done like getting outside help. Besides, it can also help you recognize when you or others need outside help. Remember that everybody is vulnerable to cancer and all these things can happen to anyone including your caregivers, friends, and family members too. Anyone affected by cancer theirs or a loved one will need help in dealing with the emotions that result.

Cancer affects emotional health in many ways: Depression and cancer

Save

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
call-now

Distressful cancer treatment period

Distressful cancer treatment

Distressful cancer treatment period alongside tolerance can cause jittery in the treatment process

Distressful cancer treatment period: Cancer surgery

The distressful cancer treatment period can be very disturbing. Like for instance the waiting for surgery is another time of major concern. People often worry about the operation itself, but also about whether the cancer is growing while they wait. Fears about the changes that surgery will cause can be a major source of distress, too. Then there are concerns about work and home life and how they may change. Insurance and financial issues often add to the worries. For some people, one of the hardest times is after cancer treatment. Rather than feeling happy that treatment is over, they feel even greater distress. One patient put it this way: “I’m on my own now and I’m just waiting to see what will happen next.” From that statement you notice that this patient is very distress even though treatment has been concluded.

Seeing the oncologist (cancer doctor) after treatment can feel quite scary. Nearly everyone has some fear the cancer will come back (recur). This is normal, too. “Every time I have aches and pains, I’m convinced it’s the cancer coming back even if it’s a pain in my big toe,” one patient said.

Distressful cancer treatment period: Everything about cancer is stressful

Dealing with the side effects of treatment such as tiredness (fatigue), hair loss, weight changes, and how disrupted your life seems is also stressful. In fact, everything about having cancer is stressful. Being upset and worried are part of it, so a certain amount of distress is expected when you find you have cancer. But sometimes distress can go from the expected level to one that interferes with your treatment, makes it hard for you to cope with the illness, and affects all parts of your life.

It’s not a sign of weakness that you become so distressed that it interferes with your ability to do your usual activities. When you visit us at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, our team of experts will explain for you the range of distress from what is considered normal to very high and offer some ideas about how to handle your feelings in ways that will be helpful. The very first thing you need to do in coping with distress is consulting with your doctors and cancer support team. Talking to them about how you feel will make you feel much safer. Their purpose is to help you get better and if they notice something that needs to be addressed, then they will direct you to the help you need. Remember that these people are only here to help you not just for the cancer treatment, but they are also counting on you to tell them how you are doing and what you are feeling. This is one assignment that you are the only one that can do and no one else.

Finally when addressing distress of cancer patients, the scope is not just limited to them but it is also applies to their loved ones. These people are a strong source of support, and their well-being is important, too in the delivery of successful treatment. Therefore if you are a loved one and feel distressed, it’s OK to let the cancer care team knows that you need help. You can also schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for much more professional assistance.

Distressful cancer treatment period: Cancer surgery

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin
Healthy pregnancy

Women breast cancer and depression

Women breast cancer

Women breast cancer and depression comes with very complex pain

Women breast cancer and depression: The most talked about cancer

Of all the cancer types, women breast cancer is the one studied the most. This is primarily true when it comes to the psychosocial effects. It therefore goes without mention that of all the studies done, most of them have been focusing on women and breast cancer. This is what the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury are going to help us understand. Remember that doctor Akoury is also the founder of this facility and ever since she has been of great help to many people across the globe. You can be among the many that have been treated and are now enjoying their lives to the fullest by seeking an audience with her today through a phone call and you will not regret it. In the meantime, let us settle into the discussion focusing on the depression in women with breast cancer.

Longitudinal studies of depression in women struggling with breast cancer

Like I had said before, this has become a great point of concern to researchers and a lot is being done in this direction. Like for instance and according to one of the prospective study where 160 women with breast cancer and were schedule for breast surgery, it was established that about 22% prevalence of depression in women who had a mastectomy for breast cancer. In relation to those with initial stages of cancer this prevalence was consistent for two years. During this period a 30% rate of anxiety in a study of 58 ambulatory women who were 5 years post treatment for breast cancer. Nonetheless women who had partial mastectomy followed by radiation had better body image but similar amount of anxiety and depression symptoms and fear of recurrence as did women who had modified radical mastectomy.

Women breast cancer and depression: Depression in breast cancer patients by surgical procedure

Of the many studies conducted, when the specialist were analyzing the various findings and in comparison with the psychological outcomes of the women undergoing different surgical procedures, it was established that some low levels of depression but higher levels of anxiety in 133 ambulatory breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy after mastectomy or lumpectomy. The end result of this study shows clear evidence that in a cutoff score of 10 on HADS only two mastectomy patients were considered significantly depressed. And on the other hand if a HADS cutoff score of 8 was applied, then 6.7% were depressed. In contrast, in a study of 123 women with breast cancer, there was a clear evidence of high prevalence of depression (50% in mastectomy, 50% in lumpectomy with radiation versus 41% in lumpectomy only). These high percentages may have resulted from a use of a self-report depression scale (Center for Epidemiology Self-report Depression Scale [CES-D]) rather than a DSM-IIIR criteria-based clinical interview. This is clear indication that women breast cancer and depression are a common threat that must be addressed professionally. The sensitivity of this condition will require that you consult with your doctor quite often for quick remedial action to be taken. Doctor Dalal Akoury is always at your service whenever you can call on her.

Women breast cancer and depression: The most talked about cancer

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin