Tag Archives: Metastasis

Tests Help in Cancer Treatment

July 25, 2014

Certain Cancer Tests Such As Greek Test, Chemosensitivity and Biofocus Tests Help In Cancer Treatment

testCancer is a disease that is multi-faceted and so needs to be approached with broad knowledge and treatment options to be treated effectively. The time when all cancer patients were treated with one chemotherapy drug is all gone and new treatments has recognized that everybody need to be treated in a special way as genetic composition as well the bodies reaction to medicine are different with every patient. One of the major problems with just giving a drug to all patients without testing the ability of the drug killing the cancer cells is that the cancer cells may develop resistance to the chemotherapy drugs hence will not be killed even if the chemo is repeated. To help avoid this situation and come up with better treatment of the patient, there are tests that may help in determining the best way to treat a patient. These tests include;

Genetic Testing genes

Genetic testing can be used to determine whether someone has certain changes in their genes that may increase a person’s risks of getting certain cancers. It involves taking pints of blood, tissues or cheek cells that are then used to analyze a person. These tests are often called predictive tests. Can also be used to test the likelihood of a person getting cancer if his lineage has a history of the disease.

Some of the genes that are commonly involved in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer are the BRCA1 and BRCA2. Testing can be done on either the cheek swab or the blood to show if a person has these BRCA mutations. The genetic tests do not show whether a person has cancer or not, neither is it intended for that. It shows whether one has gene mutations that might increase his chances of getting cancer.

Genetic testing is helpful in cancer treatment as it tells whether a person has some gene mutations that may increase his chances of getting cancer. This will help in giving drugs or better yet helping the doctors to give the patients the best life he can adapt to in order to reduce his chances of getting cancer.

Genetic testing helps to verify if a person has a gene mutation as the rest of the family. This is in case of hereditary cancer in the family. The gene testing may help to confirm a suspected gene mutation in a person or family and hence help in early treatment.

Chemosensitivity testing

Chemosensitivity testing helps the doctors to know which drugs are good for your type of cancer. It involves extraction of the individual’s cancer cells and testing the cancer cells in lab to see which drug they are most responsive to. The chemosensitivity testing offers a guide to the doctors on which treatment methods to implement when treating the patient.

Chemosensitivity is more strategic and not haphazard and so is most effective as the drugs and the treatment procedures the patient is subjected to are pretested to know how effective they will be in treating the patient’s type of cancer.

RGCC Chemosensitivity testing may use blood or tissues and it is used to test the viability of the chemotherapy drugs in treating the cancer. It also involves genetic profiling of the cancer cell that will help the doctors decide on which treatment best suits the patient. It also checks on viability of other treatment methods that may be used alongside chemotherapy in killing the cancer.

Greek test

Greek test may help doctors with valuable information about the cancer cells ability to resist drugs especially the circulating tumor cells that are known to wreak havoc as they fuel metastasis. Through the Greek test precise treatment methods can be reached as the doctors will be testing the reactions of the cancer cells to the drugs in the Petri dish in the lab before the patient is treated. The most effective agent in inhibiting the growth of the cancer cells is then used to treat the patient.

The Greek test helps the doctors to; discover genes which trigger the growth of tumor cells, find a better alternative treatment that can improve recovery, asses the reasons to why the body may resist chemotherapy drugs and come up with better drugs that can work on the cancer cells. Finally the Greek tests help the doctors to know which nutrients can cause cancer cell apoptosis as well as those that will encourage the growth of cancer cells.

Biofocus tests

 

Biofocus helps the doctors to get a better treatment for cancer patients. It involves testing blood for the presence of the Circulating Tumor hormones (CTCs) in the body. If the CTCs are detected, the next process will now test the reaction of the CTCs on the chemotherapy drugs. The doctors can analyze the reactions of the CTCs to the drugs after which they will choose the best drug for the treatment.

TestBiofocus tests help the doctors in availing better ways to kill the cancer cells that have broken away from the main tumor. As known the circulating tumor cells are able to spread the tumor to other body parts and therefore a better strategy is necessary. It helps doctors to decide on the best drug for the treatment of the disease.

To know more about cancer you need to find access to up to date information about cancer. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) runs a website that equips people with relevant information about cancer. Check on her website regularly to benefit from her wealth of health knowledge.

Certain Cancer Tests Such As Greek Test, Chemosensitivity and Biofocus Tests Help In Cancer Treatment

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Targeted Cancer Therapies

July 23, 2014

 

  Targeted Cancer Therapies are effective in cancer treatment

Targeted cancer therapies are drugs designed to interfere with specific molecules necessary for tumor growth and metastasis. Conventional chemotherapy is a treatment that targets cell division. It kills rapidly dividing cells hence affecting their spread. However as known conventional chemotherapy has side effects as healthy cells are also affected. The aim of target therapies is to fight cancer more strategically with few side effects.

The target therapies are always pre tested before they are used on a patient. This is mostly done on animals like mice. However in some cases it may be tested on humans. The target therapies are mostly used with other treatment methods such as chemotherapy. They help in killing the culprits behind the uncontrolled cancer cell growth and metastasis making such treatments more effective.

Typically the body cells grow and divide to give rise to new cells that will replace them when they grow old and die. However this circle maybe broken and that is where all problems begin, new cells may come up earlier before the body requires them while the old cells may refuse to die and leave space for new cells. The many cells may initiate a growth which divides without control. Eventually these cancerous cells will break away from the parent tumor and spread to the rest of the body causing damage to healthy tissues.

The growth and division of cancer cells is not controlled. The growth of healthy body cells is controlled by the certain enzymes, chemicals and molecular signals that issue instructions to the cells to divide when they ought to. Genes are also involved in cell growth. Hormone proto-oncogenesis is involved in cell growth and division. Changes in these genes may result in formation of cancer cells. The change otherwise known as oncogenesis promotes excessive cell growth and division. To help save this situation, tumor suppressor genes need to stop the cell from dividing rapidly but in case they don’t work as needed the tumor growth begins.

If the changes in the genes are not corrected appropriately by the cell, abnormal proteins may be produced. Proteins help the cells to accomplish some of their duties. The growth factors are and growth factor receptors help in growth and division of cells. In some cases case of abnormal proteins may over respond to signals or may not respond at all. The cancer cells are the result of abnormal proteins that have signaled the cells to reproduce excessively.

Therefore changes in the genes may play a very important role in the formation and growth of tumors. By use of target therapy, the excessive growth of cells can be inhibited and hence put a control to the rise of cancer cells.

How can target cancer therapies help in cancer treatment?

Target cancer therapies are useful in cancer treatments as they work in a number of ways to inhibit the growth and division of cancerous cells at various stages in cancer cell development, growth and metastasis. These therapies interfere with the signals that are sent to the cancer cells to divide. These signals are sent by the abnormal proteins. The target therapies may do away with these proteins completely blocking the signals that trigger excessive cell division and spread of the cancer cells.

By interfering with the signals that promote growth and division of the cancer cells, the target therapies help in controlling cancer. These therapies are always pre tested for effectiveness and so they are precise in executing their intended duties.

Target cancer therapies provide doctors with a better means to personalize cancer treatments. With unique molecular targets produced the treatment of a cancer patient can be individualized hence avoiding the standard treatment where cancer patients are given the same drugs that may not work well in treating the patient. Another advantage of target cancer therapies is that they are more selective hence few healthy cells are affected. It also has few side effects as well as enhances the effectiveness to cancer treatment. It is also convenient to the patients as it may save the patient from repeat chemotherapies that is always the case with haphazard cancer treatment.

Examples of target cancer therapies

Small Molecule Inhibitors

Small molecule inhibitors typically interrupt cellular processes by interfering with the intracellular signaling of tyrosine kinases which are enzymes that transfer phosphate groups from adenosine triphosphate to tyrosine amino acid residues in proteins. Tyrosine kinase signaling initiates a molecular surge that can lead to cell growth, proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis in normal and malignant tissues. EGFR, HER2/neu, and VEGF receptors are tyrosine kinases.

The small molecule inhibitors are therefore very helpful in controlling the spread of cancer. One of the most powerful small molecule inhibitors is Imatinib which was approved in 2002 for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia.

Monoclonal antibodies

Targeted cancer therapy

Monoclonal antibodies  can help in fighting cancer through many ways. Monoclonal antibodies may trigger the natural body killer cells to fight the cancer cells. They help in interrupting the cancer cell growth process by binding ligands and receptors. They may also use toxins or radioisotope to harm the cancer cells. Monoclonal has a denatured protein structure and are administered intravenously, they are subject to drug interactions as they do not undergo hepatic metabolism. Their ability to interact favorably with drugs allows them to be used alongside other treatment methods.

To be cancer free you need updates on cancer to know more about cancer. Dr. Dalal Akoury runs a website that equips people with relevant information about cancer. Check on her website regularly to benefit from her wealth of health knowledge

            Targeted Cancer Therapies are effective in cancer treatment

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More ways to fight Cancer Naturally

July 5, 2014

What Ways Exist To Fight Cancer Naturally?

Best approaches to cancer immunotherapy require a deeper understanding of the mechanism and process of formation of the cancer cells.

Scientists observe that canceris a group of diseases which develop over time. The condition involves uncontrolled division of the body cells which can develop in virtually any of the body tissues. Each type of cancer has its unique features with the basic processes responsible for producing cancer being similar in all forms of the disease.

cancer

Formation of cancer begins when a cell breaks free from the normal fetters on cell division and begins to follow its own schema for proliferation, resulting in more subsequent cells that follow this new schema. Division of this first ancestral cell produces progeny cells that display inappropriate proliferation similar to the first.

The mass of cells so formed from these abnormal cells is referred to as a tumor and may remain within the tissue in which it is originally formed originated or it may begin to invade nearby tissues. Such invasive cells are said to be malignant and threaten an individual’s life when their growth disrupts the tissues and organs needed for survival.

Cancer is thus unwanted growth of cells in the bodies of patients. The tumor cells require almost 8 times the normal amount of glucose. Cancer can be the result of a weak immune system or an immune system that is not working properly due to various chemical, radiation or viral causes. The cells cannot survive in a highly oxygenated environment and so chemotherapy is usually a way of destroying their vital organs.

Studies show that chemotherapy usually affects the general health of the patients who undergo the procedure since destroying the tumor involves trying to kill the disease through a process in which some of the important cells necessary for survival also have to be gotten rid of.

These considerations make a natural cure for cancer an appropriate alternative. Natural alternative treatment for cancer and associated infections comprise of various blocks such as dietary supplements, herbs, mushrooms, alkaline boost as well as raw diet.

The human body has the inbuilt mechanism to destroy cancer cells from the inside that can be its natural cure for the disease. This implies that an individual can tune themselves to getting rid of cancer and successfully get well just by helping their natural body system fight the malignant cells. This process is however hampered in most occasions by improper diet, lack of exercise and daily stress.

Aside from the aforementioned, various foodstuffs have been found to effectively boost the body’s fight against cancer cells. Tomatoes are an excellent food that helps prevent various forms of cancer: lung, cervical, throat as well as prostate cancer. The food is rich in vitamin C and contains lycopene falconoid, a component known to fight cancer.

The natural treatment for cancer should involve minimizing tea or coffee and other acidic or processed foodstuffs. Therapists strongly recommend vegetarian foods in the diet. Reducing processed sugar is also generally recommended by some medical sources. Some studies have identified Green Tea as being anti-carcinogenic, citing the link between acidic blood pH and cancer. Based on this, balancing the blood pH is likely to help the patient to recover or be healed from cancer tumor.

  • Milk

Milk can work both against and in the aid of a cancer patient depending on the location and source of the milk, this depends on whether it contains the A1 protein considered to be harmful to the health of a human being, or A2 protein which are considered able to remove cancer and boost the immune system of the patient.

It is observed that one can find out these facts by looking at how a country has treated or is currently treating its cows. In North America and some other countries for instance Jersey cows’ milk is said to contain the A1 protein that is not recommended for cancer patients. Indian cows are however said to produce milk that contain A2 protein which can be added to the natural cancer treatment program.

Cancer can also be fought effectively by eating raw red cabbage and cooked beets which add another natural cancer-fighting component into the patient’s diet. These foodstuffs are rich in calcium and anti-cancer flavonoids which will help fight the tumor.

Blueberries are another food that is a natural remedy for preventing and managing cancer. Several studies show that the rich pigment helps to prevent or cure the disease. This is due to its rich base of antioxidants which helps to prevent aging aside from treating the tumor.

Due to the large amount of flavonoids, beets are essential in the treatment and control of cancer. The flavonoids explain why you are likely to experience red urine when you eat beets.

Spinach should not be left out of the diet either; it is another food that fights cancer. It is a rich source of vitamin C and beta-carotene as well as other essential antioxidants. Research has shown that people who eat at least two or more portions of spinach a week have less cases of breast and lung cancers.

  • Fresh Carrot or Beetroot

Eatingfresh carrot orbeetrootevery day can alleviate cancer. According to different studies, the condition of the blood tends to be acidic among cancer patients. Carrots and Beetroot tend to have the counter effect; an alkaline component which balances out the pH level of the blood. In Pranic Healing parlance for instance, carrots provide Orange Prana, which is beneficial for patients to cleanse their energy body, chakras, and aura.

  • Citrus Fruits

These are essential inpromoting the Immune System by supplying d-limonene that can also be found in the essential oils such as Lemon, Grapefruit, Lime, Orange, Clementine, and Tangerine. They are said to increase the total white blood cell count which in turn raises the number and phagocytic activity of macrophages while stimulating antibody production.

What Ways Exist To Fight Cancer Naturally?

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