Cancer Remains Leading Cause of Death for American Hispanics

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rates heart disease as the leading cause of death for the American population as a whole. With an estimated 611,105 deaths attributed to this cause in 2013 alone, it outpaces cancer, respiratory disease and even accidents and strokes. That’s not the case, however, for America’s Hispanic population. Cancer in this racial/ethnic group is hands down, the number one killer, researchers say.

A recently released study on the issue showed that cancer overtook heart disease for this group back in 2009. Its prevalence remains strong with certain forms of the disease much more likely in the Hispanic population. Researchers found the most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer in Hispanic men were prostate, colorectal, lung and bronchial. For women, breast, thyroid and colorectal topped the list. Lung cancer, however, remains the most deadly form of the disease for Hispanic men. Breast cancer tops the list of most deadly forms of the disease for Hispanic women. It’s followed closely by lung cancer and colorectal.

All told, researchers anticipated that 125,900 new cancer cases would be reported in the Hispanic population in 2015 alone. While all cancers are a concern, thyroid cancer rates are of particular concern. This form of cancer tends to have an earlier diagnosis age and its diagnosis is increasing rapidly among both Hispanic and non-Hispanic women within America.

As cancer overtakes other causes of death in the Hispanic population, people can take steps to lower their risks. Eating right, exercising and making smart lifestyle choices can help reduce overall cancer risks. it’s also important to understand family history and other risk factors that may play a role. People who are concerned about cancer are urged to speak with their healthcare providers. A personal physician can assist patients in determining risk factors for cancer and may offer insights on how to lower those risks.

Aromatase Therapy May Lessen Contralateral Breast Cancer Risk

Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer may find their risk for developing the disease in their healthy breast rises. While prophylactic mastectomies are sometimes recommended, a different form of therapy may offer hope for those who wish to avoid this eventuality. Researchers have found that aromatase inhibitors may help reduce the risk of contralateral breast cancer in women who carry very specific genetic mutations.

To arrive at those findings, researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston tracked women who were BRCA mutation carriers and who had been diagnosed with hormone-positive breast cancer. These women opted against prophylactic mastectomies.  While researchers found that women with BRCA 1 and 2 mutations were more likely to develop contralateral breast cancer, the risk fell in those who received aromatase inhibitors.

The findings, researchers say, may help women who are BRCA 1 or 2 positive prevent the development of contralateral breast cancer. While more research is needed to confirm the findings, the study indicates this form of therapy could hold promise for women who are diagnosed with breast cancer and wish to avoid double mastectomies.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in American women. Women are urged to speak with their healthcare providers for information on early detection and to gauge their specific risk. Women who carry the BRCA gene mutations may be at higher risk for developing this disease. Routine self-examinations, clinical exams and mammograms can help in the early detection of this disease should it present.

Should breast cancer be diagnosed, women should explore all the facts related to their case. While aromatase therapy may lower the risk for contralateral breast cancer, it may not be advised in all cases. Prophylactic mastectomies may still offer the best chance for avoiding complications down the road.

SBRT May Improve Lung Cancer Survival in Elderly Patients

Helping elderly patients diagnosed with a certain type of lung cancer enjoy a longer survival rate might be possible with the use of stereotactic body radiation therapy, or SBRT for short. New researcher indicates this treatment commonly used in medically inoperable cases can also have a positive benefit on the elderly.

SBRT has been proven very helpful in treating elderly patients who have early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To arrive at these findings, researchers at Emory University in Atlanta conducted a study on patients age 70 or older. While the current protocol for patients age 70 or older with NSCLC is observation, SBRT showed strong results, researchers found.

The study involved a total of 3,147 patients all age 70 or older. The patients had been diagnosed with NSCLC.  Out of the main group, 258 patients underwent SBRT treatments while another 2,889 patients received no treatment at all. The study showed that patients in the SBRT group had a 36 percent lower risk of death than patients who were not treated.

Lung cancer is a very serious disease that often leads to mortality. When patients are of more advanced age, doctors often seek to provide support care rather than expose patients to treatments that may present with severe side effects. Patients age 70 or older, however, may find that SBRT may offer them a ray of hope for leading a longer, fuller life, making potential risks worth the possible reward.

Patients of any age who are diagnosed with lung cancer are urged to carefully discuss all their treatment options with their healthcare providers. It is important to carefully weigh the potential rewards of treatment against the likely risks. The best course of action often centers entirely on the unique case, patient preference and the likelihood of a positive outcome.

2nd Cancers Rising in America

While overall new cases of cancer diagnosed in America are showing a downward trend, the rate of diagnosis for second cancers is on the uptick. Second cancers are not recurrences or spreading of the original disease. They are a new type of cancer or a new site of disease that is diagnosed in someone who has previously undergone treatment.

The shock of being diagnosed with a brand new type of cancer after having faced down the disease in the past can be incredibly difficult for patients to endure. This is, however, becoming a rather common occurrence as researchers say nearly one in five new cases reported in the United States is actually a patient who has had cancer before. The rise of second cancers has been sharp over the past two decades, researchers note. Back in the 1970s, second cancers accounted for only about 9 percent of all reported new cases. Now, that number has climbed to 19 percent with some people facing third, fourth or even more cancer diagnoses over the course of their lifetimes.

Treating second cancers can be traumatizing for patients and difficult for doctors, researchers say. For patients there’s a sense of disbelief that is quickly followed by a grim understanding of the treatments that are yet to come. For doctors, options for treatment may be problematic. For example, radiation often cannot be given to the same basic region of the body two times. Some highly effective cancer-fighting drugs may also have lifetime dose limits, complicating matters more.

As the number of second cancer cases continue to rise, doctors do stress that a new diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the world. Oftentimes, if the new cancer is caught early enough, doctors can devise effective treatment plans. That means people who have faced cancer before are urged to not neglect screenings for other cancers. They are also urged to go in for routine follow-ups.

People who have been diagnosed with cancer in the past are advised to speak with their healthcare providers about their risks for other forms of the disease. The best screening recommendations will come from healthcare providers that understand the patient’s unique case.

New Rules Mean Those at Lung Cancer Risk May Receive Annual Screening

Lung cancer, like many other forms of this often devastating disease, is generally easier for medical professionals to tackle when it is caught as early as possible. Early detection, however, has sometimes been hampered by a lack of access to more advanced screening procedures to find this disease in earlier stages. All of that is beginning to change.

Courtesy of studies that have demonstrated higher survival rates for patients whose cancer is found early, Medicare has announced that it will cover low-dose computed tomography (CT) screenings on an annual basis for some at-risk patients. While the rules may vary somewhat based on the specific insurance a person has, the door for better screening has been opened.

Understanding the ins and outs of the new rules is important not only for medical professionals, but also patients who may find themselves asked to report for yearly exams. Under the new rules, those at highest risk for lung cancer development will be provided access to CT screening exams.

Medicare defines higher risk patients as those who are current or former smokers age 55 to 77, and sometimes up to age 80. People eligible for yearly exams must have smoked what amounts to about a pack a day for 30 years or more. For those former smokers, they need to have quit within the previous 15 years to be considered eligible. It’s also important to note that eligible screening candidates should have no current respiratory symptoms.

The reason for the change in the rules is simple: CT scans can lead to more effective early interventions. The National Lung Screening Trial found that CT scans can reduce the mortality rate of heavy smokers by 20 percent by leading to faster, more effective interventions. The increase in effectiveness is compared to standard X-ray exams.

People who are at high risk for lung cancer are urged to talk with their medical professionals about reducing their risks. Depending on age and length of habit, more aggressive early screening options may be available.

Radiation Therapies Have Improved by Leaps and Bounds

Radiation therapy for cancer treatment has long been proven to be beneficial. This type of treatment, however, presented some potential pitfalls in its application. While high-energy radiation is known to damage DNA so completely that cancer cells die, the cells around a tumor can also be harmed in the process.

Practitioners say advancements in this technology have combined to make radiation treatments safer today than they’ve ever been before. New technologies in the treatment of different types of cancer have enabled doctors to better pinpoint these therapies to eradicate cancer while sparing as many other cells as possible. Here are just a few of the advancements that have been made to make radiation treatment safer:

• Better positioning for breast cancer patients – A simple change of patient positioning during radiation treatments has proven incredibly beneficial for producing safer results. Rather than have a patient lie on the back, doctors are finding a facedown position pulls radiation away from the heart and lungs while reducing the amount of tissue irradiated in the right breast by 86 percent and 91 percent in the left.

• Prostate cancer spacer gel – This new technique enables a spacing gel to be placed between the prostate and the rectum that effectively moves the rectum out of the way during treatment. This can spare the rectum from taking collateral damage.

• Better insights – Image-guided radiation therapy has enabled doctors to better see a tumor before and during treatment. This, in turn, improves precision and accuracy of treatments.

• Reduced treatment requirements – Some forms of cancer, such as lung, liver and spine, are now requiring fewer treatments courtesy of stereotactic body radiation therapy. This can limit collateral exposure while still proving effective in treatment.

• Better access – Technological advances, such as proton-beam therapy, have enabled doctors to target hard-to-reach tumors better with lower doses of radiation.

Radiation therapy has come a long way in recent years. Thanks to advances, doctors are often able to spare nearby cells while still ensuring effective tumor shrinkage.

The Cancer Notebook: Why You Need One?

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, chances are pretty strong you have a lot of questions on your mind. Unfortunately, it’s also likely these questions are coming so fast and furious you can’t sort them well enough to speak a coherent sentence let alone carry on a serious conversation with your doctor.

It’s OK! Just breathe, give yourself some time to process what you’ve been told and grab a notebook. That’s right, a notebook!
Your notebook doesn’t have to be fancy to be beneficial – a basic ring design will work fine. As you square off to fight the disease, this notebook can come in handy for such things as:

•    Jotting down questions for your doctor – Following the initial diagnosis, you’ll have lots of questions about treatment options, what to expect, how long the process should take and so on. Dedicate a portion of your notebook specifically for questions you need to ask your doctor. Be sure to leave space so you can write down notes as he or she answers, too.

•    Recording your thoughts – Cancer treatments can be scary and it sometimes helps to simply write down your thoughts, hopes, dreams and fears. This can help you get through long night when sleep just won’t come and it can also assist while you’re waiting on appointments you’d rather not be at.

•    Keeping a record of side effects – While side effects and many cancer treatments do go hand in hand, that’s not always the case. Err on the side of caution by writing down all symptoms for review by your doctor at your next appointment. Remember, if symptoms are severe, it’s best to call right away and not wait for that appointment.

Facing off with cancer is no easy task and neither is keeping all the questions in your mind straight as you prepare for battle. A “cancer notebook” can help you make sure the questions that need to be asked are.

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Using the Internet to Provide Cancer Support

There are millions of people who have battled cancer and who will battle cancer in the future. And yet when your loved one is diagnosed with cancer - or you, yourself, are diagnosed with cancer - it can suddenly feel as if you are alone in the world. There is nothing lonelier that trying to decipher all the information about a disease from which you are suddenly inseparable and determine what to do in terms of treatment. It is a surreal, overwhelming time and it can feel as if you are adrift in a boat over which you have no control.

Slowly but surely most of us will realize that we indeed have a rich and varied community available to us - membership in a club that none of us wanted to join. But that membership does mean that we have access to people who have come before us and, in turn, we are able to provide that support to those who will inevitably come after us. We have the benefit of their experiences and the information they have gathered, and this can very much help us feel that we are not so alone. There are others who have felt this indescribable feeling; others who have stood where we now stand.

In the age of the internet we are luckier than ever in having access to this information and community support. Using the internet - community forums, online support groups, cancer informational resource pages, and more - we can:

• Better understand the details of our diagnosis and the treatment options that are available to us.
• Learn what questions we should be asking of our doctors.
• Read about natural options for helping to ease symptoms that arise from treatment.
• Talk with people who truly understand what we are feeling.
• Give us hope by reading the stories of those who have battled before us and come out the other side.

Take advantage of all that the internet has to offer in terms of helping us to achieve a better understanding of cancer and a calmer, more positive outlook in our health care plan.

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Scheduling Cancer Screenings for the New Year

There is a significant amount of information regarding cancer - including types, stages, diagnosis, treatment, causes, and much, much more. Sifting through the information depends on your diagnosis - or potential diagnosis - and if you will be undergoing treatment. But one piece of information seems to remain consistent across the board - early diagnosis is absolutely crucial for successful treatment in most cases and in very many cases can save your life. Yet people still often put off the screenings that they know they should be having.

Now, with the New Year upon us, it’s a great time to make a commitment to ourselves and our health by scheduling our routine screenings.

•    Women who are age 21 and older should make their appointments with their gynecologist to get a regular pap smear - a routine screening for cervical cancer.

•    Starting at age 40, women should schedule their mammogram appointments which screens for breast cancer. For women who have been told by their doctor that they have dense breast tissue, a breast ultrasound may be ordered as a supplement to - or instead of - a mammogram.

•    Both men and women age 50 or over should schedule a colonoscopy - a test that screens for polyps and colon cancer.

•    Beginning at age 50, men should be screened for prostate cancer - an easy screening that takes place right in the doctor’s office.

With this new commitment to regular screenings on the table, it is also important to commit to a healthy lifestyle through a healthy diet, regular exercise, regular use of sun block, staying away from tobacco, and limiting alcohol use.

There are none among us who would skip a regular screening for our children but, sadly, many of us do much better at taking care of others than we do at taking care of ourselves. Now is the time. When it comes to overall health and cancer prevention, make this New Year your new start for getting healthy and taking care of yourself.

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Choosing Breast Cancer Care

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer you understand how overwhelming such a diagnosis can be for anyone. You have been given devastating news about your body - news that is likely quite surreal. On top of this news that surely has you in an emotional tailspin, you have been given a lot of information that you have to process on an intellectual level. It’s all very overwhelming and it can be challenging to know where to start. There will be many decisions along the way regarding your treatment and all that is connected to that. But for now the most important decision to make - the decision that will determine all the rest - is choosing the appropriate breast cancer team.

So what do you look for when it comes to choosing a medical team to stand beside you throughout the treatment process?

Breast Cancer Specialty - There are many wonderful cancer doctors around the country and likely in your region. But not every doctor specializes in every cancer. Be sure to choose a doctor and team that specifically specialize in breast cancer. A specialist will be plugged in to all the newest treatments and technologies and will provide you the guidance and expertise you deserve.

Reputation Among Breast Cancer Patients - You will soon find that much of your support will come from others who have undergone treatment for breast cancer - or are currently undergoing treatment. There’s no one who can better understand what you are going through than someone who has experienced breast cancer. Get online and look for breast cancer support groups that can offer you insight into physicians in your area who specialize in treatment for breast cancer.

Your Gut - Ultimately, how you feel with a doctor is what should make your decision for you. It’s important that you feel respected and that your questions are answered thoroughly. The doctor you choose will be a companion to you throughout this challenging journey and you will want a doctor with whom you feel comfortable and at ease.

There are many advancements being made every day in the world of breast cancer treatment. Align yourself with a strong team to expertly guide you through your treatment.

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Can Alternative Cancer Treatments Help in the Process?

The fatigue, nausea, and generalized discomfort that go along with cancer treatment can make coping very difficult. That’s why many patients also seek out alternative treatments that can help them ease the side effects so common with chemotherapy and other cancer therapies.

Alternative treatments can make a big difference in the overall treatment process, but they are recommended for use in conjunction with primary treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. While the effectiveness of alternative treatments can vary from person to person, they can make a difference in a number of ways. For some, they ease the stress associated with the diagnosis. Others may find they help ease sleep disorders, vomiting, and nausea.

So, what types of alternative treatments are available to cancer patients as they battle the disease? Here are just a few of the options that can make coping a bit easier:

•        Massage therapy – This is a great way to reduce stress and enable relaxation. This type of therapy has been shown to be quite helpful in easing some of the symptoms faced by cancer patients.

•        Meditation – Overall, relaxation techniques can be very useful in helping cancer patients relieve stress while relaxing their minds and bodies. Meditation can also help improve sleep while creating a more positive state of mind to face what’s ahead.

•        Acupuncture – This treatment can also be a great stress-buster. Some patients also find it very useful in pain relief.

•        Exercise – While it can be hard to imagine exercising while undergoing cancer treatments, this form of therapy can make a big difference. Not only does it help reduce stress and improve heart health, it can help combat some of the symptoms while assisting with energy maintenance. Yoga and Tai Chi are often recommended in this regard.

•        Aromatherapy – This is also quite good for helping alleviate stress and may even help with nausea reduction in some patients.

While alternative treatments are never meant to replace cancer therapy that’s designed to attack the disease and stop it in its tracks, they can prove quite useful. To find out more, just check with your doctor for ideas that might suit your personal needs.

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Vetting Your Cancer Care Physician

Cancer is not something you want to mess around with when it comes to choosing the appropriate medical care. Finding a cancer care team and physician should be done with a full attention to details and a commitment to learn all you can about a doctor’s treatment style and the services available through their practice. So, what do you look for when it comes to finding a cancer care physician and associated medical facility?

•    Locate a physician who specializes in your type of cancer. Cancer is not a generalized disease. Every cancer diagnosis is different and requires its own unique treatment plan. It’s important to find a doctor who specializes in your particular type of cancer.

•    Look for education, credentials, and experience. Once you’ve found those doctors in your area who specialize in your type of cancer, take a careful look at their education, credentials, and experience of each one. What is their specialty? How much experience do they have of treating your type of cancer? Have they been recognized in their field? All of this information begins to paint a picture of those doctors you may be considering.

•    Determine treatment style. You will be working with your doctor very closely during your recovery. You want someone who is a good match for your personality and will be willing to answer your questions and lead you through the process.

•    Consider the facility itself. Is there a commitment to patient care in the medical facility where your potential doctor practices? Is there a dedication to state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment equipment? You want somewhere you will feel comfortable and well-cared of through the process. So choose with your personality and emotional needs, as well as your diagnosis, in mind.

Just as you would choose any other medical professional in your life, choosing a cancer care physician requires a careful vetting and a commitment to finding just the right fit.

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4 Ways to Beat Cancer

The “C” word might be one of the scariest in the English language, but it doesn’t have to be. In many cases, this disease can be staved off. And, if it can’t, there are ways to fight back and win. The key is getting proactive about prevention and acting quickly should a possible diagnosis arise.

Those interested in increasing their odds for living a cancer-free life or winning should the need to battle the disease arise will find these four steps can help them along the way:

Get Serious About Good Health

While there’s no way to prevent cancer 100 percent of the time, eating right, exercising, and steering clear of cigarettes can help a great deal. Take the time to treat yourself right and it could pay off with good health for years to come. Research has shown that eating a healthy, well-balanced diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables can make a big difference in keeping many forms of cancer at bay.

Don’t Skip Routine Checkups

Going in for routine mammograms or prostate checks isn’t any fun at all. These routines appointments, however, can lead to early detection of cancer. When they do, the chances for survival tend to be quite high since treatment can begin long before the disease has a chance to really take hold and spread.

Men and women both should make routine appointments for screenings starting in their 40s. For those at higher risk for developing cancer, it’s a good idea to speak with a family physician about when to start routine testing.

Take Action Immediately

Since there are no guarantees in life, a diagnosis of cancer can sometimes come even for those who eat right, exercise, and are considered in tip-top health. When this is the case, it’s imperative to take action immediately. Seek out a skilled oncologist and work together to create a treatment plan that is likely to produce positive results.

Stay Positive

Researchers have come a very long way in treating a host of cancer types. Stay positive throughout treatment whenever possible and work closely with your treatment team to ensure the best possible chances for success.

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Helping a Loved One with Cancer

Just about the only thing scarier than receiving a diagnosis of cancer is having someone you love receive a diagnosis of cancer. There’s nothing worse than seeing a loved one struggle with their health; most of us would certainly much prefer to fight the battle ourselves than to have someone we love hurt in any way.

We can, however, be there for our loved one in very significant ways; for emotional support, for physical support, and as an extra set of ears when receiving information and helping to make important decisions. Oftentimes, when we receive a cancer diagnosis, we are completely overwhelmed with what that means. It becomes very challenging to focus on the information that is being given to us and, because of that, we often don’t hear important points or forget to ask questions. When we support a loved one with cancer we are able to help gather and organize information and ask questions of the doctors as needed. If you’re supporting someone with cancer in this regard, remember to:

Bring a notebook - or electronic means for taking notes - with you to every doctor’s appointment. Take note of everything that is said even if it doesn’t seem important at the time. Then, later, when you’ve had time to rest and think, you can look everything over.

Help your loved one identify questions that need to be answered. You don’t think of everything when you’re in the doctor’s office. That’s why it’s so important to review questions when you’re calm and have had a chance to review everything; then you can bring those questions with you to your next appointment.

Be on hand for whatever your loved one needs. From driving them to an appointment to making a meal, you will be called upon for a variety of loving services during this time. Every day is different so maintain your flexibility and be willing to do what is needed in that moment. With the right treatment in place, before long, you’ll hopefully be looking back on these days with gratitude as you celebrate your loved one’s cancer-free good health.

Cancer Treatment Centers In Texas Play An Important Role For Any Cancer Patient

Each cancer is different from the other and needs a unique kind of treatment. Cancer Treatment Centers in Texas use leading technology to aggressively treat cancer. They also offer additional services such as therapies combined with nutrition because they are aware of the fact that managing the side effects of cancer treatment is crucial.

These treatment centers develop a Patient Empowered Care model so that all the employees and staff members ensure that the patient and his/her well being is the core purpose of the organization. They make sure that the patient and their family meet with their doctors for a better understanding of the entire procedure. This will help the patient get answers to all their questions before their treatment begins.

Knowing the seriousness of the disease, cancer care centers in Texas combine advanced cancer treatment with alternative therapies so that an integrated treatment plan can be created. The specialized team of cancer experts communicate on a regular basis so that they are able to provide exceptional care to their patients.

Cancer care goes beyond traditional medicine, mainly because to a certain extent it is important that a patient’s emotional and psychological well-being is also taken care of. The best of the cancer care centers in Texas have their websites online. Browse the net for more information on the same.