Brain Cancer - 7 Questions on Glioblastoma Multiforme

What are glia cells?

Glia cells hold together the neurons in the brain. The glia communicate with the neurons to trigger the neurons to function. One way to think of glia is that they are a network of cells throughout the brain. The glia are also described as the glue that holds the neurons in place.

What happens to the glia when they become malignant?

Brain Cancer - 7 Questions on Glioblastoma Multiforme

When the cells of a glia multiply, a malignancy is forming. Initially there will not be any symptoms. Unfortunately the cancer of the glia is very aggressive, that is, develops quickly. By the time symptoms are noticed a tumor is growing.

What is gliblastoma multiforme?

GBM, as glioblastoma multiforme is called, is the deadliest, most aggressive form of brain malignancy. GBM can form anywhere in the brain, and is the highest grade of cancer, a grade 4. There is no cure. There are 500,000 cases a year in the U.S.

What are GBM symptoms?

The symptoms are directly related to where the tumor is located in the brain. Brain malignancy is difficult to diagnose because for every group of symptoms there are multiple possible diagnoses. For instance, when my husband began searching for words, we thought he was experiencing "senior moments." Yet, he quickly progressed to no longer knowing the names for objects. Then he could no longer spell or read. These symptoms progressed over four weeks.

How is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) diagnosed?

When brain involvement is expected, the MRI is performed. The MRI will show up the tumor, where it is located, its shape, and it its size. From a biopsy, tissue samples are sent to pathology where the tumor is diagnosed.

What is the treatment standard for glioblastoma (GBM)?

The first line of defense is surgical removal, called a resection. Not all GBMs are operable. If the malignancy is located at the brain stem or anywhere else where resection would cause more harm than improvement, then surgery is not an option. The next line of defense is radiation therapy, five days a week, for four to seven weeks, along with chemotherapy. When the radiation is completed, then there will be a maintenance protocol of continued chemotherapy for several months.

What is the prognosis for this type of cancer?

Poor, glioblastoma multiforme is incurable. Other GBM tumors will form, and other surgeries may be performed. Aggressive radiation and chemotherapy will be offered. Life expectancy is anywhere from few weeks to a couple of years.

The most aggressive and deadliest form of brain cancer is glioblastoma multiforme. This is the type of cancer that Ted Kennedy had. There is no cure for this cancer. Treatment options may include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Brain Cancer - 7 Questions on Glioblastoma Multiforme
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Judy Brutz is a Quaker chaplain, marriage and family therapist, retreat leader and speaker. She is an authority on spouse caregiving and glioblastoma multiforme. Judy lives in Idaho with her family. Her husband is being treated for glioblastoma multiforme. Judy calls on her training and experience as hospice chaplain, therapist and retreat leader to care for herself. She writes for other spouse caregivers. She offers hope. Feel free to communicate with her. comments.judy@gmail.com

watch mobile phone Hot Deals Castana Round Dining Table Best Buy Hon Products Hon Simplicity Ii Systems Low Low Price Oakley Jupiter Lx Sunglasses

Prostate Cancer That Spreads to the Brain

Cancer of prostate develops in the prostate gland and typically develops slowly. Advanced prostate cancer could extend to the brain or other body parts. The brain is one of the most common sites of metastasis from solid tumors.

When symptoms of metastatic cancer take place, the type and frequency of the symptoms will rely on the size and location of the metastasis. For instance, cancer that extends to the bones is probable to lead to pain and can cause bone fractures. Cancer that extends to the brain can lead to various symptoms including headaches, seizures and unsteadiness. Shortness of breath might be a sign of lung involvement.

Prostate cancer typically causes no symptoms until it achieves an advanced stage. Sometimes, symptoms close to those of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) develop, including difficulty urinating and a necessity to urinate recurrently or urgently. However, these symptoms do not enlarge until after the cancer develops large enough to compress the urethra and partly block the flow of urine. Afterward, the cancer might lead to bloody urine or a sudden incapability to urinate.

Prostate Cancer That Spreads to the Brain

In a number of men, symptoms of prostate cancer develop simply after it spreads (metastasizes). The areas most frequently affected by cancer spread are bone and the kidneys. Bone cancer has a tendency to be painful and might deteriorate the bone enough for it to easily fracture. Cancer of prostate could also spread to the brain, which ultimately leads to seizures, confusion, weakness, headaches, or other neurologic symptoms. After the cancer spreads, anemia is common.

If suspected that prostate cancer spread to the brain or spinal cord, CT or MRI of those organs is done. Brain tumors could directly damage brain cells, or they might indirectly destroy cells by producing inflammation, compressing other parts of the brain because the tumor grows, inducing brain swelling, and causing increased pressure in the skull.

Metastatic brain tumors are classified relying on the precise site of the tumor in the brain, kind of tissue involved, original site of the tumor, and other factors. Rarely, a tumor could extend to the brain, yet the original location or site of the tumor is unknown. This is named cancer of unknown primary (CUP) origin.

Prostate Cancer That Spreads to the Brain
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

If you want to get some excellent resources on PROSTATE CANCER, please visit my site on 1st in Prostate Cancer

watch cell phone Purchase Alps Mountaineering Red Tail 4900 Cubic Inch Order 6 Square Tubing Inground Multi Pedestal Utility

Part 1 of 2 - The Cancer Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About

Hippocrates (460 BC - 370 BC) proposed a cancer cure based on the humor theory of four bodily fluids: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. According to the humor theory, if a patient's humor became unbalanced, the patient developed cancer or other illnesses.

To rebalance the patients' humor, treatment consisted of diet, bloodletting, or purging. Surprisingly, humor-theory treatment remained popular until the 19th century. The humor theory was later proven to be twaddle.

Surgery as a possible cancer cure was described in the 1020s by Avicenna in "The Canon of Medicine." He promoted the surgical removal of diseased body parts or tissues. In the 16th and 17th centuries, more doctors dissected bodies to discover the cause of death.

Part 1 of 2 - The Cancer Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About

Between 1871 and 1874, English surgeon Campbell De Morgan formulated that cancer spreads from a tumor to other body areas. Nevertheless, using surgery to cure cancer had poor results due to hygienic problems of that time period.

With hygienic improvement, surgery eventually became an effective cancer cure for early-stage cancer. But the later the cancer stage, the less effective surgery became. And cancer sometimes returned despite surgery.

At the end of the 19th century, Marie and Pierre Curie found radiation to be a possible nonsurgical cancer cure. Surgeons began working with radiologists, improving cancer-cure results. But radiation's effectiveness depended on the cancer's location.

In the 1940s, several patients with advanced cancer of the white blood cells were given mustard gas intravenously rather than nasally. The patients improved remarkably - but temporarily! Researchers began searching for other anticancer substances, giving birth to chemotherapy.

Since then, many anticancer drugs have been developed, exploding drug development into a multibillion dollar industry. So is chemotherapy the cancer cure? No. Unfortunately, some cancers are resistant to chemotherapy.

As you can see, the search for a cancer cure has been going on for hundreds of years. And you can see that a "real" cancer cure doesn't exist. Hundreds of years of seeking a cancer cure has only led us to radiation, chemo, and surgical therapy. And even these don't work well on all cancers. So what are we to do?

Actually, a "real" cancer cure exists - but it's so new that it's not widely known!

WHAT IS CANCER?

Cancer involves groups of bodily cells growing and dividing uncontrollably, refusing specialization for specific bodily functions, invading and destroying other bodily tissues, and sometimes spreading throughout the body. Most cancers form a tumor, but not all. For example, leukemia (cancer of the blood or bone marrow) doesn't.

Cancer affects people of all ages, but affects older people more. According to the American Cancer Society, cancer killed 7.6 million people worldwide in 2007!

Cancer is caused by damaged genes within bodily cells. These damages can be caused by tobacco smoke, asbestos fibers, radiation, chemicals, or viral infections. Cancer-promoting genetic damages can also be inherited.

Normal cells are programmed to kill themselves if they become damaged beyond repair. Nevertheless, this program is turned off in cancer cells - allowing them immortality!

Basically, cancer cells are immortal "brain-damaged" cells that act crazy, killing normal cells, interfering with normal bodily functions.

VITAMIN D AND CANCER

Vitamin D isn't really a vitamin. Since vitamin D is usually produced by the body's largest organ, the skin, it's really a hormone. For a chemical substance to qualify as a hormone, it needs to be produced by one of the body's organs.

Not only do plants need sunlight to be healthy, humans also need it. Long ago, sunlight exposure was the only way humans got adequate amounts of vitamin D. Most foods are vitamin D-free or contain small traces of it - not enough for best health! The human skin is designed to photosynthesize large amounts of vitamin D from sunlight exposure.

Researchers recently discovered vitamin D deficiencies among the following people:

People spending most of their time indoors,

People regularly covering all their skin with clothing,

People regularly slathering on sunscreen,

People aged 50 and older,

People with excessive body fat,

People with inflammatory bowel disease, and

People living far from the equator. For example, the following cities have high cancer rates: Seattle, Toronto, Boston, London, Dublin, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Berlin, Moscow, and Anchorage.

Also researchers found that dark-skinned people are more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency, because their skin filters out more sunlight than light-skinned people.

Additionally, researchers discovered that many of these vitamin D-deficient people developed medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, heart disease, clinical depression, chronic anxiety, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, psoriasis, eczema, high blood pressure, bone softening diseases, chronic pain, muscle weakness, viral infections, polycystic ovary syndrome, and migraine headaches.

But since this article is about cancer, we'll stay focused on cancer.

Can vitamin D cure cancer? Surprisingly, the answer is yes.

Vitamin D is a powerful hormone that regulates and repairs bodily cells. If you have adequate amounts of vitamin D in your body, the cancer cells in your body stop growing and dividing uncontrollably, stop invading and destroying other bodily tissues, stop spreading throughout your body, and begin specialization for specific bodily functions.

Also the cancer cells lose their immortality, and begin to die normally. Vitamin D forces cancer cells to behave like normal cells!

The singular most important cause of cancer is vitamin D deficiency. Most, if not all, cancer patients are vitamin D deficient.

VITAMIN D DOSE

In the past, people believed that taking 600 IU of vitamin D daily was enough for good health. Currently, researchers found that adults need at least 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily for therapeutic anticancer effects!

But how much is too much? Doesn't vitamin D become toxic at high doses? Vitamin D does become toxic at high doses, but it's much higher than you think. Researchers recently found that to poison yourself with vitamin D, you need to take at least 40,000 IU of vitamin D daily.

So if you have cancer, a strong and safe therapeutic dose of vitamin D could range between 10,000 IU and 20,000 IU daily.

WHERE DO I BUY VITAMIN D?

You can buy vitamin D tablets at vitamin and retail stores. It's more convenient to buy tablets that have the highest dose per tablet. For example, I buy bottles of vitamin D containing 2,000 IU per tablet. So I need to take only five tablets to equal 10,000 IU - very convenient!

Vitamin D tablets come in two forms, vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Since vitamin D3 is more potent than vitamin D2, I recommend that you buy vitamin D3 tablets.

Part 1 of 2 - The Cancer Cure "They" Don't Want You to Know About
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

The Guaranteed Cure for Failure, an electronic publication, costs just .95 and is available through http://www.theguaranteedcure.com

The Guaranteed Cure Company, founded by Al A. Gammate, specializes in cures that cure.

mobile phone watches Low Low Price Oakley Jupiter Lx Sunglasses Discount Crl Brushed Stainless 2 X 3 1 Cheap Rugged Ridge 53703 52 Soft Top With

Lung Cancer Survival Rate - Stage 2 Lung Cancer

When one seeks a medical professional about stage 2 cancer of the lung, one of the first questions that will come to their minds is this: what is my lung cancer survival rate? This is greatly influenced due to the medical records showing that cancer of the lung has one of the lowest survival chances among cancers in the entire globe. One must realize that these statistics are just numbers and a huge variety of factors can affect one's chances of being cured.

Ones lung cancer survival rate is affected by various variables. One of these variables is age. Younger people tend to have a higher survival chances than people above 50. This is due to the strong natural defences of younger people than those at the later age. Medical records also show that women with stage 2 lung cancer have a higher capacity to be cured than their male counter parts.

The spread of the malignant tumor is a huge factor when determining one's lung cancer survival rate. Tumors may spread from the lung tissues up to the lymph nodes. When the lymph nodes are affected by the cancer cells, one's survival rate goes down a bit more. Continues smoking even after being diagnosed of stage 2 cancer of the lung will greatly decrease one's ratio of being cured for smoking greatly increases the toxins being infused in the lungs.

Lung Cancer Survival Rate - Stage 2 Lung Cancer

Complications such as blood clots in the lungs will be a huge hurdle in one's quest to be cured of cancer of the lung. Overall, the general health of the person is the biggest determinant if one will have a higher lung cancer survival rate or not.

The advancements in modern technology today in not just detecting and determining the grade of the cancer, but also in facilitating proper cure and methods of treatments are one of the biggest reasons why stage 2 lung cancer rates of survival are starting to go up. As of now, the 5 year survival rate of someone with stage 2 cancer of the lung is at 40 to 50 percent chance of cure and this could go up even more if the patient has a good physical well - being and natural defences.

One shouldn't be afraid when diagnosed of a terminal disease like cancer. He or she must remember that the key to surviving one of life's biggest challenges is facing it immediately for the earliest the detection the higher the chances of survival and cure.

Lung Cancer Survival Rate - Stage 2 Lung Cancer
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

For more stage 2 lung cancer survival rate information, visit Lung Cancer Survival Rate.

watches cell phone Low Low Price Competition Engineering 3002 43 Steel Fenderwell Cheap Official Hockey Goal Best Price Free Shipping

Help, My Dog is Vomiting

Vomiting in dogs is a very common occurrence and can arise from a wide variety of causes, from simple gastritis to complex diseases of other body systems. Not only is it very distressing for both the dog and owner, it also provides a challenge for the veterinarian. This article explains the multiple causes of vomiting in dogs, including adverse food reactions, and the range of treatment options available.

What is vomiting?

Vomiting is the expulsion of food, fluid or debris from the stomach or small intestine due to coordinated movements of the gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal and nervous systems. It is important to differentiate this from regurgitation, which is a passive process rather than a coordinated effort like vomiting.

Help, My Dog is Vomiting

Regurgitation is a sign of disease in the esophagus, such as obstructions (foreign bodies such as a stick, bone or toy, or a stricture), esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus) or megaesophagus (dilatation of the esophagus due to weakening of the smooth muscle). The main difference between regurgitation and vomiting is that regurgitation is effortless, while vomiting is accompanied by strong abdominal contractions.

How can I tell vomiting and regurgitation apart?

Sometimes this is not easy to do. Generally speaking, if it happens immediately after eating it is more likely to be regurgitation (though vomiting can still occur then). If the content of the material expelled appears to be completely undigested food, this also supports regurgitation. If the presence of bile can be confirmed though, it is more likely to be vomiting.

Causes of vomiting

The most common causes of vomiting are dietary related, either through dietary indiscretion (e.g. overeating, eating overly rich or spoiled food) which causes acute (sudden) vomiting, or adverse food reactions (food allergies) which can cause chronic (long term and intermittent) vomiting.

However, there are a huge number of other causes arising from either the gastrointestinal system itself (stomach and small intestine) or secondary to disease elsewhere in the body (e.g. liver or kidney disease). Within the stomach, possible causes include:

1. Gastritis (inflammatory disease)

2. Stomach ulceration

3. Stomach cancer

4. Obstruction (foreign bodies, telescoping of intestine)

5. Hiatal hernia (part stomach herniating through the diaphragm)

Possible causes within the intestine include:

1. Infectious diseases (e.g. parvovirus)

2. Worms

3. Inflammatory bowel disease

4. Intestinal cancer

Secondary causes of vomiting that are due to disease elsewhere in the body include:

1. Pancreatitis (infection or inflammation of the pancreas)

2. Peritonitis (infection in the abdominal cavity)

3. Hepatitis (liver inflammation)

4. Kidney failure

5. Pyometra (infection of the uterus)

6. Hormonal deficiencies or excesses (e.g. Addisons disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Septicemia, Calcium imbalance)

Other potential causes that do not fit into the above categories are drug reactions (e.g. digoxin, chemotherapy drugs, NSAIDs) and neurological disorders.

Treatment of vomiting

Vomiting is a symptom, not a disease in itself. Whether or not treatment is appropriate depends upon the individual circumstances. If the dog is only vomiting occasionally, is bright and otherwise normal on examination, treatment is probably not necessary. Some dogs with sensitive digestive systems will vomit once or twice a month regardless of any treatment, and if they are otherwise well this should be ignored.

For acute vomiting cases, the first step should always be to starve the dog for 24 hours (while keeping plenty of water available ad lib). After the period of starvation, the dog should be offered small portions of a very bland food, such as chicken and boiled rice, for a few days. Meals should be fed as smaller portions several times a day, rather than one larger meal.

Though treating the symptom itself will often improve patient demeanor and comfort, it is no replacement for making a correct diagnosis of the underlying cause, and certain drugs can be harmful if given blindly (for example, giving metoclopromide to a dog with a gastric or intestinal obstruction). Certainly cases of acute and severe vomiting require immediate treatment, as dogs can become rapidly dehydrated, develop electrolyte imbalances and aspiration pneumonia otherwise.

Managing the vomiting dog

There are 2 goals when dealing with a vomiting dog:

1. Identify the underlying cause

2. Stop the vomiting in a safe and effective manner

In many cases, anti emetic therapy (the technical term for vomiting is emesis, and therefore drugs used to treat it are called anti emetics) is instigated immediately while the cause is being established.

A veterinarian will start by taking a full history, focusing especially on normal diet, recent medication, vaccination status and the description of the symptoms. He or she must first make sure that the dog is genuinely vomiting and not regurgitating, which has a completely different set of underlying causes. It is also important to get a graphic description of the material expelled, and whether it contained bile, fresh blood or what appears to be coffee granules (partly digested blood).

The next step is a full clinical examination, including carefully feeling the abdomen, taking the dogs rectal temperature and assessing the hydration status. Once this is completed, a veterinarian will have a slightly narrowed down list of differential diagnoses in mind. If the dog is not dehydrated, bright in demeanor, and both vital parameters and feeling the abdomen were normal, the veterinarian will often (and rightly so) make a presumptive diagnosis of gastritis, or gastroenteritis if diarrhea is present too, and prescribe antibiotics to combat the likely bacterial infection. The owner is then likely to be sent home with instructions to starve the dog for 24hrs and give bland food for a few days, alongside the antibiotics. The owner is instructed to monitor the dog closely, and return immediately if there are any signs of deterioration, or 2 to 3 days later for a routine check up.

If there are any findings in the clinical history or the physical examination that trigger concern, then further tests are necessary. The first of these is usually blood tests for hematology and biochemistry profiles. Urine and feces may also be analysed, the latter for either nasty bacteria or parasites. Additional laboratory tests may be required in certain circumstances, such as bile acid stimulation testing if liver dysfunction is suspected, or an ACTH stimulation test to look for adrenal disease.

The next stage of the work up involves imaging. The most useful is abdominal radiography (xrays), but ultrasonography and endoscopy can also be very important. Radiography and endoscopy both have to be carried out under general anesthesia, while ultrasonography can be performed conscious. If the imaging does not reveal the underlying cause then biopsies may be taken, either endoscopically guided or via exploratory surgery. Histopathology of these samples (studying the tissue microscopically) can give vital clues as to the cause, particularly by differentiating between inflammation and cancer.

The final diagnostic option is the therapeutic trial. If the dog gets better on the medication prescribed, then it must have been a certain type of disease that responds to that drug. By this rationale, wormers, antibiotics or an exclusion diet trial may be chosen.

Drugs used in the treatment of vomiting

1. Stomach protectants and antacids

These medications are useful when stomach ulceration is suspected. Examples include sucralfate (acts like a band aid over the ulcer), H2 antagonists (reduce acid production) and omeprazole (also reduces acidity).

2. Metoclopromide

This drug blocks a neurotransmitter in the brain called dopamine, which prevents activation of the vomiting centre in the brain (known as the Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone). It is only partially effective in doing this though, and has the additional effect of increasing forward motility of the gut. This means it must never be given to dogs that might have a stomach or intestinal obstruction. It can also cause mental changes such as hyperactivity and disorientation.

3. Phenothiazines (e.g. Acepromazine, ACP)

These are effective at blocking the dopamine receptors mentioned above, in addition to other receptors involved in the vomiting reflex. They are usually used when metoclopromide has failed, but also have undesirable side effects such as low blood pressure and sedation.

4. Antihistamines

Histamine receptors are also present in the Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone, the part of the brain that controls the vomiting reflex. Antihistamines are effective in blocking vomiting that is due to motion sickness, but are little use against other causes.

5. Domperidone

Domperidone has a similar action to metoclopromide in that it blocks dopamine receptors and secondarily blocks serotonin receptors, but it does not have the promotility effects of metoclopromide. However, side effects include vulval enlargement and possible effects on fertility.

6. Maropitant

This is a new drug that is a Neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor antagonist. It can be given orally or by injection, and is extremely effective at stopping vomiting by working both on the vomiting centre in the brain and on the stomach itself. It is deemed so effective at stopping vomiting that veterinarians must be careful to properly investigate potentially dangerous underlying causes, that could be masked fatally by this drug.

Help, My Dog is Vomiting
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Dr David Brooks is part of the online veterinary team at PetInsuranceExpert.co.uk [http://www.petinsuranceexpert.co.uk] - the complete UK pet insurance resource. Visit us today to find the right pet insurance for your pet

mobile phone watches Discount Crl Brushed Stainless 2 X 3 1 Order 6 Square Tubing Inground Multi Pedestal Utility Low Low Price Competition Engineering 3002 43 Steel Fenderwell