Women Information Blog - Learn about Health & Forex Trading

What is Forex Currency Trade?

2008-08-10T01:11:00.000-07:00

A large number of people from around the world have become millionaires owing to careful and tactical investments in the forex trading market. For the uninitiated, yes currency can be bought from different countries and can be sold at the ongoing market rates to earn profits. This market where the exchange of currency is done is known as the foreign exchange market. The forex market is ever changing and the changes are made every second. It thus becomes imperative for an individual to have a high speed Internet connection in order to keep himself updated with all latest change in the market.

The profits in the foreign currency trade are made in accordance with the swells and dips in the forex trading markets. The traders who have been around in the market develop this uncanny ability of predicting the market to a very large extent and as a result of which they generate a good income. The trading is done around the clock owing to various trading markets that are situated around the globe.

Due to varying time zones, different markets are operational at any given point in the day as a result of which various numbers of sellers and buyers are always available for the trade. The markets close only for the weekends. The fact that forex currency trade is done around the clock gives an added advantage to the traders in the form of extended opportunities and higher chances of tapping the changing market trends.

The profits that one achieves from the forex currency trade depend entirely on the purpose of the individual. Day traders often look for short term gains and do not invest for larger periods. On the other hand, various investors invest their money for forex trades that pan out for a long time interval thus giving themselves slightly higher dividends. The forex currency trade should however be done after extensive research and practice owing to the fact that lack of any of these 2 things can lead to huge losses.

Anyone looking to make a living online or at home without being an affiliate or licking envelopes needs to look at Forex Funnel System. The software has revolutionized the trading world by giving the common person the ability to enter the multi trillion dollar world of currency exchange and actually make good money with Forex.

Obediah Marsh
http://forexfunneltradingreview.wordpress.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Obediah_Marsh

FOREX - Trading Foreign Currency

2008-07-31T02:45:00.000-07:00

The trade of FOREX is all about trading the foreign currency, stocks, and the similar type of products. The currency of a country is weighed against the currency of another country to determine the value. The value of this foreign currency is taken into account while trading of stocks on the markets of FOREX. The majority of the countries have the control of the value of that value of country, implying the currency, or the money. Those which are often implied on the markets of FOREX include banks, large companies, governments, and financial institutions.

What returns the market of FOREX different from the stock market?

A trade of the market of forex is one which implies at least two countries, and it can take place in the whole world. The two countries are one, with the investor, and two, the country the money is invested inside. The majority of all the transactions taking place on the market of FOREX will take place by a broker, such as a bank.

What composes really the markets of FOREX?

The market of foreign currencies is composed of a series of transactions and counties. Those implied on the market of FOREX trade in great volumes, great numbers of money. Those which are implied on the market of FOREX are generally implied in operations the cash, or the trade of the credit very available which you can be sold and buy quickly. The market is large, very large. You could regard as being the market of FOREX much larger than the stockmarket in any country in general. Those implied on the market of FOREX trade the newspaper during twenty-four hours per day and sometimes the trade is accomplished the weekend, but not all weekends.

You could be astonished people who are implied in the trade of FOREX. In years 2004, almost two trillion of dollars were a volume of daily exchange of average. It is a big number for the number of daily transactions to take place. Think how much trillion dollars really costs and then times which by two and it is the money which changes hands day labourers!

The market of FOREX is not something new, but was employed during more than thirty years. With the introduction of the computers, and then the Internet, the trade on the market of continuous FOREX to develop like more and more people and the companies realize of the same of the availability of this commercial market. The FOREX explains only approximately ten percent of the total trading from one country to another, but while popularity on this market continues to develop thus this number could.

Justin Boyce is a widely known online marketer one of his passions is Forex trading. Financial investments is an easy way to make money grow and the returns are quick if you use a proven forex trading system. Visit Justin Boyce's site to learn more and start growing your money now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Boyce

How to Start Forex Position Trading

2008-07-31T02:44:00.000-07:00

Forex position trading strategy is a simple technique to increase your position size without increasing your risk. This trading strategy is particularly effective with mini lots and with averaging into a position also it works equally efficiently for standard lots.

For example you may buy one mini-lot of EUR/USD at 1.3100 and set the stop loss at 1.2980. It pose a risk of $20. When the price rises, you may buy a second mini-lot at say, 1.3120 and set the stop at 1.3100 with raising the stop of the first lot to 1.3100. Now you have two lots with overall risk still at $20.

If you find the price to be still rising, you buy a third lot at 1.3140 and set the stop at 1.3120 along with rising the stop of the first two lots also to 1.3120. This would ensure that even in the worst case the whole trade is at break even. Now, with further price rise, you buy a fourth lot at say 1.3160 setting the stop at 1.3140.

Accordingly, you raise the stop on the first three lots at 1.3140, which will protect your profit. Finally, you buy the fifth lot, set the stops as before and ensure a profit of $100. Throughout the process your risks remain at a constant of $20. So in this forex position trading strategy, you limit your risk exposure and at the same time gain handsome profits.

You can use a similar forex position trading method to average your trades. Weekly 3-bar pattern is a strategy which is ideal for forex position trading and which is very effective on longer time frames like the daily or the weekly chart. This forex position trading strategy lets you stay with the trend for a longer period of time.

Ideally, any day trading should be done with minimum lot size position. With forex position trading strategy, the initial profit is less but with trailing stop it can maximize the profit. A good position of day trading can be changed with forex position trading into a long-term profit option.

With forex position trading your exposure to the market is less and therefore no need to monitor the market continuously. The hedging order protects the position and limits your risk in the trading. With forex position trading, you can earn profit with minimal loss that boosts your trading confidence.

You can find many trusted money management software to calculate tradable profit/loss patterns along with optimizing trade sizes for supporting your forex position trading strategy. These software are designed to calculate trade position sizes according to various money management models with several successful positions sizing formula.

The forex position trading strategy may use formulas based on fixed percent risk, float percent units, fixed units, etc. The software are easy to use and help in calculating the most optimal position size for forex position trading strategy. You may also have many online position sizing techniques and position size calculators, which can supplement your forex trading strategy.

To learn more about currency trading techniques visit Forex Position Trading

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Bryan

Best Stocks to Invest In

2008-07-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

Finding the best stocks to invest is not easy but it is not impossible either. With a little patience and right technique anyone can make out which stock will give him good return in the future. For that you need to adopt a few techniques that we will discuss in this article.

Information is the key in stock market trading and thanks to the Internet, finding information is not so hard now. There are hundreds of websites that offer detailed stock market news, tips and industry info. But following all these websites is not only impossible but also confusing as you will find that most of these websites contradict themselves. So it is better to select a few websites and follow them closely and keep track which one gives the authentic information. Once you have found out one or two such sources for reliable information bank on them for determining your stock market strategies.

Have a plan for stock trade and do not jump over everything that comes on your way. Focus on a specific area or industry and keep your investments concentrated in that particular area. In that way you will be able to keep comprehensive information on the stocks and that particular area of the market. It will be easier for you to closely monitor the individual stocks and the companies that will definitely help you to make wise investments. Remember if you invest in what you know thoroughly then it will most likely give you good return.

While trading stocks always distribute your investment wise. Instead of investing in one particular stock select a few good stocks to invest. It is always better to put your money in different stocks as stock market is extremely volatile and even the biggest blue chip companies have down falls at the stock market. So, by investing in number of selected stocks at a point of time you will significantly lower the risk.

There are so many experts these days offering tips that will make you rich with just one or two investments. Surely, it can happen to someone, but there is no surefire technique to predict which stock will give you multiple returns. So it is always better to do your own research for selecting the stocks to invest. There are so many things that you need to consider before investing in a particular stock. Study the current price of the stock and compare it with the P/E ratio and that will give you a fair idea if the stock is over priced or not. Take a look at the sales margin and volume of the stock to see the future of the company and how the market is reacting for the stock. Taking all these factors into consideration make your investment strategy and always have a plan for investing instead of going by the buzz in the market.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vijay_Kumar_Sharma

Build a Strong Stock Trading Strategy

2008-07-05T05:38:00.000-07:00

Do you want to invest in stocks? Do you want to make profits instantly? If yes, then your choice is absolutely right. However, if you have any previous experience about trading, then you can look for day trading - the most profitable stock option where trading is done on the same day. And, if you are a new investor, you can look for long-term trading option where you can earn substantial benefits.

If you have no idea about online stock trading, then the first step would be to get yourself familiar with this type of trading. As the name suggests, in this kind of trading, you trade online on the Internet and there is no need to meet the stock broker in person. Moreover, you don't even need to do any paper work. What actually you need is an online account. So, if you have access to the Internet, you can open an account right from your home or office.

If you ask an experienced trader why he invests in stocks - his answer would simply be to earn profits in a short time period. This is absolutely right - no other investment options offer such profits. The other advantage associated with this type of trading is that there is no limitation unlike other investment options such as lock-in period and fixed interest rates. In case, you want to withdraw money urgently - you cannot take out money in other investment option. However, you can take out your money anytime in the case of stock trading.

So, what kind of trading strategy you should follow in order to reap maximum profits from your investment? According to professional experts, there are certain points you need to follow in order to gain profits. These are mentioned below:

Educate yourself: Whether you want to invest in stocks or in any other places, you need to know about the plan. A comprehensive knowledge is a must for you - therefore, you need to educate yourself. In case of stock trading, you can access articles, blogs, reviews and other content on the Internet. In addition, you can also discuss with financial experts for the same.

How much you want to invest: For those who are experienced, they know how much they want to invest. On the other hand, those who are new investors, they need to analyze their financial strength and then invest accordingly. However, it is suggested that new investors should start with small funds and once they start earning profits, they can raise their funds in the future.

How to buy and sell stocks: Since, trading is done online, you can buy and sell stocks on the Internet. As far as buying and selling of stocks are concerned, a comprehensive market analysis is a must. Without comprehensive market analysis, you cannot buy and sell stocks on time. Therefore, use advanced analysis tools from the company's website and trade intelligently. In addition, stock quotes and charts are also important - read the chart daily and keeps you abreast of the market updates.

Follow these points and then trade accordingly. For future financial security, investment is a must for everyone. Save your hard earned money and build a strong financial backup. Your today's investment decision will definitely help you and your family in future. So, invest now.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vijay_Kumar_Sharma

Trading Forex Successfully is Easier Than You Think

2008-06-26T03:06:00.000-07:00

We all know the statistics. 95% of the people that try to trade forex, fail. Is trading forex successfully really that difficult? Well, it is if you are doing what 95% of failed traders do. The majority of the people that start in forex usually do so because they see some kind of trading system that is drenched with indicators like stochastics, RSI, and any number of the countless lagging indicators that the trading software uses. The question remains how do you know what the market is doing if you are busy looking at the indicators?

Indicators serve the sole purpose of taking the price action of a currency, stock, derivative, etc.... and putting it through some kind of magical formula so it can be interpreted into something else. Instead of using an interpreter to read the market, traders should actually be the interpreter. If you watch many of the traders that trade for themselves on the New York Stock Exchange, you'll notice that many of them aren't very worried about where the stochastic is before they make a trade. They don't do that because all they really care about is where the price is.

Being able to trade using solely price action is an important step in trading forex successfully. If a currency goes up or down 100 pips within an 1hr. A trader should be able to understand why that happened and most importantly be able to take advantage of it. When properly trained, a person looking at a naked (no indicators) chart should be able to see the market in all its glory. All the information is right in front of them. The human mind is an infinitely better indicator than any moving average or RSI.

Make sure to check out my squidoo lens on how I learned to start trading forex successfully.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Ferraro

How Does The Stock Market Work?

2008-06-20T02:05:00.000-07:00

We often hear about the stock market reaching new highs and lows every now and then. There are statements like the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 2 percent on a particular day, with advances leading declines by a margin of..."

The question arises: How does the stock market work?

You need to understand certain basic terms about stock market before understanding how it works.

What is stock?

The meaning of 'stock' can be better explained through an example. Suppose you want to start a grocery business. You buy the premises, the groceries, employ some staff, advertise and start your business. Let us say that you have invested $ 400,000 in buying the premises, building the racks and other sundry items. You spend, say, $ 200,000 on procuring supplies. At the end of the year, your gross income is, say, $250,000. Your net profit is $ 250,000 (income)-$200,000(expenses on supplies) = $50,000.

At the end of the second year your gross earnings are $260,000 and your net profit increases to $ 60,000. Your expenses remain unchanged. Now you assess that your net earnings are likely to remain around this figure at your present amount of investment in procurement of supplies.

You think of expanding your business. You calculate the total value of your investment that includes your investment on premises, sundry expenses, supplies and staff.

Going by the present inputs, the total value of your business is $ 400,000(premises)+ $200,000(groceries)+$60,000 (profits)=$660,000. Since you are in the business of making money and your business is also making reasonable profits, you may price your business at say $1,000,000 when you invite shareholders in your business.

Suppose your invite 10 or 20 shareholders. Each shareholder will have to shell out $1,000,000 divided by 10 or 20 to be an equal partner in your business. When deciding the business matters, each shareholder will have one out of 10 or 20 votes and will own the same ratio of its assets and profits.

Or, you may even like to keep half the shares to yourself and sell the remaining half shares to others. In this case, you will have greater say in business decisions and get the half the ownership and profits as well.

You may divide the total value of your business in still larger number of shares, say, 100, 1,000 or even 10,000.

Stock or share, at its basic, is really that simple. It represents ownership of a company's assets and profits.

Stock Exchange

While earlier you were running a private business, but with the participation of public at large, your business has become a public company. Moreover, the shareholders may not be interested in carrying on their partnership in your company and may like to sell off their shares to others.

Selling shares in this case may not be easy.

So in order to facilitate the trading in shares of such big public companies, stock markets or stock exchanges were set up. We have the examples of New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ and American Stock Exchange. They are the supermarkets for buying and selling shares.

There are two types of stock exchanges, one is the physical stock exchange and the other is virtual stock exchange.

Physical stock exchange

New York Stock Exchange-NYSE-- is an example of a physical stock exchange. In order to trade your shares, you need to open an account with a stock broker or a brokerage firm. The NYSE is a wild kind of place where the stock traders can be seen trying to out-shout each other while gesticulating with their hands trying to buy or sell the shares. These persons are called floor brokers. Your stockbroker actually contacts these floor brokers at the NYSE to buy or sell your shares. Millions of shares are bought or sold daily.

Virtual stock exchange

The advent of computers and broadband Internet has facilitated the trading in shares online through the Internet.

But, as said earlier, you cannot directly buy and sell the shares even online in the stock market. You need the services of stockbrokers or brokerage firms who also work online. The stock exchanges where online trading is carried out are called virtual stock exchanges. National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System or NASDAQ is an example of virtual stock exchange.

Share prices

The prices of the shares or the stock are determined primarily by the supply and demand position of the stock in question. The supply and demand of the stock, further, depends upon numerous other factors, which include the financial prospects of the company whose stock you are trading.

Why Choose Sogotrade: cheap trading stock options

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How To Buy Good And Cheap Stocks

2008-06-20T02:03:00.000-07:00

Many investors love to buy cheap stocks, but as Mr O'Neil (investors.com) puts it: "Stocks are cheap for a reason". In many (but not ALL) cases, investors do not realize that the stocks they bought cheaply belongs to a company mired in problems with slowing earnings, sales growth and shrinking market share. These are bad traits for a stock to have, regardless of how cheap it is.

Nonetheless, although most investors have lost money buying cheap stocks, there are still many savvy investors (read: Warren Buffett) who have made fortunes buying cheap BUT GOOD stocks. How did they do it? Below are some guidelines:

Buy a business, not a stock.

When evaluating a stock, see yourself as a business owner, not a stock investor. Only buy businesses that you understand. When you understand a business, you will be able to evaluate important questions like: Is the company's stock cheap because it is losing market share? What are the challenges faced by the company?

Buy stocks in companies that have a proven track record.

This includes a consistently good EPS, sales, equity and free cash flow growth rate and a long history of great ROIC (above 10% for the last 10 years).

Buy stocks that have a big MOAT

A moat is a 'protective shield' that a company has that prevents other companies from invading their territory. Examples of moats include

Brand name: The company has a very strong brand name, making it difficult for other companies to compete with them. An excellent example is "Apple", with its group of die-hard fans.

Secret: The company has a patent or trade secret that makes competition illegal or very difficult. Example: 3M.

Buy stocks with a good and honest management

Traits of honest management include admitting their mistakes (if the company did not do well for one quarter, they should admit it and explain how they intend to improve the situation) and accepting a reasonable compensation for their work.

How to buy Cheap Stocks?

At this point, you may be wondering: If a company has such an excellent track record and characteristics, why is the stock cheap?

Most of the time, these companies stocks are cheap because of a temporary problem (such as missing EPS estimate) or because the overall market is bearish. At times like this, you can normally buy the stocks cheaply, preferable at a 50% discount.

As long as one does his/her research diligently and is willing to wait patiently for a good price, he/she can definitely join the ranks of successful investors. A bear market (which is NOW) presents the best buying opportunities.

About the Author:
Joelle has invested in the stock market for more than 5 years and has successfully used various investment strategies to consistently make money from the stock market. She offers free top quality investment tips at her blog Stock Market Investing for Beginners.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joelle_Chan

Forex Trading Education - 5 Common Accepted Ways to Make Money Not to Learn

2008-06-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

Many traders work hard at their forex trading education but simply fall victim to the myths and scams that abound online. If you try and learn ideas that are proven to failure, then of course you are going to lose - but 90% of new traders do this!

Here is your list of things that you definitely don't want to learn.

1. Forex Day Trading

You can try as hard as you want to learn methods and systems but you won't win because the logic is dumb. You cannot predict what millions of traders will do in a day and all volatility is random.

If volatility is random, you can't get the odds on your side and you can't win.

2. Forex Scalping

This is simply a dumber version of day trading instead of judging within a day the time periods can be minutes! Steer clear.

3. Scientific Theories of Prediction

The logic here is that human nature is constant so we can predict what humans will do with scientific accuracy.

There is a huge industry in selling the secrets of such legends as Fibonacci, Gann and Elliot - but leaving aside they made no money with their theories, it's obviously not true...

If markets moved to a scientific theory, we would all know the price in advance and there would be no market - pretty obvious really.

Leave these theories to the far out investment community, the naïve and lazy traders and see forex for what it is a game of odds.

4. Don't Learn a Complicated System!

Many traders are very clever and try and use there brain to build complicated systems.

They normally fail, because in forex you need to keep your system simple there is no link between complexity and success.

Simple systems work best, because they have fewer elements to break and are more robust.

You get judged on only one criteria in forex trading and that's your market timing and the accuracy of your trading signal - that's it, and to be accurate you don't need to be complex.

5. Learn Constantly

I read all the time you have to keep a log of your trades and study each losing trade and learn from your losses. What for?

If you forex trading system is logical, then what do learn from a loss?

You lost!

Big deal, losses are part of the game. Once you have a system you are happy with, you simply need to apply it with discipline and if you want to keep learning, you will end up chasing your tail, in search of the perfect system that doesn't exist.

I use the same forex trading strategy, I learned back in 1988 and have never changed it.

Sure, it isn't perfect but it makes money long term and that' the aim of the game.

So if you have read the above, you will know what not to learn and save yourself some time in your forex trading education and get the right education and win.

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Forex Trading Methods - Scalping Vs Day Trading

2008-06-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

It's best to go over some short definitions and descriptions of each of these two forex trading methods.

Scalping

Scalping is basically short period trading. These periods where a trader holds a position can vary from seconds to minutes. Scalping is effectively trading the minutest moves in the market for usually a small profit.

To give an example a leveraged trading account with 100,000 EUR/USD position will earn/lose $10 per pip movement. That means a small 3 pip movement either way will add $30 to or lose $30 of the traders deposit.

Even though effective scalping involves highly leveraged positions the exposure to risk is lessened to some degree by the amount of 'time' that a trader holds his/her position so large movements are rarer (but beware can occur).

Scalping is a popular method of trading practiced by 'newbies' thrilled with the cat and mouse game of the market and some traders make a good living out of it but most traders, in fact close to 90% either break even or lose their deposits.

An added factor to consider is that brokerage houses do not like scalpers. Why? The reason is simple. When a position is taken by a trader the broker has the opposite position and needs to cover that position especially if the broker feels that the traders position is the right one for market conditions. If the broker then covers that position and a few seconds/minutes later the position is squared then the broker has a currency exposure and brokers are companies that generally don't like exposure. Most make their money on spreads and trading against their clients positions. Those scalpers that make money consistently find that most brokerage houses terminate their accounts. That doesn't mean to say that it will happen immediately but when a trading pattern does arise of scalping don't be surprised if your broker 'divorces' you!

Day Trading

Day trading is not really referring to the holding of positions by traders for a day but is more descriptive of the type of forex trader that prefers to hold on to a position for a longer period of time than a few minutes at most. These positions usually last for more than an hour, few hours and in some cases days.

A day trader is a 'different animal' to the scalper in that he/she is more comfortable with exposure to the risk of larger currency fluctuations. It's not because they have fatter wallets it's usually down to having more experience and a different trading temperament.

The profit motive for a day trader is also different. A day trader will look for larger moves within a single trade and be aware of and use for example greater technical analysis to calculate the best entry and exit levels.

Brokers tend to prefer these traders as they can do two things, firstly trade against their client by covering their exposure and go the other way if they have an opposing view or square (net out) the position.

Again there are a lot of losers in the day trade market due primarily to inexperience and a 'gambling' mentality that many participants in the forex market have.

The people who consistently make profits understand the market through experience of trading and knowledge acquired and are persistent and understand forex trading methods that are available and in what situations to use them.

To find out more how you can become a profitable trader on a consistent basis sign up to my Free Weekly Newsletter Here you will learn valuable tips to help you make money. Join Forex4Traders.com here to receive all the benefits.

Peter Burke MBA has been writing Journals and Articles for academic publications for over 7 years and is Managing Director of a Consulting Company in the United Kingdom and has 15 years of trading experience.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Burke

Forex Autopilot - Do you really want to trade using forex Robot?

2008-05-20T05:44:00.000-07:00

Why do you have to trust your hard earned money in to some trading robots like the forex autopilot? Sometimes trading the forex involves some gambling. Some times you need to do some trial and error in ways from which you trade. And I can suggest that you can make huge income in the complex world of forex market using 100% mechanical system like the forex autopilot.

Forex Autopilot is also known a FAPS or forex robot trading the forex. It is a proven automated system that allows anyone to make huge income trading the forex. With this powerful system you can start earning even when you are not exerting too much effort. You can start with the system even with a little amount of capital. Or start having no capital at all, just open a demo account.

With Forex Autopilot you don't have to worry about the market sudden drastic changes. With the flexibility of the system, you can trade worry free and effort less. You can also make sure that you will going to profit even when you are working in any part of the world. The system consist of 3 simple steps. First, plug the system in to your computer. Second, feed it with the necessary information it needed and lastly sit down and watch your investmant grow. Isn't that too easy!

With forex Autopilot you will not only going to gain financial stability but freedom from doing every thing you want. You will no longer be afraid about trading the forex because you will be having the right tools and information in blowing your profits in a level you won't imagine!
Try Forex Autopilot Now and Start changing your life. Make real money trading the forex market withForex Autopilot. This is absolutely not a scam!

Mandy is your friend online. Discover more about forex autopilot at: www.squidoo.com/forex-autopilot-system

Articles Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=929578

5 Tips on How To Become Wealthy Trading Forex

2008-05-10T01:40:00.000-07:00

Let 's look at 5 things to avoid if you want to make consistent money with Forex.

Let's start with 5 common errors you should avoid.

1. Stay away from day trading the market. With all the volatility and numerous outside influences, it is a losing proposition to get involved in day trading.

2. Avoid guess work. Trying to predict what is going to happen on the Forex market is difficult at best. The trader that falls into this trap will eventually come back to bite you because trading currency simply cannot be guessed.

3. Don't trade with money you cannot afford to lose. Trading with money that should be allocated on your personal budget elsewhere is plain unsmart. Traders do dumb things when they panic and trading with money you really don't have causes panic.

4. Do not try to buy a currency low and sell it high. This may work in the equity market but with currency trading it is not the way to go. It translates into having to predict again where highs or lows will form.

The truth is many major market moves begin from new market highs not lows. The best way to do it is buying the breaks as the chances are more in your corner and you often see large trends come up if, the breakout is from a genuine resistance level.

5. Do not trade without help. You should start off trading Forex with a practice account.
Most importantly, get a really good, reliable software program that is tested and has proven results.

Make a Killing Trading Forex! Forex Killer is the place to visit.

See what a Forex Trading Robot can do for you! Forex Robot is a must.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Noni

The Easy Way To Understand Forex Trading for Woman

2008-05-06T02:49:00.000-07:00

So what is forex trading?

It is simply the trading of a variety of different foreign currency types. Foreign exchange trading used to be constrained to the bigger banks and institutional traders, but due to advances in technology, small traders can reap the rewards available in the forex markets by using trading platforms online.

The forex markets go by a number of different names: forex exchange, currency market and FX market, and is the oldest financial market, as well as the biggest and most liquid market. For example when compared with the currency futures market, you'll find that the currency futures is one percent the size of the forex markets. Trading on the forex markets is not focused or centred on any single exchange, and moves from all major banking centres across the world.

Each world currency is on a floating exchange rate and the majority of daily currency transactions involve only the major currencies, such as the Euro, the Dollar and the Yen. Also currencies are always traded in pairs. For example, the Dollar/Yen or the Euro/Dollar.

For investments there are only usually four of the major currencies used. The US Dollars against the Swiss Franc, The US dollar against the British Pound, the Euro against the US Dollar and the Japanese Yen against the US dollar. On the trading markets they are represented in the
following format:

- EUR/USD
- GBP/USD
- USD/JPY
- USD/CHF

You should also be aware that dividends are not paid on currencies
Basically if you think that one currency will appreciate (or gain) against another currency, you can exchange the first weaker one for the first and hold it. Providing all goes to plan, you will eventually be able to change the first currency back to the second and reap the profits made from the currency exchange differences.

So when are the forex markets open?

The forex markets are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, dealers work in 3 different shifts taking orders from brokers to execute overnight. So when you are asleep in your bed the dealers in Japan are busily trading with the dealers in Europe.

Unlike the stock market the movements in price on the forex market are smooth and don't experience the same gaps and jumps when the stock markets open each day. The turnover each day on the forex markets is over a staggering $1.2 trillion, so investors are constantly entering and exiting their positions within the market place.

Recently the market has opened up to small investors. Previously the barrier to entry was significant due to large minimum transactions sizes and stringent financial requirements. Only the banks and big currency dealers were the main players in the market, as they were in a position to take advantage of all the benefits the forex market offers.

Brokers now break down the large inter-bank units, thus allowing smaller traders to buy and sell within the forex market place, taking advantage of the amazing liquidity and profit potential. The brokers, give you the opportunity to trade at similar rate and price movements as the big banks who used to have a monopoly on the market. The key for any new forex trader is to have a forex trading plan or strategy to follow to help negate the risk and potential for huge losses, and to maximise the chance of success.

Do you make these forex trading mistakes? Don't lose your shirt. Discover how to trade forex for big profits. Visit: http://realforexsecrets.com

Or click here for more forex trading strategies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justen_Robert_Case

The Best Forex Trading Indicator - A Must Try Strategy

2008-05-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

Most Forex traders would agree that currency trading can be very difficult at times and earning consistent winnings are hard to come by for most. As a result, I have attempted to provide an easy to follow but extremely useful Forex trading strategy. The Relative Strength indicator (RSI) is a very helpful tool in the Forex trader's arsenal. This oscillator is usually used on the basis of 14-day, 9-day and 25-days. Let's take a look at the best way to use the RSI and how this forex trading indicator can make you consistent winnings.

With regards to the Forex market, the Relative Strength Indicator shows the forex market activity in terms of if it is over bought or over sold. The RSI provides the Forex trader with an indication in terms of the direction the Forex market is moving. One of the great advantages of this indicator is that it is a leading indicator and as a result this indicator shows forex traders what the market is going to do, allowing traders to act accordingly.

It is important to remember that the greater the RSI number, the greater resulting over bought market there is. Of course the opposite is true: The smalle4 the RSI number, the more over sold it is.

So how does this really help us on the Forex market? It is an exceptional tool when looking for micro reversals as well as macro reversals in the Forex market.

Here is a really helpful tip: Try applying the Relative Strength Indicator on the one minute chart with an eighteen period. This should give you a real nice entry signal and you can also apply this to a five minute chart as well. remember that the most critical numbers as far as entry is concerned are twenty-five and seventy-five.

The place for consistent winning trades: http://www.fx-indicators.com

Cal Relerd has been involved in the Forex market and investment world for many years. He is a firm believer in the Forex market being one of the greatest and most accessible means to building substantial capital in a relatively short period of time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cal_Relerd

Forex Strategies for Maximum Profit

2008-04-27T04:14:00.000-07:00

It doesn't matter what you're using to trade currency or what type of currency you're trading. These simple tips will help you on your way to make maximum profit. Apply them because their easy and they'll have very good results.

1. Don't Diversify
Diversifying is a very common piece of financial advice. Ask yourself, Is the ordinary Joe making big bucks? No! Diversifying is a buzz word given to the general public. It's designed for people that are too lazy to look after their money. It's the process of not looking after your money and putting it in different places hoping it all won't be lost. As Robert Kiyosaki suggested in this "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" books, the only diversifying he does is putting his money in what's hot at the time. It's true though. Take a look at the rich people and what they do. Warren Buffet gets into what will make him big money than gets out when it's at the top. He doesn't diversify by trying to salvage some profit. He goes in for the kill, as should you.

2. Follow the Pareto principle
If you're unfamiliar with this ideal, it is the 80-20 rule. Simply it means, 20% of what you do will result in 80% of your profit. Conversely, 80% of what you do will result in 20% of your profit. They key to understanding this is to put most of your time in what makes you money. A lot of people get stuck on doing things that make them very little money. This is why I recommend getting software like Forex Killer to handle the 80% of work that only yields you 20% in profit. This allows you to expand your time to the more effective jobs and allows you to make more profitable trades.

These tips are simple, but they work. They are principles followed by the rich person, not the average Joe. The average Joe is broke, so it's better to mimic the habits of Warren Buffet, than Joe Blow.

For more information on the Forex Killer software, check out Forex Charting Software.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Nash

Women In Forex - Is Male Domination A Thing Of The Past?

2008-03-05T00:25:00.000-08:00

The plain truth, according to feedback obtained by one leading Internet Forex trainer, is that over the past couple of years, women seem to be better at making money from home from Forex than most men.

"They certainly seem to learn more easily, develop more quickly and enjoy the process more than their male counterparts," says Sid Wyemann, CEO of Forex For Beginners.

More and more ladies are taking work-from-home training courses with startlingly good results. It seems that the female psyche is more suited to the patience and discipline needed to benefit from the latest earnings phenomenon to hit the suburbs in a long time.

"The home computer has put the currency exchange market in everyone's front room," says Wyemann - "and it seems that the female psyche may be more suited to it than the male".

"Over the last two years, the number of ladies signing up for home courses has doubled, and there's no doubt that most of them take to Forex like a duck to water," he says. A home trader himself, Wyemann runs four-week long, online training classes for beginners, who then go on to trade from home.

Wyemann goes so far as to say that he finds it more fun and much more rewarding to deal with female trainees and puts this down to several factors.

1. It's rare to find a woman with ego problems - heaven for a trainer.

2. Women seem to have natural patience - men just don't have any.

3. Most men are gamblers at heart - women are steadier, don't like to gamble and rarely knee-jerk. Not at all like most men.

4. Most important of all - it seems that women WANT to learn ALL about each aspect of a subject. Men tend to get half way through and want to take off on their own to TRY IT - long before they're ready.

It's no wonder then that more women are tasting success and opening up completely new vistas of earnings potential, without ever having to commute, work for a boss, or ever feel that they may be neglecting the children.

Sharon, from British Columbia, is one such example of this rising force in Forex. She came across Forex on a forum. "No one could have been greener than I was," she says. "I didn't even know enough about computers to pay for the course without help. I was really nervous before I started the classes and had several 'second thoughts'. I am really glad I went through with it. After a lot of labor-intensive jobs this has been so easy. I finished the training course in October 2006 and started live trading in January 2007. I've never been 'in the red'. I've decided to stop taking any income after January 2008 and actively compound my account because I want to buy my own place. I haven't owned anything in the last 15 years and I retire in a year-and-a-half; I plan to be in my own place by then. Retirement looks like being the best years of my life."

Wyemann is quick to point out that there's no sexism, racism, ageism or any other kind of 'ism' in working from home with Forex - it's there for everyone with a computer.

Forex from home is catching on with the fairer sex by the minute and many, like Sid Wyemann, predict that over the next decade women will be responsible for over 50% of the Forex from home revolution.

About Sid Wyemann.

Sid Wyemann has rapidly become known as one of the world's most respected Forex trainers, specialising in showing complete beginners how to make a living from trading Forex online. Learn more at: http://www.ForexTrainingWorks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sid_Wyemann

A Good Way to Gain Well-Rounded Breasts

2008-03-05T00:24:00.000-08:00

Most women want to gain bigger and enhanced breasts so to say that they are sexy. For women to gain confidence, they must have bigger breasts.

Surgery can give you bigger and larger breasts. Surgery such as breast lift and breast augmentation are the procedures that women an make use of to gain bigger and larger breasts. But these procedures are quite pricey and dangerous. These can give a woman harmful side effects such as hardening of the nipples, discomfort, infections and so on.

Since these procedures can harm women, more and more women are in seek of healthy alternative to give them what they desire and that is to gain well-shaped and rounded breasts. There are other alternatives that women can make use of such as cream, magic bras and natural breast enhancement pills.

There are heaps of natural breast enhancement pills in the market and online. Since there are masses of products, you have to find the one that can do great results for you. Check out the natural breast enhancement pill first before you purchase it, you have to look the details first and assure yourself that it has the right ingredients.

Go to website that can provide you the right natural breast enhancement pill. Check out if the website is dependable enough and has satisfied lots of customers. Go with multiple-pages websites since it can provide you with the necessary information than with a single-page site. Allocate few of your time in seeking for the right product than simply buying one than you will just found out that it has side effects.

Of course, you do not want to gain side effects in using any products, so you have to make sure that you're gaining the right product by doing a little research. Researching about the product can help you out in gaining the right product that can give you well-shaped and bigger breasts.

Indeed, most women want to wear fashionable clothes in order to look stylish and pretty, but having small breasts' size hinder them from being confident, so they want to have bigger and well-rounded breasts so to say that they are sexy and pretty. For most women, having well shaped and rounded breasts can make a woman be confident and happy. Yes, natural breast enhancement pill can give you bigger and enhance breast, provided that you have the right herbal remedy, since not all of these work.

In using a natural breast enhancement pill, you have to follow the program that the company provided you so to see great results in time. In reading the label and following directions accurately and properly, you can have well-shaped breasts in due time.

Eliza Maledevic Ayson

http://primeherbal.com/Breast_Gain/

Eliza Maledevic writes for http://Jump2Top.com - SEO Company

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eliza_Maledevic

Learn Forex Trading - Why it is Impossible to Predict Forex Prices!

2008-02-24T01:31:00.000-08:00

One of the most important points in your forex education should be that if you try and predict forex prices you are 100% guaranteed to lose. The reason is obvious yet more novice traders make this mistake than any other - yet you don't have to predict to win let me explain why ...
Predicting is simply another word for hoping or guessing and that will not make you money in any venture in life and certainly not currency trading.

Let's first dispel the myth of prediction and then explain what you really have to do to win.
Why Predicting Forex is as Accurate as Your Horoscope
There is a huge industry in guru's who tell you they can predict market tops and bottoms and that markets move to a scientific repetitive pattern and pedal ridiculous theories based upon Gann, Elliot wave or Fibonacci numbers.

They all lose and its again common sense why markets don't move to a scientific law.

Why Dont they?

Because if they did, we would all know the price in advance and there would be no market - a market by its very nature moves on uncertainty.

Also if their was a scientific theory that applied to forex trading whoever had it, would not need to sell it to you, as they would be making to much money!

How to Win

The way to enjoy currency trading success is not to attempt to predict - but to act on the reality of the price change.

Let me give you an example that will make this clearer.

Let's say you see a currency coming into test major support and you think it's going to hold.

You do not simply execute a trading signal into the level of support - you wait.

You wait for support to hold and prices to turn away from the level - supported by price momentum.

Using Momentum

If you don't know anything about momentum indicators, then make them an essential part of your forex education.

These momentum oscillators will help you confirm changes in price momentum and allow you to see visually when price is strengthening away from support. You may say I will miss the turn and sure you will - but you don't know its going to turn in advance!

There is an old saying:
"A bottom picker becomes a cotton picker"
And its right, try and predict market lows or highs and you will end up losing your trading account equity.

Great momentum indicators to use are:
The Stochastic, RSI, ADX etc - we don't have time to cover them here, just look them up in our other articles.

They are excellent indicators and will get the odds in your favour.

This is what forex trading is a game of odds - not certainties.

Don't let that worry you though if you can trade the odds you can make a lot of money.

If You Want To Win

Trading is not about trying to be clever and catching the exact turn, know one can do that - so don't try.

Trading has one aim making money and don't worry if you could catch just 60% of all the major trends you would be very rich.

If you learn forex trading the right way and get the right forex education you will now know you need to to act on the reality of price change, use momentum indicators to get the odds in your favour and if you do, your currency trading profits will soar.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monica_Hendrix

Special This Month! Using Forex Trading Signals To Increase Your Trading Profit

2008-02-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

Forex trading can be a volatile form of investing. Many people have lost a significant amount of money buying and selling foreign currencies. While hoping to time their trades perfectly to take advantage of market dynamics and trends, most Forex traders begin by losing money before they start making any profit. Fortunately, there is a way to stack the Forex deck in your favour. Here we will discuss using Forex trading signals and whether doing so can help make your Forex trading more profitable.

What Are Forex Trading Signals?

Trading currencies effectively requires that you know when to buy and sell. However, unlike stocks which are largely based on the financial reports of a company, currencies are usually impacted by many other factors. Professional traders watch a variety of indicators to determine when they should buy or sell. In addition, they watch the trends that may affect the currencies they trade. These indicators and trends comprise the majority of Forex trading signals that experienced traders use.

Where Can You Get Forex Trading Signals?

The small currency trader rarely has access to the trading systems and software programs available to full-time researchers and traders. Also, most small Forex traders are unable to spend more than a few hours a day researching the currency markets (professionals often spend up to 16-hours per day looking at data and placing educated trades). This puts the small trader at a distinct disadvantage.

However there are some solutions, many currency brokers offer to supply small Forex traders with the Forex trading signals that their investment firm compiles but remember this type of service is only as good as the firm that is producing the signals. Access to these signals usually requires a subscription. If you're currently looking for a Forex broker to work with, consider asking whether they can offer Forex trading signals for a fee.

Should You Rely On Forex Trading Signals provided by Forex Brokers?

There are two schools of thought here. Some traders wonder why Forex brokers offer these signals to the casual Forex trader. After all, if the signals truly do identify trends that can be leveraged for profit in the Forex market, why offer those signals to other traders? In a volatile market where knowledge is power, the distribution of valuable information would limit the potential of early movers (in this case, those offering the Forex trading signals).

On the other hand, other traders realize that their time and resources are severely limited. Many have full-time jobs and cannot devote 16 hours a day to studying the trends and other signals in the currency markets. Similarly, they don't have access to the powerful software programs that major investment firms use to extract and compile data about those markets. So, they see value in a subscription services for Forex trading signals.

An alternative is to have your own software that generates Forex trading signals to help you enter and exit the market at the best time to maximise you trading profit. This type of software used to be too expensive for most traders but now there are several very good reasonably packages available on the internet.

In the end, Forex trading is volatile. In order to do well with Forex, you need timely information about the currency markets in which you trade. Understanding what kind of information you need and whether you have access to a timely source can mean the difference between profits and loss in your trading account.
For more information about the Forex, Forex trading software and Forex Trading Signals visit http://www.forexextra.com/
You may copy this article on your web site provided you include the resource box with active links and this notice
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Overanout

Top 7 Things That a Woman Must Have in their Purse

2008-01-18T23:20:00.001-08:00

There are certain things that a woman must have in their bags or purse. We women can't go anywhere without those certain things. I, myself have a list of my must have in my bag.

1. Powder or Press Powder

This my first must have in my bag. I can't stand having an oily face so I always bring a powder. It makes me feel fresh every time I use a powder like fresh out of shower. Of course, if you bump into someone and you don't want them to see your oily face because it makes you look like you didn't have your bath.

2. Lipstick or Lip Gloss

I put this in my must have because I want to have luscious, kissable lips. I always have 3 shades of lipstick in my bag and a neutral lip gloss. In that way, I can match my lipstick with my mood or with the clothes I am wearing. I have a shade of an innocent look pink lipstick, a red flirty one, and another one for almost everyday use that is in between red and pink.

3. Liquid blusher or Blush-on

Liquid blusher that I could use both on my cheeks and on my lips, if I wanted to have a natural looking lips I'd use this. And I use the liquid blusher on my cheeks to have a natural looking blush, which I wear almost everyday. I only use the powdered blush-on just to enhance the liquid blusher if I go to parties or work.

4. Cologne or Perfume

Everyone wants to be fragrant, don't we? It boosts up my confidence if I smell good. I love a sweet, mild smell. When someone walks up to you or if you pass by someone at least you leave them with you're the scent of your perfume.

5. Wallet with money

Of course all of us need our wallets with us certainly with money. I always have my wallet with me because I have my ID's in my wallet. If I get lost or if I get into an accident at least they will have an idea who I am or who to contact in cases of emergencies. I keep an identity card in my wallet and persons to call in these cases. I also have my credit cards, automated machine cards, pictures of my family and my boyfriend, my identification cards, and of course MONEY.

6. Cellular Phone

Maybe this isn't a must have for other woman, but for me it is. I love having to call the people I love. I always make sure that I have contact with everyone, my friends, family, and my boyfriend. This is one way that I do tell show them that I love them and I miss them.

7. Mirror and Comb or Hair Brush

Nobody wants to look like a witch with their hair. You can't prevent a windy day you know. I like to brush my hair to keep it neat and clean looking, and yes you use a mirror to see if you look fine.

So that's it, do we have the same must haves?

Kathy Summers is a nurse in Washington. She loves to read books of almost about anything, but she enjoys reading more on health or medical stuff. For her, gaining more knowledge about our health is a good way to go. You can visit her site at http://ktsummers563.vox.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Summers

Top Four Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed In Los Angeles

2008-01-18T23:18:00.000-08:00

Plastic surgery in Los Angeles is not just for celebrities any more. There is great variety of plastic surgery procedures that a plastic surgeon can offer. When looking at the trends of Los Angeles plastic surgery, it becomes clear that certain procedures are much more popular than other ones.

Breast augmentation using silicone or saline implants is one the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures. Women who are unhappy with the size of their breasts or would like to restore the breast volume which was lost following pregnancy turn to a plastic surgeon for breast enhancement.

In some women with droopy breasts, in addition to breast augmentation, a breast lift would need to be performed in order to achieve a better shape. Silicone breast implants recently became FDA approved for cosmetic breast augmentation in the United States. Silicone breast implants offer the advantage of a more natural feel and there is less risk in the implant rippling.

A tummy tuck is another commonly performed procedure. Staying in shape and having a flat stomach has been promoted in today's society. Exercise and diet do not always allow for a flat stomach, especially in people who lost weight or in women following pregnancy. These people typically have stretched abdominal skin which can only be removed with surgery. During a tummy tuck loose abdominal muscles are also tightened which further flattens the stomach.

Liposuction is similar to tummy tucks and is also a frequently requested procedure. It can be performed alone or in combination with other procedures such as a tummy tuck. Liposuction will remove areas of fat accumulation such as in flanks, thighs, neck, back, and abdomen.

Rhinoplasty (also referred to as nose reshaping or nose job) concludes the list of most commonly performed procedures. Both men and women turn to a plastic surgeon requesting to improve the shape of the nose. Most commonly, patients complain of a bony hump, wide nose, or droopy tip. Some patients request to improve their breathing. In many patients, rhinoplasty is combined with other procedures such as breast augmentation or liposuction.

As the popularity of plastic surgery is increasing, it becomes very important for any person considering surgery to do research to ensure that your surgeon is skilled and safe.

Cervical Cancer and Infertility

2008-01-09T23:22:00.001-08:00

Cervical cancer does not necessarily mean that you will become infertile but the odds are extremely high. This is not an easy concept to come to terms with, even for women who have gone through menopause or who have made up their minds to never have children. The enforced, involuntary removal of the womb is a very final act beyond which there is no going back. The ability to decide for oneself is taken away. It may even feel as though one’s womanhood is being stolen, especially if one’s identity is bound more in one’s physicality than one’s spiritual and psychological being. Many women find that if they allow themselves to grieve, as for the death of a loved one, it helps them to make sense of the loss and to integrate the experience into their sense of self.

Some pre-cancer treatments can adversely affect your fertility, the cone biopsy for example. There is a small chance that the cervix can close very tightly after a cone biopsy procedure, so tightly that sperm isn’t able to enter it. This condition is known as cervical stenosis. If you are still able to menstruate after the cone biopsy then you don’t have complete cervical stenosis, if the womb lining can get out, sperm can get in. Women who have had cone biopsies are also more likely to give birth before 37 weeks, their babies are more likely to have a low birth weight and they are more likely to give birth by caesarian section. The increased risk of early birth is because the cone biopsy weakens the cervix, which is really a muscle that keeps the entrance to the womb closed. If the cervix has been weakened, the weight of the baby pressing down on the cervix may cause it to open too soon and induce labour. This can be prevented by your doctor giving you a “running stitch” to hold it shut. Your doctor may be more technical and call it a purse string suture; the suture is cut before you go into labour, at around 37 weeks.

LLETZ stands for large loop excision of the transformation zone, and has roughly the same effects as cone biopsies i.e. early birth, low birth weight and increased caesarian sections. It is also more likely to rupture membranes. In a review it was revealed that the amount of cervical tissue removed had an impact on the risk of early birth etc. If the excision was more than 10mm deep then the risk for early birth increased. Laser therapy, cryotherapy and diathermy are unlikely to affect your fertility.

If you are already pregnant when the abnormal cells are discovered your doctor will not recommend a cone biopsy unless he or she suspects that there is cervical cancer. The biopsy could weaken the cervix and result in a miscarriage. You may, however, undergo a colposcopy. It’s perfectly safe and won’t affect your delivery, or your chances of falling pregnant again. Usually treatment for pre-cancerous cells is scheduled for after you’ve given birth, when you and the baby are out of danger.

When you actually have cancer and have to go for treatment your chances of infertility are increased as the treatment becomes more aggressive and invasive. Chemotherapy causes infertility although for some people the effects are only temporary. The permanence of chemo’s infertility depends on the drugs used, the dosages, whether a combination of drugs is used as a combination is more likely to result in infertility, the age of the patient and the general health of the patient. If you are still young and have your heart set on having children it may be possible to choose a chemotherapy that will least affect your fertility, but it also depends on the circumstances.

Radiotherapy is given directly to the affected area, so it would be aimed directly at the pelvic area and cervix. This can obviously lead to infertility and is more likely to be permanent. The risk is increased with the strength of the dose and the increased age of the patient. Total body irradiation will usually cause permanent infertility and only a very rare few will go on to have children afterwards.

Surgery to remove cancer does not generally affect fertility, however in the case of cervical cancer where it might be necessary to have the womb or ovaries removed, infertility is an inevitable consequence. Some types of surgery to the cervix, vagina and vulva also result in infertility.

Cervical cancer is not a death sentence; in fact it is one of the most curable cancers around. It is ironic, however, in that for many women it does mean the end of life, or at least the end of the continuation of life, the end of progeny. For many women this in itself is a death sentence. They need support and love to help them through this very difficult time and to enable them to see that they still have so much to offer the world. A woman can be a whole woman on her own terms and she can decide those terms for herself. Sometimes all she needs is a little help to be able to see that.

http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Resourcessupport/Symptomssideeffects/Fertility/Fertility

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Tell Her UK cervical cancer one of the leading cervical cancer websites on the net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Cosser

Ovarian Cancer - Early Symptoms?

2008-01-09T23:21:00.001-08:00

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women. It has been known for a long time as the "silent killer". It earned this name because of the supposed lack of symptoms when cancer of the ovary is in early stages, when it is still highly curable. Recent evidence suggests that early symptoms are often present but overlooked.

There are approximately 22,000 new cases, and over 15,000 deaths from ovarian cancer yearly. Most, but not all, cases of ovarian cancer occur in the post-menopausal years. In three out of four patients, cancer of the ovary is usually discovered during late stages when it has spread inside the abdomen to other organs. At that point, the cure rates are low. Symptoms may include abdominal bloating or pain, feeling full early, or pelvic pressure.

Unfortunately, early stage cancer may not cause many symptoms, or they may be vague and overlooked. Over the past five years, research has shown that some of these symptoms may actually occur earlier and are simply ignored by either the patient or the physician. The trouble is that these general symptoms are most often not related to cancer and are simply intestinal disturbances due to something you ate or a viral infection. If you have abdominal or pelvic symptoms that are new, seem unusual, persist for several weeks, or are worsening, tell your doctor. This is especially important if you have a family history of cancer, especially breast or ovarian cancer.

What happens after you talk with and are examined by your doctor depends upon what is found and your age. It may be necessary to undergo ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) or other imaging studies as well as the CA-125 blood test.

Unfortunately good screening tools are lacking, but the next best thing is early diagnosis. Knowing your body and answering its call to action is very important. Equally important is to insist that your symptoms are explained fully by appropriate examination and testing. If not, it may be time for a second opinion with a gynecologist or gynecologic oncologist.

Steven A. Vasilev MD, MBA, FACOG, FACS is a fellowship trained and board certified gynecologic oncologist, which means he is specially trained and certified to take care of women with gynecologic cancers using a broad spectrum of skills. He has practiced at academic as well as private centers, has been on the faculty of three universities and continues to be involved in research and education. You can visit http://www.gyncancerdoctor.com to learn more about screening, prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers. You can also visit a one-of-a-kind site devoted to life, love and intimacy after cancer http://www.cancervival.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Vasilev_MD

A Good Survival of Lymphoma - Having a Good Time Anyway

2007-12-27T00:53:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe my oncologist was telling me I had to have my chemo treatment on my 60th birthday. I didn't know what bothered me the most to tell the truth, having chemo or turning 60. I told my oncologist that this was mightily unfair, and in my usual manipulative ways, conveyed to her the logic of slicing a few days off here and there. However, she said to me, "Uma, you have a good chance of beating this and I'm not going to screw around with the dates."

So there it was. I sat crying for at least 20 minutes, railing at the unfairness of it all when suddenly I thought, "My God, I'm really hurting myself by doing this. I'm getting all upset and probably destroying what immune system I have left." So then I became defiant, and said to myself,"I'm going to have a good time anyway." And I did. My friends gathered around me the night of my 60th, a special friend created a painting for me, and we had a jolly good time. Sometimes I think it was the first time I ever really understood what surrender was. It was a time when I really was aware of not having a choice but finding my choice when I let go.

As it turned out, my chemo nurses, two very funny and compassionate ladies, brought me a birthday cake. They were hysterical at the outfits I chose to wear to chemo. Since I was nearly balding, I wore a back ski cap which young gang members doff or au courant kidnappers wear, gray pajama pants decorated with little cats, a plaid shirt worn because it was the only one that opened from the front for my port and bright azure blue cashmere socks given to me by a dear friend who also did my laundry. A few weeks later that outfit got me into trouble.

I was on my way to chemo, and it was an emotionally blustery day for me, angry and self-pitying that I had to drive myself. I didn't make a full stop at a corner before turning on to the highway. Next thing I know I am hearing the siren of a policeman. So I pull over and hear, "Get out of the car with your hands up." I thought that was pretty extreme for an illegal right turn. Eager to comply, I got out of the car with my hands up. The cutest cop stood there with his gun drawn and as soon as he saw me, he began to laugh. He said that my car was similar to one that had just held up a bank and combined with my black ski cap, I was an instant suspect. We both laughed and eager for a good time, as I always was, I asked him if he would like to escort me to the hospital, sirens blaring, etc. He demurred but since he was so cute, I considered asking him if he would like to frisk me, seeing that I hadn't been frisked in a long time. But leaving well enough alone, I got into my car and laughed all the way to the chemo room, telling the nurses that story and forever being called a criminal by them from then on. I might add, their favorite criminal.

Interestingly, I had never been vain and thought I wouldn't care if I lost my hair and in some ways, that was true, except when I saw myself without it. It wasn't the hair so much as I looked so pitiful. Always having a weight problem, when I looked into the mirror I said to myself, I look like a fat concentration camp victim. And then the sadness wore in.

I remember one night very well, 3 am in the morning, looking at myself in the mirror, shaved head, blister on my lip from the chemo, terrible inflammation in my chest, writing to my spiritual teacher, saying, "Do you remember the story about the Tibetan monk, imprisoned by the Chinese for 20 years and when asked what the worst thing that happened to him, he said, "When they nailed my feet to the floor, I almost lost my temper." And then I thought, "Screw that, I as a Jew, think that the worst thing is that I am about to lose my sense of humor." But as I wrote about it to my teacher, I started to describe my brilliant and intuitive Indian born oncologist who in her high pitched voice could ask you to pass her a chapatti and with the same cheery detachment in her voice, tell you she was recommending that your pancreas and large intestines be removed by dinner. Of course, we all know what good-natured malice does. It eventually restores one's good humor.

Before diagnosis is really the worst time, because you don't know what to do. It's a time of real powerlessness. In my case, it seemed I was throwing up on a whim at all times. I later found out it had nothing to do with the disease, but occurred when my stress was at an all time high, a time when I had not discovered the joys of ativan. But more likely from ingesting some very high-powered dark green Chinese herbs that an herbalist had sworn had made her very young and strong boyfriend survive his brain tumor. This of course fed into my desire to take all those peculiar and heavily touted immune stimulating items I would never have touched before, but which began to lure me to them with their siren calls. "Cancer runs from me. Take me; I will heal you."

It is also the time of looking for that vegetable juicer you gave to your hippie niece. And buying that 25-pound bag of carrots and dark green veggies. In your state of hysteria, you find yourself asking the veggies and juicer for forgiveness for having ignored them. I can't tell you how many people who upon discovering they have cancer, start to slug down gallons of carrot juice. What they don't usually know is that carrots being as sweet as they are can contribute to your diabetes or hypoglycemia, not to mention their tendency to turn your skin orange, also contributing to the suspicion that you not only have cancer, but hepatitis. Pre-diagnosis time is also a time when you make bargains to forever eat wheat grass and be kind to people whom you don't like.

My sister, God bless her, immediately made me an appointment with a macrobiotic counselor. He was a true healer, and what I mean by that he didn't have a ready made shtick that he would impose on me, giving me guilt about the choice I made to take chemo. Since I had been a vegetarian for many about 30 years years, was a holistic practitioner and masseuse, I subscribed to a holistic way of life and naturally considered chemo at the outset to be my worst choice. But surprisingly enough, especially to me, when I heard my diagnosis, I immediately turned to my oncologist and said, "When can the chemo start?" Knowing my background (I had given her many massages), she was as surprised as I. I had been classified as Stage Two and instinctively felt that chemo was my best chance for survival. And I didn't want to be sorry while I was drinking wheat grass and taking enemas that my cancer was progressing. This of course was a very personal choice. My macro guy concurred with me, and said very simply to me, "You know, Uma, if you lived by the seashore or high in the mountains, you might have a chance of curing yourself naturally; but you don't and I think your decision to take chemo is a wise one." Thank you, Lino, for your wisdom, because I am still here and kicking.

I also remembered two holistic style friends, one an herbalist and the other an acupuncturist who had literally kept their heads in the sand during the early stages and as the cancer progressed, the acupuncturist belatedly started chemo. My other friend, the herbalist, attempted to treat her breast cancer with some red paste from Georgia. known for removing tumors from animals, and absolutely refusing to consult a doctor. I remember her calling me the last days of her life looking for some kind of pain medication and my begging her to see a physician.

As you can see keeping a sense of humor was an absolute necessity especially around the beginning of your journey. I withstood some very hysterically funny and sometimes annoying comments. In an effort to survive it all, I created my Top Ten List of the Dumbest Things People Say When you Have a Diagnosis of Cancer. Here they are:

1. I'm sorry, Uma, that you have lymphoma. My boyfriend died of that last year.
2. Do you have the good kind or the bad kind?
3. Uma, I'd like you to try these treatments. They were very effective on this woman who died last year.
4. Not to worry, my dog had lymphoma and after three chemo treatments, she is just bouncing around.
5. What must your karma be to have that?
6. I think you are so brave to be doing chemotherapy. I myself would die before I did it.
7. I once had a lump in my breast, but I really didn't want it, so it went away.
8. I have some vitamins I would like to sell you. We could both make a profit.
9 I have this lump on my head. Do you think it could be lumphoma?
10. They say that people who have a lot of anger get cancer. Do you feel that's true in your case?

You know when some of your old antagonists are afraid you are going to die, because they have started sniffing around you, wondering if it was time to ask your forgiveness now or whether they should wait until you are on your deathbed. I myself never believe in deathbed forgiveness. I know that it seems wonderful, but I truly wonder whether it is true forgiveness when you are still smarting from the pain of your childhood. I know everybody is really thrilled at the open hearts expressed, but my cynicism thinks that it is a short lived reunion and you as an adult are still suffering the results of that unloved childhood. I have felt that true forgiveness comes when you yourself feel that you are no longer victimized and you heal yourself from within. It's not like somebody saying, "Dad's dying; time to forgive." I don't think forgiveness automatically kicks in.

You do find it difficult at this time to hold a grudge. A woman with whom I had a hard time when finding out I was ill came to me and said, "I hear you have cancer." And when I looked at her face, I saw the struggle was off the table. I didn't have the time or strength to hold onto my anger with her and neither did she. Strangely enough, when I recovered, we picked up where we had left off, but this time I made a serious and successful attempt to let go of my anger with her because as Carly Simon sang, "I didn't have time for the pain."

There were other benefits at having a potentially terminal disease.

1.People cut you a lot of slack; you don't have to be so "on"all the time. When you are on chemo, you have that wonderful diagnosis of "chemo brain" It's the time when your brain is not firing on all cylinders and there are many lapses between the utterance and the thought. When things get boring, or somebody is speaking overly long, you can just look blank and mutter "chemo brain" and all is forgiven.

2.People are more inclined to offer assistance to balding women, especially if you don't wear your kerchief. That is a true and glaring statement of your physical health. Don't be afraid to go without your kerchief. You are giving people a chance to express some kindness, which is good karma for them. It's almost the closest to feeling like a monarch or at least a movie star.

3.If you are like me, never having had real time off from work, you get to sit around and watch Law and Order without feeling guilty, because the only thing that is expected of you is to survive. Nobody gives you a hard time because your only job now is to fight for your life and survive.

4.You are given an automatic, if invisible, cancer card. This entitles you to discounts at sales even if the sale is long over. I have experienced when people noticed my bald head, they would give me the sale price even if the sale were over.

5.You can go to the head of line in most lines with people smiling at you.

6. People take you out to dinner a lot. I was convinced that they had said, "This is a good time to take Uma out because she probably won't be eating that much. " What they didn't know was that my tastes had changed and upleveled considerably. I only wanted to eat at the really nice restaurants. I had started to treat myself nicer and take better care of myself; I even bought new clothes. It had suddenly become very important to me to look good. I didn't want people to say, "Poor Uma, she doesn't look good." I wanted to be flattered. I considered one of my survival tools to be people looking at me happily instead of pityingly,remembering a friend who had cancer for 25 years and made people happy because she always managed to look beautiful. Lastly, if I was to say what was the really great benefit of cancer, I would say it gave me the chance to get more real, to drop a social mask we all wear. I didn't have to put a face on what was happening. If somebody inquired of my health, when I felt ill, I said so, and when I felt well, I told the truth. I was later told that because I answered matter of factly rather than self-pityingly, people were more comfortable and natural around me. Nobody wants to be around self-pity, even if it's deserved.

When a very close friend of mine learned of my diagnosis, I saw her immediately go into cheerleading mode. She said, "Uma, you'll write a book; you'll use this to its fullest and you'll become famous, etc." I looked at her quizzically and said, "Lily, I don't know if I'm going to survive." We just sat there and looked at each other. I couldn't put a face on what was happening; I couldn't pretend that I wasn't looking at impending death. I just became me and in that place I remember along with the fear, a sense of relief. As a therapist, I preferred working with people who had cancer because they seemed the most authentic. Cancer wipes a mask off and if you survive, you hopefully retain that same authenticity in your life. That is a great gift - to be just you without a mask. Most of us don't know that we even wear ones; we become so anxious to please our family or our friends in subtle and not so subtle ways. But when you have a life threatening illness, it is time to do whatever you can to preserve that life. I didn't know that life meant as much to me as when I became fearful of dying. And as my mask wore off, I felt my true self begin to emerge. There came a richness and fullness that I will always be grateful for.

Uma Simon is a gifted tarot reader and spiritual counselor, residing in an ashram for the last 30 years, who uses the tarot as an invaluable aid to gaining spiritual awareness and change. You can contact her at umasimon@comcast.net or see her at http://www.umasimon.com

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Funny Breast Cancer Advertisement

2007-12-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

Examine - Funny blooper videos are here

Personal self examination of the breast is one of the ways to detect breast cancer. Physical examination maybe by doctor or phisician also help to detect this dangerous disease mostly among the women.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment Of Breast Cancer

2007-12-05T02:21:00.000-08:00

Today is the treatment of breast cancer with surgery or by radiotherapy and chemotherapy based integrated treatment, comprehensive treatment of Chinese medicine is an important means of adjuvant therapy, especially in the opponent's side effects and after radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be toxic reaction played an important role.
of this Act Fuzheng pui role:
Enhance the body's immune function, and enhance the activity of the immune system;
Role of hormones, can stimulate bone marrow and protection to prevent or mitigate radiotherapy and chemotherapy damage
Improved cancer patients in the Central immune phosphorus levels of adenosine may affect tumor cell growth, reproduction, thereby inhibiting tumor cell growth,
regulate body metabolism and improve the nutritional status of patients, patients can improve the quality of life.
the role of law Huoxue Huayu:
Reduce platelet cohesion, and can reduce blood flow in cancer cells stay, the opportunity to gather and grow, thereby reducing transfer;
To improve microcirculation, increased vascular permeability, the promotion of drug absorption;
improve the state of hypoxic tumor cells and improve radiotherapy and chemotherapy sensitivity
reduce soft tissue elastic fibers, thereby reducing radiotherapy and chemotherapy-induced fibrosis;
raise antibody levels, and enhance the body's resistance capacity. Some drugs have a direct inhibitory or anti-cancer effect.
the role of Qingrejiedu Act:
This therapy on tumor inhibited, it has anti-cancer function;
Qingre antidote have enhanced immune function;
Qingrejiedu with this therapy.
of phlegm Ruanjian role: a tumor suppressor role of this therapy, cancer cells will lose their normal shape, subsequent apoptosis, thereby enabling lump narrow. There are enhanced immune function in addition can be caused by treatment for the tumor swelling, pleural effusion, and ascites, and so on.
the greater the toxicity of therapy, the role of tackling tough challenges plot. The experiment shows that such drugs have direct anti-tumor cells, and can inhibit the body produce antibodies, the immune inhibit

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Jojo

Breast Cancer Diagnosis And Treatment - Get the Complete Facts and Protect Yourself

2007-12-05T02:20:00.000-08:00

A diagnosis of breast cancer is devastating news, and each year it is conveyed to more than 250,000 women - and about 4,000 men - in the United States. But while life's priorities change in the face of unfavorable health news, some experts say it is a time when patients should be at their most vigilant, understanding what their options are, whether to seek a second opinion, and having a firm handle on what is meant by the phrase.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women, behind skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women, behind lung cancer. Even without a medical diagnosis, a lump can trigger fear, tears and emotional upheaval. Even knowing that 80 per cent of breast lumps are benign doesn't help ease the anxiety
For most women, a breast-cancer diagnosis hits their lives like a bombshell, frequently changing forever relationships with loved ones, family members and friends, and how they view themselves and their own health. Because breast cancer is a disease that attacks a part of the anatomy most frequently linked to womanhood, many newly diagnosed women feel as though they've been hit with a double whammy.
With early detection, your chances of cure for Breast Cancer are very good. Best breast cancer diagnosis is early diagnosis. More than 95 percent of breast cancer cases are curable if caught in the early stages. The problem, he said, has been getting women to give themselves breast examinations to detect lumps, to receive mammograms and see their doctors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Kahn

How to Heal from Breast Cancer Treatments

2007-12-05T02:17:00.000-08:00

In this article you will learn ways on to heal from the effects of breast cancer treatments. Going through the treatments of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can be hard on a woman's body. As a women go through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, there are many side effects from the treatments that can cause temporary discomfort to the body. Because I have gone through the treatments myself, I have found products that helps to minimize the discomfort and help heal the effects of treatments.
First, there are two types of surgery - lumpectomy and mastectomy. After surgery, it is important to find a specialty bra to help keep the breast secured in order to heal properly. A mastectomy bra will be necessary to purchase after a women have gone through a mastectomy surgery. These specialty bras include a pocket to hold the prosthesis form.
During chemotherapy, a woman will endure several side effects from the medication. The most common side effects are losing your hair, nausea, loss of appetite, neuropathy, fatigue and anemia, change in taste and smell, dry mouth, memory loss, and menopause.
With the hair loss, you can either wear hats or wear a wig. Without hair, hats will fit loosely. You can wrap your head with a bandanna or scarf to fill the gap so the hat can fit a bit tighter. Wearing synthetic wigs can make your scalp a bit itchy and make it sweaty. You can buy a wig cap to help with these problems. Wigs can be expensive. They range from $130 and up. Most insurance will cover the purchase of the wig so do check with your insurance company.
The effects of chemotherapy not only can affect your sense of smell and taste, but it can leave your mouth very dry. To help reduce this effect, there are products to help increase the flow of saliva. This dry mouth care pack by Biotene contains gum, mouth wash, toothpaste, and moisturizing gel. Otherwise, drink a lot of water and try to chew gum to keep the flow of saliva.
The common side effects of radiation are fatigue, skin problems, and loss of appetite. The most complaint from patients are the irritation and discoloring of their skin. After a radiation treatment, the skin will be very sensitive. Make sure you wear loose clothing when going to receive treatment. Try to get a driver to drive you home so you don't have to worry about driving yourself. The radiation can and will burn the skin so it is important to keep the area moist. To help keep the skin moist, a patient can use a therapy lotion called Alura Skin Therapy. This lotion will help keep the area moist after each radiation treatment. The patient also needs to be aware of not using regular deodorant. Most deodorants that are bought in stores have a metallic ingredient in the deodorant. The metallic ingredient can interfere with the radiation treatment. You can purchase a non-metallic deodorant by Alra. This special made deodorant will eliminate perspiration odor and wetness. This gentle, non-irritating deodorant contains oil of cypress, a clean-smelling natural fragrance, and lichen extract which is a natural bactericide and fungicide. These healing products will help ease the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
If you know someone who is going through chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments, a great gift to give a loved one would be a chemotherapy kit and/or a radiation kit. The chemotherapy kit contains a breast cancer cap, dry-mouth pack, breast cancer bandanna, water bottle, 2008 planner, travel size hand sanitizer, and a tote bag to carry all of your needed items. The radiation kit contains the non-metallic deodorant, skin therapy lotion, soft cushion to protect your sensitive area, dry-mouth pack, 2008 planner, and a travel size hand sanitizer. These kits contains all the products that will help you with the healing process as you go through your each treatment.
Gina Andrew is a young survivor of breast cancer. She understands what a woman will need after surgery. Gina has started an on-line breast cancer store and carries varieties of mastectomy bras.
Visit Gina's on-line store to find beautiful styles of mastectomy bras, post-surgery wear, breast cancer jewlery and accessories. http://www.beautyenhanced.net
She also started a breast cancer resource center in her home town. Visit her non-profit organization at http://sacbcrc.org to learn more about her cause and how you can donate to help women who are facing breast cancer.

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Breast Cancer and Diet

2007-11-08T21:08:00.001-08:00

Breast cancer attacks one in eight women. It is a cancerous tumor, firm lump that "never" goes away. It is usually pain free. The vast majority of breast lumps are not cancerous. Lumps that do not move may be caused by normal fibrocystic changes during the menstrual cycle. It is thought that estrogen plays a role as it promotes cellular growth in the breasts and reproductive organs. Cancer is a disorder of unrestrained cellular growth. Other factors may include early menstruation prior to age 10, and menopause after age 55. It is most common in woman over forty.
Breast cancer, like most cancers, comes in the form of a tumor. All tumors are blood, protein and fat rich. Protein and fat build and fuel tumors, cancer in addition to bones, organs, hair, nails, teeth, etc. The other nutrients, water, sugar, minerals, etc. reduce cleanse, cool and moisten. No one has ever developed cancer from eating too many fruits, vegetables and grains. This is higher in America, Argentina and all other countries that tend to be high protein, high fat, especially red meat, eggs, chicken, etc. It is lower in the poorer countries that tend to eat more rice and vegetables than protein and fat.
Cancer is a disorder of unrestrained cellular growth. As a tumor it is fed, nourished by blood, protein and fat. Its growth can be accelerated by too much protein and fat, especially animal that is hormonally treated, with growth hormones. It can also be accelerated by estrogen. Estrogen is growth hormone. It is also stimulated by protein and fat, as well as growth hormones. Hormone free red meat, eggs, poultry, turkey, etc. is available. Estrogen supplements can also be a cause.
Caffeine is a known breast irritant. It is an accelerant, stimulant drug, as is smoking, tobacco and alcohol. Unrestrained growth is fire out of control. Coffee, tobacco and alcohol are fire out of control, and should be limited.
While there is "no cure for cancer" there is always a beginning and end. Cancer in tumor form can be starved via low protein, low fat (vegetarian), grains, cooked vegetables, spices, fruit and herbs. Essiac Tea is one herbal combination that has been successful; however the success is limited to the individual as it generally takes more change than drinking tea to cure breast or any other cancer. If you stop feeding it, it will die. Don't do anything rash. Check with your doctor first. Most are harmless cysts. Cysts are abnormal fluid filled sacs found commonly in the breasts that come and go, and sometimes stay too long. Fluid sac are not cancerous as they contain no protein or fat, but can be fed through diet.
Most breast lumps are a function of water and temperature. Too much water in the diet: eight glasses of water per day, salads, fruit, juices, smoothies, shakes, milk and cold drinks, in combination with low protein, low fat foods (beans, nuts, seeds, light dairy, etc.), in excess, tends to cool the body, causing excess condensation (cold condenses) to occur in the lungs (mucous, phlegm), breasts (lumps, cysts), stools (loose), thighs (cellulite), abdomen, ankles, etc. Cooked foods and spices help reduce, eliminate excess moisture as does a decrease in cold, damp foods (salads, tropical fruits, milk, cold drinks, etc.).
Most of them are harmless and normal, but should be checked, monitored via physical examination. Breast cancer may also cause a yellow, bloody or clear discharge from the nipple.
Author, Hot and Cold HealthAcupuncture Physician (FL 1992-2002)Owner, operator Food and Thought, health food store, Hollywood, FL (1984-2001)Questioning and counseling of 30,000+"What do you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?"Web: http://www.hotandcoldhealth.netCooking teacherChi gung practitioner, daily, outdoors, since 1988
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Stage 4 Breast Cancer and Common Methods of Treatment

2007-11-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

With diagnoses of Stage 4 breast cancer you know the cancer has expanded to other places in the body. Focused treatment of this stage of breast cancer at present does not offer a cure for this disease. Treating with radiation or surgery is not adequate. Other areas involved can include the brain, liver, bones or lungs. Even though it is commonly life threatening at some point, patients with this stage of breast cancer can live for many years to come.
Treatment to reduce the size of the cancer can slow down the disease. It can make the patient feel better and allow for a longer life for the patient.
Many factors can impact the efficiency of a specific treatment for a patient. Some of the common treatments used with Stage 4 breast cancer are hormone therapy, biological therapy, radiation and surgery, clinical trials, and use of other drugs impact.
Cancers that need hormones to grow are hormone receptor positive cancers. Women treated for hormone receptor positive cancers can be treated successfully with hormone therapy. Newer drugs, such as the aromatase inactivator Aromasin, along with aromatase inhibitors Femara and Arimidex are presenting great promise in treatment. These drugs cause a decrease in the amount of estrogen the patient's body makes. These drugs can choke the cancer causing it to slow down cutting off the supply of estrogen the cancer requires in order to thrive. Another drug used successfully for many years to block the effects of estrogen is Tamoxifen.
Herceptin is a new drug used to treat women with metastatic breast cancer that is HER2 positive. Biological therapy is however a more recent method for cancer treatment. A surplus of a protein identified as HER2 makes the cancer spread quickly in almost twenty five percent of women with breast cancer. Herceptin stops this protein from making the cancer cells to grow. It may also give strength to the immune system to fight the cancer on its own. Often it is used along with chemotherapy.
Sometimes radiation and surgery are used in treatment of this cancer. These treatments may help treat the pain and other symptoms in places the cancer has spread. Radiation and surgery are not used to cure cancer.
Any successful treatments available today started out in a clinical trial. A clinical trial makes available new and advanced treatments. Many new treatments, new therapies, new drugs and new combination are presently in clinical trials. They are open to many women with Stage 4 breast cancer in today's fight against breast cancer.
Nausea, infections, and fatigue are some of the side effects brought on by breast cancer treatment. These side effects may be relieved with the help of other drugs. This can help women with Stage 4 breast cancer deal better with this disease by a reduction in some of these side effects.
For other useful and practical information concerning Women's Health Issues, please go to http://www.womens-health-talk.wcf-ltd.com/
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Special Features: Find Out How to do College Loan Consolidation

2007-11-06T23:55:00.002-08:00

For the good majority of those that have attended college, there are debts to be paid off after you’ve graduated. Tuition costs continue to rise and sometimes it takes more than one loan to pay for those additional costs.
When you’ve had your graduation ceremony, have or have not gotten a job, and six months have gone by you will be expected to start paying those loans back. A college loan consolidation can make that repayment easier on you and your bank account.
There are many companies and banks that offer student loan consolidations. These will take all loans that you have taken during your time in college and combine them into one lump sum. That lump sum will be given one interest rate that will often be less than the interest rate that you’ll get from the loan repayment plan you’re given when you’re close to graduation. You will be able to make smaller payments and work toward the ultimate goal of paying off your student loans.
As you are looking for a student loan consolidation company, be fully aware that there can be huge differences in how their program operates. Be sure to compare costs and interest rates especially. Also be on the lookout for those companies who charge a fee for early pre-payment of the loan they give you, which only serves to lock in the interest that they will be collecting from you on this loan.
Most of the loan consolidation companies will offer an interest rate that is preferable to the one you are paying. If you have more than one student loan, you are paying that interest rate more than one time every month. When it comes right down to it you may end up paying far more than the amount you borrowed if paid over a long period of time.
The consolidation loan will give you the benefit of only paying an interest charge one time per month. This interest rate may be 4 or 5% whereas the student loans that you will be starting to pay back at the end of your six month grace period may be 7 or 8%. Many of the consolidation companies will not have a penalty for early payment, but some of them might. Be sure to find out if this is a penalty before you agree to the consolidation. Be well aware of the details of your payback agreement before you sign the papers for the loan.
Each student loan consolidation company will offer something to appeal to you as a way to earn your business. Find the one that will work the best with your needs and will charge you the least amount of interest. This can save you thousands in the long run and make the payback of your student loan as simple and pain free as possible. Since your goal is to pay off your student loan, the last thing you want to do is rob Peter to pay Paul with another loan, which leaves you in the same situation you are now!
For more insights and additional information about College Loan Consolidation please visit our web site at http://www.debtconsolidationstrategies.com
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The Best Ways To Beat The Deadliest Skin Cancer

2007-11-06T23:55:00.001-08:00

We're about halfway through the summer, and I'll bet you've heard no end of warnings about sun exposure. Stay out of the sun for long periods of time. Avoid the sun during its peak hours. Wear lots of sunscreen when you go out. The litany goes on and on. The dangers of irresponsible sun exposure are real... but they are also misunderstood
It is true that repeated sunburns contribute to skin cancer, but not to the kind of skin cancer that you think. Sunburns can lead to the most common forms of skin cancer-basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. These are superficial cancers, meaning that they don't easily spread within your body. They are also easily treated when you catch them early.
The kind of cancer you think of when someone says skin cancer is melanoma. This is much more serious. Melanoma can spread throughout your body and be very deadly. But the link between sun exposure and melanoma is tenuous.
There is evidence that sunburn does increase the risk of melanoma. But there is also evidence that sun exposure without sunburn will actually lower your risks.
For example, in one study researchers found that people whose jobs force them to get regular sun exposure are less likely to develop melanoma than those who get no sun exposure as part of their jobs. (1)
In another study researchers discovered that people with melanoma had a greater chance of survival if they spent more time in the sun. (2)
As you can see, the connection between sun exposure and melanoma is more complicated than the simple "Sun is bad," mantra that you hear from most dermatologists.
The two best ways to protect yourself from melanoma are to understand what responsible sun exposure means and to know how to recognize melanoma in its early stages—early treatment is key to survival.
Know the Skin You're In
First, here are the keys to healthy sun exposure:
Do get some sunscreen-free sun exposure each week to bolster your vitamin D levels. Do protect your skin from burning by covering up, finding shade, or using a safe sunscreen with zinc oxide as the active ingredient.Don't stay out in the sun for prolonged periods without taking measures to protect your skin.Do take 1 gram of vitamin C before bed if you burn—it will help your body prevent long-lasting damage to your skin.Do have a therapeutic lotion on hand in case of sunburn—my favorite is just straight aloe vera jelly.
Next, here are the ABCs of recognize a melanoma in its early stages
A. Asymmetrical Appearance: Take notice of moles that aren't symmetrical in shape. This is a warning that something might be amiss. B. Border Irregularity: Moles that have a rough or uneven border may be cancerous or in danger or becoming cancerous.C. Color Variation: A healthy mole is usually uniform in color. Cancerous moles often have color variations within the mole, ranging from white to red to black to brown. D. Diameter: Be concerned about any mole larger than a pencil eraser.E. Elevation Change: Most healthy moles will not undergo any changes whereas a cancerous mole may change from a flat mole to one that is raised or it may grow in size.
If you have two or more of these ABCs in a single mole, it's time to make an appointment with your dermatologist. It could save your life.
In Good Health,Jay Brachfeld, M.D.
http://www.vitalmaxvitamins.com http://www.vitalmaxvitamins.com/blog
1 Nelemans PJ, et al. "Effect of Intermittent Exposure to Sunlight on Melanoma Risk Among Indoor Workers and Sun Sensitive Individuals," Environmental Health Prospectives 1993; 101(3): 252-55
2 American Cancer Society. Sunlight May Not Be All Bad for Some Cancers. ACS News Center. Feb 2005.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Brachfeld,_M.D.

Skin Cancer Prevention - Broccoli Has Its Day In The Sun

2007-11-06T23:53:00.000-08:00

As the population ages, more people, especially those with light complexions, are being diagnosed with and treated for skin cancer. There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma. The most favorable kind is basal cell and melanoma is the most serious form.
Most skin cancers are caused by longstanding sun exposure. Also, as the ozone layer becomes more depleted, the incidence of skin cancer is anticipated to rise. Therefore, it makes sense to reduce sun exposure to minimize a person's risk of developing skin cancer.
Traditional approaches are applying a thick coating of sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to sun exposed areas of the skin, especially those of the face, ears, neck, back of the arms, and hands. It should be noted that sunscreens absorb UV light, thus preventing the radiation from penetrating the skin. Also, avoiding sun exposure when the sun's rays are most intense, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and wearing protective, opaque clothing, such as long sleeved shirts, long pants, sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat, are helpful measures.
On October 22, 2007, a publication for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported research that demonstrated a sun protective effect from extracts of broccoli. stems. The chemical component, called sulforaphane (pronounced sull FOR uh fane) is not a sunscreen. Instead, it boosts the protective systems within cells to counteract the damage caused by UV rays. This effect results in less redness and inflammation of sun exposed skin, and ultimately decreases the risk of skin cancer.
Scientific DataThe protective effect of sulforaphane was identified fifteen years ago, when a scientist discovered that is prevented tumor development in a number of animals that were exposed to cancer causing agents. The new study examined the effects of broccoli sprout application to small areas of the skin of six human volunteers as well as mice. Volunteers then were exposed to UV radiation, either at the site of the application of the broccoli extract or on an untreated area of the skin. The results were a 37% reduction in redness and inflammation in the treated areas of the skin. Also, the researcher noted that it took many hours or even days for the protective measures to ensue. However, the results lasted for days after the application was washed off the skin.
Future Directions Due to the small number of human subjects in this study, the validity of the data needs to be confirmed by testing it on a large scale. If the data are borne out, it is possible that broccoli extract will be added to creams that one can apply to the skin, either before or after sun exposure.
However, this will not replace the traditional skin cancer risk reduction methods described earlier. Also, people should examine their skin everywhere on their bodies at least once per month. Those who find a suspicious mole should have it evaluated by their primary care physician or dermatologist. The rate of a future skin cancer for someone who has been diagnosed with one skin cancer is nearly 50%. Thus, such people should undergo annual physician skin exams. The good news is that a simple, safe product extracted from broccoli may indeed be useful in preventing skin cancer, an all too common medical condition.
Dr. Kornmehl is a board certified radiation oncologist at St. Mary's Hospital, Passaic, NJ and author of the critically acclaimed consumer health book, "The Best News About Radiation Therapy" (M. Evans, 2004). Her website is http://www.RTSupportDoc.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_Kornmehl

How To Find The Right Mastectomy Bra

2007-11-04T07:03:00.001-08:00

After your breast cancer surgery, some ladies may not know how to find the right mastectomy bras and/or prosthesis. For the first four to eight weeks, until the surgery site heals, you will be limited to a post-surgical soft form, which is a lightweight, removable form worn in a camisole or tank-style top. Once you are fully healed, you can choose a silicone or non-silicone prosthesis to be worn in your bra.
Silicone prostheses are weighted and designed to simulate natural breast tissue. In addition to a more natural look and feel, the fact that they are weighted can help with posture and balance.
Non-silicone prostheses are lightweight and made of foam or fiberfill. Because they are lightweight, they can be more comfortable than silicone prostheses for exercise or swimming, or during hot weather.
If you have had a partial mastectomy, you may want a shaper or shell, which is a partial prosthesis designed to be worn over your own breast tissue for a fuller appearance. These can be made of foam, fiberfill, or silicone, and can be worn with a regular fashion bra.
All other prostheses should be worn with a mastectomy bra, which is a special type of bra designed with pockets to hold the prosthesis in place. Regular fashion bras don't have this pocket, although you can buy separate bra pockets that can be sewn into regular fashion bras to convert them to mastectomy bras.
A good mastectomy bra will run from $30-$50. Silicone prostheses can range from $180-$400 and non-silicone prostheses from $30-$80. Most insurance, including Medicare, will cover mastectomy bras and prosthesis if they have been prescribed by a doctor. Check with your insurance carrier before purchasing to determine what kind of coverage you have. You will most likely have to submit your doctor's prescription for the prosthesis.
The fit of your prosthesis and mastectomy bra should be checked at least once per year. Proper fit is crucial: With a properly fitted mastectomy bra, no one will be able to tell that you wear a prosthesis, and the prosthesis will not get in your way during normal activities.
It is best to get fitted by a professional at a store that specializes in mastectomy bras and prostheses. Often these shops may be in or near your local hospital. Ask your doctor or nurse to recommend a shop to you. You can also ask your local chapter of the American Cancer Society.
When going to get fitted, wear or bring a close-fitting garment, such as a knit top. This way you can best evaluate the fit of your bra and prosthesis when trying them on.
It may seem daunting at first, but once you have a properly fitted bra and prosthesis, you'll feel better and be more confident in your look. So make sure you select a mastectomy bras and prosthesis that fit well and work for you and your lifestyle.
Gina Andrew is a young survivor of breast cancer. She understands what a woman will need after surgery. Gina has started an on-line breast cancer store and carries varieties of mastectomy bras.
Visit Gina's on-line store to find beautiful styles of mastectomy bras, post-surgery wear, breast cancer jewlery and accessories. http://www.beautyenhanced.netBlog: http://www.youngbreastcancersurvivor.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gina_Andrew

How to Find Out Your Breast Cancer Risk Factor and How to Lower Your Risk

2007-11-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

To mark breast cancer awareness month is the newly launched online breast cancer risk level calculator. You can simply enter information about your life style and family health history (no names and strict privacy protection) and then get told what your personal risk of evaluation.
This free calculator is available for women and men all over the world and only takes moments to complete to find out your own personal risk factors and way to helpful information on how to your risk. The National Breast Cancer Centre has launched the breast cancer risk calculator, coordinating with Pink Ribbon Day, to arm women and men with information about the disease. NBCC director Helen Zorbas said the online calculator processed information including a person's age, genetic history, height, weight, and alcohol intake. It then advises you of your risk level.
"Importantly the calculator also provides useful information about lifestyle changes women may wish to make to reduce their risk," Dr Zorbas said.
"Unfortunately no one can guarantee that any one woman will never develop breast cancer, but it is important that women are aware of what can potentially put them at risk."
The calculator is a direct educational response to the survey results the NBCC found in 2003 that there is a lot of confusion about the things that may increase a woman's chance of developing breast cancer, known as risk factors. A surprising number of women were not aware that life style choices like drinking alcohol and being overweight were known cancer risk factors as well as a higher rate of risk with age.
It is important to separate the fact from the fiction about cancer risk factors. With an understanding of the things that may increase your chance of developing cancer, you can take positive steps to reduce your risk. Medical research is also finding that by reducing your risk factors for cancer you also can reduce risks for other major illnesses like heart disease so it has a much broader benefit.
The breast cancer risk calculator is on the NBCC website at www.nbcc.org.au
This site is full of research and information and is well worth the read. So empower yourself with the facts so you can improve your health's resilience. This new and useful free calculator to test your risk levels as well as providing information to lower your personal risk is available for all.
Belinda Stinson is the designer and owner of http://CreativelyBelle.com - a popular and successful jewelry and earring holder gift idea store.
Be the first to know about jewelry sales, new designs, jewelry competition winners and events with the free email newsletter at our online jewelry store at http://www.CreativelyBelle.com/design
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Belinda_Stinson

Cancer Conundrum

2007-11-04T07:01:00.000-08:00

A woman who contacted me a while back asking for help in writing her book, has since been diagnosed with pre-cancer. She called me in tears two weeks ago to tell me the best cancer specialist at her hospital says her only option is to let them cut off her breast.
I only met Daisy once, at a local pie restaurant. She's a lovely, pretty, articulate woman of 45. Neither of us ate pie that day -- she had a Diet Coke, and I had a mint tea, while she told me about her amazing life.
Daisy was born with part of a chromosome missing, and grew up being told she was "mentally retarded." She eventually overcame that label. At 42, three years ago, she completed high school and won an award for her achievement. She writes compellingly about her struggle to stay out of institutions. She's now a sought-after speaker, the next best thing to a celebrity.
She phones me as I'm paying for a muffin in a noisy Starbucks. It's been a stressful day already, and this bad news hits me hard. I had been looking forward to getting to know Daisy, and helping her finish the book. I am upset to hear about this new setback, especially since Daisy cries through the entire phone call. I don't know what to say, except "I think you need to get a second opinion."
She says, "But should I let them cut off my breast?"
All I can think of to answer is, "You're the Queen of your Universe. You decide."
She seems to like that idea. She thanks me and hangs up.
Later I go online, and read a page by a woman doctor advising women with pre-cancer not to rush into mastectomy. I see there is some controversy, at least on the internet. I e-mail a mutual friend, an ex-nurse who knows Daisy well.
She writes back: "Daisy's doctor is the best in his field, and even used to campaign for lumpectomy over mastectomy. If he says she needs it, I would go with that." She explains that since Daisy has large breasts, the pre-cancer cells can't be accessed any other way. So mastectomy really is the only solution.
It's that cut and dried.
I'm disappointed but I thank her for clarifying the issues. After all, she is a nurse. How can you argue with such a professional, kind woman with decades of experience caring for the sick? But deep down, I'm angry with her, for bowing down to doctors. In my mind, she's still a product of her nurse's training with the nuns in the 1950s. But of course, I can't say that. She'd never speak to me again!
The following week I get another call from Daisy -- quite different from the last one. She's feeling a lot stronger now, she says, since another nurse at the hospital told her if she doesn't have this surgery, she will probably be dead in 5 years. On hearing this from the compassionate nurse, Daisy has realized her life is at stake. She's decided to bite the bullet. No more crying all day, no feeling sorry for herself! She's now looking at the bright side of this operation.
She tells me since she was diagnosed with pre-cancer, she has lost 11 pounds. In the second week, she's started getting her appetite back, and going out for Diet Cokes with her friends, who tell her jokes because "laughter is the best medicine."
She also tells me how grateful she is to this doctor, and all these nurses, for saving her life by telling her the truth.
As she talks, I'm getting a certain feeling I get when I watch Walt Disney movies. A sinking, hopeless feeling. An urge to put my hands over my ears, run away and hide. Or to shout out something mean, like: "Why be grateful? How many thousands is that doctor getting paid for this operation?"
But instead, I wish her the best. "Call me anytime!" I say. And I mean it, but -
I have another friend, Daisy's age, with ovarian cancer who is now having chemotherapy. She's doing well, they say. Her tumours are shrinking fast and she hasn't lost her hair, but there again, I get this feeling... that her "positive attitude" is a great big facade. The last time I saw her, all she talked about was her chemo, and all the supplements she takes to counteract its effects, and how fantastically well she feels, and and and -
And last week, I was cycling, and a woman about my age came up beside me on her bike. Her head was covered by a floppy hat, and her clothes were brightly coloured. I said, "You look like an artist!"
She said, "I was - but now I'm a full time breast cancer patient." With one hand, she lifted her hat and showed me her nearly-bald head.
We came to a stop at a traffic light, and I told her about a herbal supplement called Swedish Bitters. "It will definitely boost your immune system." I'm not a doctor. I've been told it's actually illegal to tell people about alternative cancer therapies.
Yesterday on the internet, I googled "chemotherapy - dangers." And read a lot about the cancer industry, much of it highly critical and disturbing. Then, as an afterthought, I googled "Diet Coke - breast cancer" and read that Aspartame, the artificial sweetener in Diet Coke, has been linked to a dramatic increase in breast cancer over the last few decades.
I was cycling home later, when Daisy called again. She wanted to know when we can meet, to work on her book -- she needs my help dividing it into chapters. She sounded almost bubbly. Her surgery is set for October 11 -- a month away. She's been receiving so much support from her friends and family! She even got a phone call from Patch Adams, whom she met over the internet. Patch told her a joke that nearly made her laugh her head off, she says.
She tells me the joke, but I don't get it. When she explains, I don't find it funny. I say, "I never did see that movie about your frient, Patch."
Then she reads me a lovely, caring e-mail she received from yet another nurse, a friend of our mutual friend. This woman wrote all the way from Calgary telling Daisy she is a wonderful, brave person, and that this is a difficult time, but when the surgery is over, she'll be so much better off, and to be strong. This nurse does not even know Daisy, but she sends all her love and support.
Again, I have the urge to say something awful and inappropriate, like "That nurse's business is comforting the sick and the dying. She gets those lines off the Hallmark cards she sends outto relatives of patients who don't make it."
My throat feels constricted. What's wrong with me? Why can't I summon a few heartfelt cliches to express how much I sympathize? Why can't I say them, and mean them, like all these other people? I'm feeling speechless. In a weak, choked voice, I say: "Wow, are you ever lucky to have all these fans!"
I had been reading all afternoon about how mastectomy is not always effective in preventing cancer. And about how nutrition and other factors are ignored or downplayed, as anxious patients are pressured into agreeing to surgery and chemotherapy to avoid a death sentence. And about how cancer statistics are juggled to make it appear that medicine is winning the war, when in fact the cure rate has not changed in decades, and remains at about 33% -- the same percentage as when cancer is left untreated.
Speaking of statistics, I read that 70% of doctors, when asked if they would undergo the same cancer treatments they regularly recommend to their patients, responded "NO."
But I can't say all that to Daisy. She'd be upset, and tell her parents - she still lives at home. And then I'd be in trouble with her family, as well as that mutual friend, the nurse.
Meanwhile, she's giving me the latest on her upcoming surgery. It sounds very upbeat. She'll be home from the hospital that same day, and start a two-week recovery period. Of course, she'll have to take it easy - she won't be able to lift her arm for a while.
She asks me if, sometime, I would like to come to her house and play Scrabble with her - because her dad is giving her a special new DeLuxe game, with twice as many pieces as the regular kind. She loves Scrabble, and she's so happy and excited because everyone is being so wonderful and caring.
I have the urge to say, "I hate Scrabble, and no, I don't want to visit you during your recovery. I don't even think you should have this surgery on October 11. I still think you need a second opinion!"
But I choke that back, too. Obviously, she's getting lots of opinions, and everyone wants her to have the surgery so she doesn't have to die.
Do I want her to die? No!
I'm on my bike, trying to hear her over my cell over the roar of traffic on the overpass a few meters away. I feel dizzy - it's a twisted, crooked part of the bike path and if I'm not careful I could fall off.
I think about her life, being told in early childhood that she was mentally retarded, and how the kids at school laughed at her. How a highly-respected, top psychologist at the very same hospital that just diagnosed her pre-cancer, told her parents, on the basis of tests conducted when she was 10, that she would never be able to function in the world, and needed to be in an institution for the rest of her life.
Daisy's parents refused, and sent her to a special school run by a man I happen to know: Phil Heilig. Phil saw who Daisy was. The result is the Daisy I met at Rockaberry's: confident, quick on the draw, smart as a whip.
She brings up the e-mail I just sent her, about Aspartame and Diet Coke. She says Diet Coke is her all-time favourite beverage! I say, "I know, but maybe you should cut down for a while."
"Are you saying that if I don't stop drinking Diet Coke, they'll have to cut off the other one?"
"No," I say, "not exactly. But what you eat is very important. It's not good to have a lot of certain chemicals in your body."
I tell her I can't really talk now because I'm under an expressway, but I'll phone her soon. She says, that's okay, she has to make a few more calls right now.
That night, lying awake I fantasize what I will do. I'll call up that doctor, and leave a message on his voice mail, telling him that if he cuts off any breasts on October 11, something very bad is going to happen at that hospital. Something that will make 9-11 look like a walk in the park.
I fantasize that this strategy actually works - Daisy misses her surgery, and is miraculously cured by a nutritionist and angelic intervention
Comforted by this crazy scenario, I'm finally able to drop off to sleep.
Ann Diamond is a Montreal-based writer whose most recent book is MY COLD WAR, about growing up in the shadow of secret government experiments conducted on children.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ann_Diamond

Chemotherapy For Lymph Node Negative Breast Cancer - Who Needs It?

2007-10-04T22:55:00.001-07:00

Why do people with breast cancer need chemotherapy? The reason is that despite the best efforts of the healthcare team to remove all traces of the tumor, breast cancer can still recur. Even early stage breast cancer can return months to years after the original diagnosis and treatment.
It can come back as a local recurrence (in the treated breast) or as a distant recurrence, also known as metastatic disease, elsewhere in the body, such as the bones, lungs, liver, or other organs. Due to this concern, many oncologists prefer to err on the side of over treating their patients with chemotherapy, lest the person be under treated and sustain a recurrence.
There are certain traditional prognostic factors that influence a doctor’s decision to prescribe chemotherapy. These include the age and general health of the person as well as the size of the breast tumor, the status of the lymph nodes (positive versus negative), and the presence or absence of estrogen receptors on the tumor. Small tumors with positive estrogen receptors and negative lymph nodes tend to be less aggressive.
Examining the statistics, perhaps up to 15 out of 100 (15%) of patients with less aggressive tumors will develop a recurrence. Until recently, to save the lives of those 15 people, medical oncologists needed to treat all 100 patients, as they did not have the tools to identify which of the 100 patients were the 15 who were bound to recur. This meant that 85 out of the 100 people were over treated with chemotherapy.
The question then arises: which of these people can be comfortably spared chemotherapy, as well as its side effects? Also, of those people who undergo a lumpectomy and need breast radiation therapy, who can avoid the delay in radiation therapy imposed by the need to complete chemotherapy first?
To answer this question, a new diagnostic test that measures the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence has been developed. It also assesses the benefit from chemotherapy. The test is called Oncotype DX™ and it is appropriate for breast cancer patients who are: · Newly diagnosed · Stage I or II (early stage) · Lymph node-negative · Estrogen receptor positive and · Those who will be treated with tamoxifen, an oral medication that interferes with the harmful effect of estrogen on breast cancer cells.
All breast cancer tumors are genetically unique. Many of the genetic differences between individual tumors influence the likelihood that the cancer will recur. These differences are associated in part with the level of expression of a certain group of cancer-related genes. Oncotype DX™ is the first cancer test that uses the unique genetic expression the patient's tumor to quantify the likelihood that breast cancer will recur.
Oncotype DX™ examines the expression of the aforementioned specific group of genes and uses a mathematical equation to translate it into a Recurrence Score™. The Recurrence Score™ accurately quantifies the likelihood of distant recurrence, and its predictive power exceeds that of the previously described standard prognosticators.
The results are scored in the lowest, intermediate, and highest risk range. Oncotype DX™ results increase confidence that the treatment plan is tailored to the individual patient by helping physicians determine who will benefit the most from chemotherapy.
Clearly, the highest risk people will be advised to accept chemotherapy. The lowest risk group can forego chemotherapy. The greatest controversy lies with the intermediate risk group.
Therefore, a randomized clinical trial is currently examining what is the best approach for the intermediate risk population. The study will accrue nearly 10,000 people and participants will be followed for at least five years.
The good news is that with the advent of this new diagnostic test, people can be selected more carefully for chemotherapy. These people can then have the peace of mind of knowing that they are not leaving any stone unturned and are doing the best they can to minimize the likelihood that their cancer will recur. On the flip side, low risk people can be advised to waive chemotherapy and have a greater comfort level that their disease won’t be likely to recur as a consequence.
Dr. Kornmehl is a board certified radiation oncologist at St. Mary’s Passaic Hospital, Passaic, NJ, and author of the critically acclaimed consumer health book, “The Best News About Radiation Therapy” (M. Evans, 2004). Her Website is www.RTSupportDoc.com
Dr. Kornmehl is a board certified radiation oncologist at Passaic Beth Israel Regional Medical Center, Passaic, NJ and author of the critically acclaimed consumer health book, “The Best News About Radiation Therapy” (M. Evans, 2004). Her website is http://www.RTSupportDoc.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_Kornmehl

Think Pink! A Guide To Breast Cancer Awareness Gifts

2007-10-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

Breast Cancer has affected millions of people around the world. It's the leading type of cancer in white women, and the number one cause of death of African American women. And there's still no cure. With October just a few weeks away, it's still possible to participate in the fight for a cure. Motivators.com has several items available in their breast cancer awareness section and for each order placed, 10% of the sale is donated to the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research fund. There are several ways to get involved and do your part in the fight against breast cancer using pink items!
Breast Cancer Awareness Giveaways
It's a common fact that everyone loves free stuff. If they get it they’re not going to question it. If it’s a popular item, they’ll clamor for it. You don’t need to break on the bank to raise awareness. Try getting something that will stay in people’s sight line and that they can use all year round. An ideal item for the office is the translucent pink power clip. Not only can it hold several papers together, but its magnetic backing allows it to be stuck to filing cabinets and magnetic boards. Another office friendly Breast Cancer awareness item is the Breast Cancer Awareness Post It note pad. The 4 x 6 pads, available with either 25 or 50 sheets, feature the pink ribbon. Because Post-It notes are usually thrown away after they’ve done their purpose, pair them with a pink pen and you’ve got a great giveaway.
Breast Cancer Walk A Thons
One of the most common events during Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a walk a thon. Breast Cancer walks happen all over the country and it’s a great way to raise money for a cure. Even if you’re not a walker, there’s still ways to get involved by using breast cancer awareness products. The most common way is to sponsor someone or a team. But go beyond just giving money. Provide the team with imprinted pink apparel, like a pink t-shirt with your corporate logo on it. Give walkers a breast cancer awareness water bottle to help quench their thirst along the way. An imprinted pink pedometer will help them see just how many steps they’ve taken for a great cause, not to mention how many calories they’ve burned!
Fundraising Items
Fundraisers are a great way to collect money for breast cancer awareness. Imprint a logo or message on an item and sell it. Then donate the proceeds to the charity of your choice! Pink ribbon lapel pins. pink ribbon key chains and breast cancer awareness bracelets are just a few items that could be sold to not only raise awareness, but help raise money for the cause. Add your company logo to a tote bag or sport towel and sell them at a charity fundraiser. Not only will you be raising money for a great cause, you’ll be branding your logo as well!
Thank You Gifts
After your event is over, be sure to thank those who donated generously of their time and of their wallets! Send or give them a simple gift to show your appreciation. Send a simple thank you letter to donors, with an enclosed breast cancer ribbon magnet and a breast self exam chart to remind them of the importance of self testing all year round. For corporate sponsors who gave larger donations, try sending a box of gourmet cookies wrapped with a pink ribbon to the office or a refillable Breast Cancer Awareness Jelly Bean Dispenser.
Sarah Shepherd is a e-marketing specialist for Motivators, Inc., a Long Island based promotional products distributor. The company's website, Motivators.com boasts over 30,000 e-commerce enabled promotional products. 10% of every order placed on items in Motivator's Breast Cancer Awareness Section will be donated to the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, a Long Island based breast cancer foundation.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Shepherd

Breast Cancer - When Chemotherapy Is Necessary

2007-09-28T23:19:00.001-07:00

Anna /M241, is a 50-year-old female from Acheh, Indonesia. She had a lump in her right breast sometime in 2000. She refused medical treatment. Instead she went to Jakarta to seek alternative treatments. These did not help her. The breast lump grew bigger and in December 2004, it developed into a lacerated wound and bled. She went back to Acheh and enlisted the help of a medical doctor to take care of her wound. At the same time she continued with other alternative treatments. Unfortunately, this doctor had been swept away by the tsunami that struck the city not long ago.
In February 2007, Anna came to Penang to seek medical treatment. Due to the advanced stage of the disease, no radiotherapy or surgery was indicated. Anna was asked to undergo chemotherapy. She underwent four cycles of chemotherapy at a private hospital. She suffered total hair loss but no other adverse side effects. Each cycle of chemotherapy, given at three-weekly interval, costs RM 3,000. However, each trip to Penang for this treatment would come to about RM 7,000. It is indeed difficult to imagine such financial burden endured by a family who had lost their home to the tsunami. Because of this, Anna’s husband explained that they could NOT effort further chemotherapy and asked if they could turn to our therapy instead.
Anna came to see us on 5 August 2007. She appeared healthy and did not have any problem. The chemotherapy had helped her. Her lacerated wound had dried up and the tumor had shrunk significantly. The pains that she suffered earlier had subsided. She had gain weight and felt much better than before the chemotherapy.
A CT scan done on 9 May 2007, however, was most disappointing. It showed extensive metastasis to the pectoralis muscles and ribs. There were numerous well defined 4 to 25 mm nodules scattered in both lungs. The cancer had also spread to the lymph nodes. I asked Anna if the oncologist had told her the results of the scan. Her husband replied: “No. The hospital gave us the films and we went home. We did not understand what it was all about.”
I asked them: “What did you expect when you came to the hospital for chemotherapy?” Both of them replied: “I expected to be cured.”
Comment
It took me a while to regain my composure after looking at her scan. I was unsure if I should explain the results. I did not want to make her life miserable by telling her the bad news – after all, is this not the responsibility of her oncologist? I hesitated but her husband probed me to tell them the truth, which I did. The metastases in Anna’s lungs were too numerous to count. While chemotherapy had helped her with the lacerated wounds, it was obvious that the treatment did not help her lung metastases.
Chemotherapy had helped make Anna’s life better. The lump has also shrunk. If four cycles were good for her, does it mean that more chemotherapy (up to eight cycles) would be better? Indeed this is debatable – more does not necessarily mean better! While chemotherapy did not hurt Anna, it certainly hurt the pocket – I would not say “bank balance” because I am not sure if there was any bank left after the tsunami.
I pointed out to Anna that it was a mistake not to remove the lump (or her breast) when she first detected it. Surgery could have saved her all the miseries that followed. In this regard, I would advise women to have the lumps in their breasts removed if possible. I asked Anna’s husband why they still continued with the ineffective treatments after knowing that the lump had gone bigger. Why wait for so long? Common sense should tell us that if after trying an alternative therapy for a month or two and it does not work or the condition deteriorates, patients should reevaluate their strategies – move on to something that is more effective or evidence-based.
However, I also highlighted the good side of what she did. I know of numerous patients who died within two to three years after doing what their doctors told them to do -- mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Some even suffered severe pains and had bloated stomach before their death. So, undergoing medical treatment would not guarantee that everything would be fine.
Anna had breast tumor in 2000 and it is now 2007 and she is still alive and did not suffer any difficulties. She ought to be grateful for this blessing. I am reminded by what I have read. At a lecture at the American Cancer Society Conference in New Orleans on 3 July 1969, Professor Hardin Jones, University of California, Berkeley, was supposed to have said: “My studies have proved conclusively that untreated cancer victims live up to four times longer than treated individuals. If one has cancer and opts to do nothing at all, he will live longer and feel better than if he undergoes radiation, chemotherapy or surgery.”
In Malaysia, like elsewhere too, doctors often blame the herbs when things go wrong. Doctors want to have the first shot at cancer using their chemotherapy or radiotherapy. And if these fail they advise patients to go home and seek “hospice help” or go for herbs. Over the past decade, CA Care is the recipients of these terminally ill and medically give-up cases. I began to have the impression that going for invasive treatments at the first sign of cancer need not be a wise move. Sometimes, patients die because of the treatment rather than the cancer. Anna took the less traveled road. She sought alternative treatments and when these failed she turned to the invasive, toxic medical intervention – perhaps dealing out her last card. It has been seven years and she is still alive. I repeat, many who took the well-trodden road barely manage to live three to four years. So, Anna’s adventure is not wrong, no matter how “foolish” doctors may think it is.
For more information about complementary cancer therapy visit: http://www.cacare.com, http://www.NaturalHealingForYou.com, http://www.BookOnCancer.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Teo,_Ph.D.

New Breast Cancer Awareness And Information

2007-09-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer can be said to be one of the oldest known type of cancer tumors in humans mostly in women. The oldest description of this deadly disease, though the term cancer was not used, was discovered in Egypt years ago.
The most prevalent cancer in women is breast cancer, it is also the second most common cause of death in women apart from lung cancer. Because the breast is composed of identical tissues in males and females, breast cancer also occurs in males though it is less common.
In the olden days before technology starts in earnest, there is a believe that there is no treatment for cancer. For years, many physicians in their practices, described similar cases with the same sad conclusion that there is no treatment for cancer.
The story remained the same until some doctors achieved greater understanding of the circulatory system that a link between breast cancer and the lymph nodes in the armpit can be established and be removed at the same time.
The first attempt to remove the lymph nodes, breast tissue, and underlying chest muscle was successful, which removed the fear that there is no treatment for the deadly disease called breast cancer.
Most breast pain or painful breast lump can be a case of early breast cancer. Since breast mammography started, breast cancer is most frequently discovered as an nodule that causes no symptom on a mammogram, before any symptoms are present.
The probability of breast cancer rises with age, but breast cancer tends to be more aggressive when it occurs in younger people
Recommended: Visit New Breast Cancer Awareness And Information for more information on how to protect your self from the deadly disease called cancer.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Precious_Chinwe_Chibuzo

How Does Breast Gum Work to Grow Larger Breasts?

2007-09-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

Imagine finding a special brand of gum, that when chewed over the course of weeks, could actually fill out your breasts, firm them up and actually increase your breast size by several cups. If you could get access to breast gum, wouldn’t you want to try it? What sane woman wouldn’t right? But it just seems too good to be true doesn’t it. Well it’s not too good to be true, there’s a scientifically valid reason why breast gum can enhance your breasts.
The difference between breast gum and other gum is that breast gum contains special ingredients. When these ingredients are activated, they promote the reactivation and proliferation of various hormones that work specifically to improve breast size, firmness and even shape.
Scientists have discovered that a special type of nutrient can do just that. These nutrients are called phyto-estrogens. What are phyto-estrogens? Phyto-estrogens are naturally occurring non-hormonal plant estrogens that stimulate the body to produce new breast tissue growth. These breast gum nutrients for all intents and purposes hit the resume button on growing your breasts and developing them.
Probably the most popular brand of breast gum on the market is Zoft Breast Gum. What’s so special about this breast gum is that it contains a revolutionary release system that orally delivers a 120-mg proprietary blend of active ingredients that are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. This delivery system relies on what are called micro-sized beads that are released as you chew this gum and they’re immediately absorbed into the tissue of the lining of the mouth through the capillaries that lie close to the surface.
In other words, chew breast gum and the phyto-estrogen nutrients in it are immediately absorbed into your blood stream without being diluted in strength, thus you begin to see breast enhancement you wouldn’t otherwise have.
Compare breast gum to herbal breast enhancement supplements and you’ll see that only breast gum is best absorbed into the blood stream. Capsules and pills aren’t always fully absorbed into the bloodstream. That’s why breast gum is becoming incredibly popular worldwide.
Some people may wonder if breast gum contains any side effects. Sure, some brands may indeed facilitate side effects. But Zoft Breast Gum contains thirteen safe, carefully chosen herbs. Each one of these herbs is deemed safe and has been in common use for centuries. With this particular brand of breast gum, all of its ingredients are listed on the Food and Drug Administration’s GRAS list of safe foods. That’s why you can feel confident with this particular brand of breast gum for developing your breasts, as it is an American brand manufactured under strict American standards.
However, as with any dietary supplement, women with special medical conditions are encouraged to consult their doctor or healthcare professional before breast gum use.
You might be wondering if breast gum will make your breasts grow too large or give them an unsightly shape. But the fact remains, despite the nutrients inside breast gum, you cannot outgrow your genetic potential. Additionally, as soon as you achieve the breast size and shape you’re happy with you can always discontinue your supply of breast gum.
How long will it take for the nutrients inside breast gum to increase your cup size? It depends upon the brand you take, as some brands are foreign made with shoddy ingredients while other brands contain a weak herbal blend. The customers of Zoft Breast Gum commonly report anywhere from half a size to 2-cup size increases.
All things considered, breast gum has to work within the confinements of how consistently you take it, how long you take it and your body’s individual chemistry. Compared to surgery, breast gum makes absolute sense for any woman serious about increasing size, shape and firmness of her breasts. For more information on breast gum and where it’s available, see:
Click Here to Learn More About Breast Gum
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Fourteen Simple Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Risk for Breast Cancer

2007-06-23T19:28:00.001-07:00

1. Increase your consumption of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.

2. Avoid using any pesticides or chemical sprays in your home. Try to avoid new carpet.

3. Avoid drinking tap water.

4. Decrease alcohol consumption.

5. Start an exercise program.

6. Increase consumption of organic whole grains and fiber.

7. Decrease meat, poultry and fish consumption.

8. Stop smoking.

9. Increase consumption of phytoestrogens from organic sources.

10. Decrease or stop consumption of processed foods.

11. Avoid trans-fatty acids found in margarine and some vegetable shortenings.

12. Take two capsules of organic flaxseed oil daily or just add a teaspoon of flaxseed oil to your daily organic salad.

13. If you are pregnant definitely breast feed.

14. Gets lots of sunshine as breast cancer is less prevalent in areas where there is ample sunlight unobscured by fog or smog.

Discussion:

As a retired diagnostic radiologist who read way too many mammograms I am excited because I finally have a path to try to connect to so many women who are having and have had mammograms.I was always chagrined since we would really torture and radiate many breasts but it was as if these breasts were not connected to a human type person. It bothered me that so many mammography programs make no effort at all to educate their clientele about what "they can do" to reduce their risks of breast cancer. I would suggest to the directors of these programs that we try to educate the patients and their response was 100% predictable. They would always first deny the relationship between diet and breast cancer and then add that their patients would not listen anyway.

Increasing your consumption of fresh organic fruits and vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk for breast cancer.

"There is strong evidence from epidemiologic studies that eating more fruits and vegetables decreases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. This conclusion is strengthened by the similar results obtained from animal studies and experiments using isolated breast cells." Quoted from the Cornell University Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors. They go on to recommend uncooked fruits and vegetables. The reason for this is the heating damages some of the beneficial nutrients in the fruits and vegetables. Carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli and spinach top the list for being most protective. The Cornell study however does not stress the fact that these need to be "organic." Non-organic commercial fruits and vegetables besides being largely nutritionally bereft are also heavily sprayed with a wide variety of toxins.

The relationship between pesticides and other toxic chemicals such as benzene and toluene and cancer has long been established. There are better ways to rid your house of undesired guests than using chemical sprays. It sounds difficult but even if you can't get rid of all your pests you will live a longer and healthier life if you refrain from spraying. New carpet is another source of extremely toxic chemicals that "off gas" for at least a year or so after it is installed. Try to avoid new carpet especially in children's rooms.

Avoid tap water unless you live either in Lake Tahoe or Ithaca, New York. The tap water here in Tucson is CAP water that travels in an open trough from the Colorado River. It is loaded with fungicides / herbicides not to mention all the chlorine added once it gets here. While bottled or filtered water may not be perfect,you will considerably reduce your risk for any cancer by avoiding most tap water.

There is a little debate about the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. However, the consumption of any simple sugars such as occur in most alcoholic beverages is associated with decreased T-cell mobility and thus some immune compromise. I still have an occasional beer but that is the only sugar I ingest. The general consensus however, is that it is best to reduce alcoholic beverage consumption as much as possible.

Exercise has been proven in multiple studies to enhance the immune system. In order to be beneficial I would recommend thirty minutes at least three times a week. This should be exercise that elevates the heart rate and keeps it there for the thirty minutes. Running is good if you are not biomechanically impaired. Cycling and swimming are also good alternative and or exercise machines.

Increased consumption of organic grains and fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Decrease your meat, fish, poultry and dairy consumption. Animal protein has been linked to all the big three killers in this country as well as osteoporosis. For more on this see the "China Study" by T. Colin Campbell and "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins. Stop smoking is really a "no brainer" here. Smoking is associatedwith a variety of cancers and there is now strong evidence that cancer of the breast is one of them.

Consume more phytoestrogens from soy products like tofu. "Women with diets rich in phytoestrogens also excrete more estrogens into their urine, and have lower blood estrogen levels. Some studies have shown that women with a diet rich in phytoestrogens have longer, and hence fewer, menstrual cycles. All of these factors may contribute to reduced breast cancer risk. " This quote from the Cornell University Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors. Please be sure that any soy products you consume are organic.

In conclusion there are many ways to reduce your chances of breast cancer. I have presented the above from a more subtle point of view. When my wife (now ex-wife) developed a lesion in her left breast back in 1995 we put her on an organic vegan diet. Soon we cut out all sugar and increased her running mileage. She still has her left breast although there is still some skin retraction. My good friend and world class flamenco dancer Carmen Heredia died in her early forties from breast cancer and its treatment. Best not to get breast cancer at all.

For more information on the relationship between diet, health and exercise please go to: http://www.drmericle.com

For more information on cooking and food preparation without animal products please go to: http://www.drmericle.com/fscook3c.php

http://www.DrMericle.com is devoted to achieving optimal health and peak performance through diet and lifestyle change. Dr. Mericle brings together a unique blend of formal medical education, 29 marathons, 3 Hawaii Ironman competitions and a lot of practical real life experience.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Mericle_M.D.

Living With Chemotherapy: Tips From A Survivor

2007-06-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Chemotherapy is a word that strikes fear into most of our hearts. We've seen the movies and heard such horrible stories about undergoing this difficult treatment for a disease that could very well kill us. I underwent chemo for breast cancer and know that, in some cases, the cancer isn't hard … it isn't painful … it doesn't make us sick. That's the case for most of us who have breast cancer, but don't have distant metastases. But then, they say we need to do chemo and we know we'll feel that.

Although chemo drugs haven't changed that much, and they're still terribly hard on our bodies, the management drugs have changed a lot. Chemotherapy, for many of us, isn't the show-stopper we thought it would be. Of course, each of us is different and the chemo drugs affect each of us in different ways, but, for the most part, chemo is definitely doable.

My breast cancer was Stage IIIa, with a 5.8 cm tumor, 8 of 10 lymph nodes positive, and I was only 39 years old. That bought me a ticket for the chemo ride. And I was scared out of my wits. But, I found an online breast cancer support group, at WebMD, and those women told me everything to expect and more. I went through four rounds of adriamycin and cytoxan. Both of them are some pretty stout breast cancer chemo drugs. After that, I did a controversial treatment that involved extremely high doses of cytoxan, taxol, and cisplatin, so I learned quite a bit about surviving chemotherapy.

First of all, I would highly recommend getting a port. This is a line that goes into a vein in your chest, the entrance to which sits just under your skin, right below your collarbone. It requires a quick surgery to put it in but, if you're having a mastectomy for your breast cancer, you can get the chemo port put in at the same time. If you choose not to do that, you'll have to get your chemo treatments through your veins and chemo is really hard on your veins. This means that you will, most likely, have to endure multiple attempts for them to find a vein, as time goes by. With the port, it's already in a vein, so all they have to do is stick the needle into the port to access it. If you find this uncomfortable, there is a cream they can give you called Emla cream. One of the first things I learned was to tell them the moment I was uncomfortable. It's all fixable. You'll put the Emla cream on a bit before you have to have your port accessed and it'll numb your skin.

Most breast cancer chemotherapy drugs will cause your hair to fall out. This is because chemo kills the rapidly dividing cells in your body. Your mucous areas and hair follicles are affected for this reason. That's why you may have nausea or develop mouth or throat sores. Again, all this sounds scary, but is totally manageable. Since you will probably be losing your hair, which can be quite traumatic, I would advise going wig or hat shopping before you even get your first chemo. Take a girlfriend with you and be adventurous. Try on different styles, and even colors. If you've always wanted to be a blonde, now's your chance! Make a day of it and have fun with it. Goodness knows, you have to look for that silver lining every chance you get. Also, make sure to have your nausea med prescription filled before you go so you'll have it waiting for you if you need it at home. You may be pretty tired, afterward, so don't wait till then to get those meds.

On your first chemo day, they will probably give you some steroids, intravenously or through your port, to help with the nausea. This may make you hungry; it sure did for me! But, I would recommend you don't eat your favorite food on chemo day. Chemo is manageable, but after you're all done, you may find that you have associations. For example, I used to love the cucumber melon fragrance when I was going through chemo. I had cucumber melon everything! But, to this day, the smell of cucumber melon makes my stomach do a little somersault because it reminds me of such an unpleasant time in my life. The same can happen with food. I still can't look a chicken burrito in the eye! But, I'm sure glad I didn't eat a taco because I would've hated for that to be ruined for me!

Many breast cancer chemo drugs are hard on your bladder, so be sure to drink, drink, drink. If you don't feel like drinking water, then broth, jello, or even popsicles will help. Since you've gotten your nausea meds all filled in advance, be sure to take them as prescribed, whether you think you need them or not. Chemo nausea isn't just any kind of nausea and it's much easier to stay ahead of it than to try to fix it once it occurs. If you do happen to get nauseated, and I can't stress this enough, call your doctor!!! There are many, many nausea meds and you do not have to feel sick just because you're doing chemo. Once they find the right drug for you, it will be so much easier. So, do not suffer this in silence! The same applies for if you get sores in your mouth or throat.

You will be tired from this treatment. Most of us get more tired as the treatments progress because they make our white blood cell counts drop really low. Because of this, it's a good idea to keep some Purell, or something similar, with you all the time for use when you've had to touch, for example, public restroom door handles. Your risk of infection will be much higher during this time.

If you lose your hair, it will typically happen in 10-14 days after your first chemo treatment. If you have long hair, you might want to cut it short in preparation. I know I felt so out of control of everything, during that time. When your hair comes out, it lets go quickly and in large clumps, getting all over your pillow and clogging your drain. For many women, that is more traumatic than even losing a breast. So, I figured that was the one thing I could control about this whole breast cancer thing … when my hair came out. I cut it really short, beforehand and, when it started to let go, I had my husband get the clippers and shave my head. My daughter helped and we did a little Mohawk and stripe action first!

That was my way of shaking my fist at this cancer … it might take my breasts, and it might take my hair for a while, but I beat it to the punch! It was my way of saying, "You cannot take my spirit!" You can do the same thing. Your breast cancer does not define you. It is but a speed bump in the course of your life. Strap on your gloves and step into the ring. This chemo is your biggest punch. Your spirit is your own and that breast cancer can't touch it!

Melissa Buhmeyer is a breast cancer survivor and has been so for seven years. She is also the founder of http://www.breastcancer-treatment.us , a site focusing on breast cancer treatment options, news, articles, and survivor experiences.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melissa_Buhmeyer

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

2007-06-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

There are many different risk factors for breast cancer. The most significant of these risks factors is gender and age. Most occurrences of breast cancer occur in a certain gender and age group. Even though those outside this gender and age group are still at risk for breast cancer, the risk is not as great.

Women are at the greatest risk of developing breast cancer. Contrary to what many people believe, men can also develop breast cancer. However, women are at a much greater risk of developing breast cancer than men. Age also plays a factor in the development of breast cancer. The cancer is far more common in women over 50 versus women under 20.

Women who have relatives with breast cancer are also at a greater risk of developing the cancer themselves. This risk increases with first-degree relatives like a mother, sister, or daughter. A male relative with prostate cancer also increases the risk of developing breast cancer. If a mother and sister both have breast cancer then the risk is increased.

A history of breast cancer also leaves women at a greater risk of developing the same cancer. This happens when the cancer cells spread to the lymph glands. There is a great risk that the cancer will develop in the opposite breast. When breast conservation therapy is used as treatment for the cancer, there is a risk of cancer redeveloping in the same breast.

Some hormonal factors increase the risk of breast cancer. A woman who started her menstrual period before the age of 12 has a slightly increased risk of developing breast cancer. This is also true of women that have menopause after 55, women who have a first child after age 30, and women that have never had children.

If you happen to fall into this category,You should have a mamograhm at Least once a year.

As Like any Cancer it can sneak up on us very Quickly. Early detection is our best chance of fighting this Disease.

Silicone Breast Implants Are Back

2007-06-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

In a day many would have been hard pressed to predict, the government has lifted a ban on silicone breast implants. In a word, they are back and here is the scoop.

Silicone Breast Implants Are Back

Silicone implants were first used for breast augmentation and reconstruction in 1962. The implants were extremely popular, but concern slowly started to develop regarding the health risks associated with them.

The Food and Drug Administration requires all medical products be safe before they can be used with the general public. This standard, however, was not in effect in 1962 when silicone implants came onto the market. The companies making the implants argued against regulation, but serious health risks associated with silicone exposure when implants ruptured ultimately led to the FDA stepping in and eventually banning their use.

Following the banning, there was a great debate about whether silicone implants were actually the cause of the health problems they were associated with. These problems included cancer, lupus, scarring, initiation of lumps and so on. After years of studies, the causal link has never been proven. In 2003, advisers to the FDA recommended that certain silicone implants be legalized, but the FDA refused. Obviously, that position has changed now.

Although silicone breast implants are back, they are not the exact products used before the ban. For instance, there are only two companies that are being authorized to sell them. Inamed Corporation is one and Mentor Corporation is the other. Both of these California companies have fought long and hard to lift the ban through lobbying, studies and improved implant designs.

Are silicone breast implants the way to go if you are considering breast augmentation? It is a difficult question to answer. The lifting of the ban does not so much suggest the implants are safe as it suggests that no scientific proof exists linking them to any particular health problem. Obviously, you should consult with a plastic surgeon to obtain as much professional advice as you can before making a choice.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

2007-05-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

If you happen to fall into this category,You should have a mamograhm at Least once a year.

As Like any Cancer it can sneak up on us very Quickly. Early detection is our best chance of fighting this Disease.

Lloyd Perry is the founder of Infoservice.us An Online Health & Fitness Resource. Where you'll find all your Health Info Resources all in One Place.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lloyd_Perry

Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance in Women

2007-05-26T01:44:00.000-07:00

Symptoms of hormone imbalance in women may begin as early as the late 20's to the 40's. Symptoms of hormone imbalance in women tend to increase as a woman ages, especially if ignored in the earlier years. Hormone imbalance symptoms can be any one or more of the following:

• Allergy symptoms
• Depression, fatigue and anxiety
• Endometriosis
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Hair loss and facial hair growth
• Headaches, dizziness and foggy thinking
• Low sex drive
• Osteoporosis
• PMS
• Urinary tract infections and incontinence
• Uterine fibroids
• Weight gain, water retention and bloating
• Wrinkly skin

Symptoms of hormone imbalance are caused primarily by the incorrect relationship between progesterone and estrogen levels in the body. The two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, exist in a delicate balance. Variations in that balance can have a dramatic effect on your health, resulting in symptoms of hormone imbalance. The amounts of these hormones that the woman's body produces from month to month can vary, depending on factors such as stress, nutrition, exercise and most importantly -- ovulation or the lack of ovulation.

In the first 10-12 days of the menstrual cycle, only estrogen is produced in the female body. If ovulation occurs, then progesterone is produced by the ovaries. On day 28 or so, levels of both hormones drop, resulting in menstruation. However, if ovulation did not occur, you can still have the menstrual period, but the estrogen is never "balanced" by progesterone, which needed ovulation to trigger its production. And this results in symptoms of hormone imbalance appearing -- you have estrogen but progesterone production drops to very low levels.

In the industrialized countries, women take birth control pills, are exposed to household chemicals at home, car exhaust and other environmental xenoestrogens. In addition, women often have stressful lives, eat processed foods or skip meals, take synthetic estrogen HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and have hysterectomies. All these factors can add more estrogen to the female body, resulting in excess estrogen which will cause hormone imbalance symptoms.

How can a woman tell if she is experiencing hormone imbalance symptoms? An easy, fast and effective way is to take the online test provided by a leading womens health clinic for early signs of menopause and symptoms of hormone imbalance in women. The online test takes just a few minutes and is free. Learn more about your health, symptoms, what the symptoms are telling you and what to do about it based on your answers to important questions. Read more about hormone imbalance, estrogen dominance symptoms and physician-recommended natural treatments for eliminating the symptoms of hormone imbalance.

Read more about symptoms of hormone imbalance and natural treatment. Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com - visit the website, take the online women's hormone health test and find information on a variety of women's health issues.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Olinda_Rola

How Women Need To Eat To Help Balance Their Hormones Through Perimenopause And Menopause

2007-05-26T01:43:00.000-07:00

Clearly, we know women are different from men – but when it comes to their health just how different? From menstruation to menopause and beyond, women are presented with a very unique health experience. Whether its pregnancy, PMS, fatigue or osteoporosis often hormones are involved in a big way. We now know that heart disease is a bigger concern for women than we thought especially in the postmenopausal years due to the decrease in estrogen levels. Osteoporosis as well as elevated cholesterol also becomes an issue for many during these years.

Usually a discussion of women’s hormones is often only about estrogen and progesterone. What about the other hormones? Today women’s fast paced lives have led to an overabundance of Adrenal burn-out which is often the reason so many women are exhausted these days. Insulin resistance is also on the rise with high starch and sugar foods being over consumed or worse yet - meals being missed – causing often dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance and adrenal stress levels can be determined through blood and salivary testing (for adrenals). Also, I often recommend women have their thyroid levels checked as well as that can also contribute to fatigue and weight gain. For adrenal support B-complex vitamins and adrenal support herbs like ginseng, ashwanganda are often recommended. For insulin resistance supplements like alpha lipoic acid, chromium as well as fish oil are often part of the protocol I recommend.

Women experience monthly and often daily hormonal cycles often affecting moods, weight and even brain chemistry. For example, serotonin – the “calming” brain chemical responsible for sleep, mood and pain sensitivity - is lower in women than men. Without sufficient amounts of serotonin women often crave carbohydrates causing weight gain and a rise blood sugar. A healthier solution is adding quality proteins and good fats to the diet to help raise serotonin.

Having worked with mostly with women throughout my career, I have noticed the two areas of greatest concern are: weight and fatigue. However, with more and more of the population entering peri-menopause and menopause other additional issues seem to crop up – like sleep disorders, hot flashes and bone loss. Symptoms can be greatly helped if the health and dietary recommendations listed below are adopted. Often misunderstood and yet touted on a daily basis is the notion that all foods should be evaluated on how many calories they contain versus the quality of the food itself. Our state of health and, subsequently our weight, is greatly dependent on the vitality of the food – the more vital and fresh a food is the more vital a person will be.

A woman’s health is also dependent on having a healthy digestive tract. Constipation, bloat, heartburn and gas and even yeast infections indicate an unhealthy gastrointestinal tract. An unhealthy digestive tract will not perform correctly and weight imbalances, fatigue and other symptoms are often the result. Food allergies also constitute a burden on our digestive and immune systems often causing weight gain as well. One health regimen that I have become a big proponent of is a yearly detoxification program. To clarify, a proper detoxification program includes more than just colon cleansing it also focuses on the liver’s detoxifying function. This process rids the body of an accumulation of toxins helping restore one’s vitality.

Starting with a good diet is crucial when dealing with women’s symptoms. Not just “a vegetable” per meal but many vegetables throughout the day at every meal if possible. Vegetables are chocked full of essential vitamins and minerals important for optimal health. Laboratory and clinical dietary assessment also shows that women are often deficient in protein. Quality protein like vegetables should be consumed at every meal.

A Good Balanced Diet should include the following Food Groups:
- Quality proteins – meat, fish, eggs, chicken, turkey
- Healthy fats – olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados, nuts and seeds
- Non-starchy vegetables – broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, etc
- Fruit – all
- Starches – these foods should be limited, they include the following:

- starchy vegetables like corn, potato, squash, etc

- beans – garbanzo, kidney, black beans, etc

- complex whole grains – rye, quinoa, brown rice, etc

Eating is an important shared human experience and many women are not eating well. Often racing out while eating their breakfast or missing it altogether or munching their lunch while frantically multitasking? Not only do these habits stress out a women’s already burn-out system but it can strongly affect how the food is processed and utilized. Are possible food allergens being created because the food is not properly digested? As a woman matures she can no longer get away with many of these “non nurturing habits”. As part of my ongoing wellness coaching - I often recommend the “Do-Less-Program” where women make shorter “To Do” lists and learn how to take care of themselves first.

The specific health and dietary guidelines I recommend for women are as follows:

• Eat 5 meals per day – 3 meals and 2 snacks. Eating every 3-4 hours is best.
• Always eat proteins with carbohydrates and vise versa – do not eat either alone. Proteins alone will stress your adrenal glands and eating carbohydrates alone could prove problematic for blood sugar/insulin balance.
• Protein portions are usually determined based on body weight however on average, I would recommend between 2-5 ounces per meal and 1-3ounces per snack.
• Adequate amounts of pure filtered water – you should be drinking ½ your body weight in water (ie 150 lb. woman should drink 75 oz of water per day) – this helps to cleanse your body, improve elimination and improve hydration of the skin.
• Sleep Maintenance – it is important to have at least 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep – this helps bring a woman’s overworked adrenal glands in order.
• Stress Management –again essential for maintaining proper hormonal balance – whether it is deep breathing, massage or various supplements – learning to relax is vital.
• Healthy Exercise – adaptive and stretching versus excessive aerobic exercise will have beneficial effects on a woman’s hormones – especially the “tired” adrenals glands
• High Quality Supplements –it is very important to get the best quality supplements available. When using products with oils in them - like fish oil, CoQ 10, Vitamin E – it is so very crucial to get the best quality. Oils are vulnerable and can easily become rancid during and prior to processing

Learn more visit my website http://www.coachingforhealth.com
Monika Klein, BS, CN.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monika_Klein

Living With Chemotherapy: Tips From A Survivor

2007-05-25T07:33:00.001-07:00

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melissa_Buhmeyer

Treatment of Breast Cancer

2007-05-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

Stages Breast cancer has several stages starting from early to advanced stage. You can detect early stage after a few weeks of development. At the advanced stage cancer spread to other organs. Depending on the stage the treatment varies. Reoccurrence of breast cancer happens in case of malignant tumors.

Where it can spread It can spread to the back and hip bones, lungs, liver and brain.

What are the treatments for breast cancer? Breast cancer is treated by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. Generally two or more treatments are combined together for better effect. Doctors combine surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and radiation. The treatment varies depending on many factors like the patient, the stage of breast cancer and instance of reoccurrence.

Surgery: Lumpectomy or the removal of the lump is a technique in surgery. Doctor may need to remove lymph nodes from your armpit or breast depending on the stage.

Chemotherapy: Drugs and medicines are used which restrict or stop cancer cell growth. These medicines may also reduce the size of the lumps and tumors. Some medicines even kill the tumours.

Hormonal therapy: Doctors use some anti-estrogen, aromatase inhibitors or LHRH analogues to stop the hormone estrogen production and effects. Estrogen is a sex hormone found in women body which helps in growth of the breast cancer. When Estrogen is stopped then the growth of the tumours also ceased.

Radiation therapy: X-rays or other high-energy rays are used to kill the cancer cells. These rays are applied to the tumours and surrounding areas.

Bikash is an MBA who works as an freelance writer. He worked for on eof the best private banks in India. He has been writing for the last 5 years. He has worked with many US,UK and Indian clients.

Visit him at http://bikiassam.tripod.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bikash_Kalita

Screening For Breast Cancer With No Compression And No Radiation

2007-05-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that a technology for detecting breast cancer used today actually had its’ roots dating back to 480 B.C.? Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) is a fairly new technology that represents a practice that was once used by Hippocrates. This technology is based on a technique that Hippocrates would use as he spread mud over his patients and then watched to see which areas dried first. It was in those places on the body that could show a disease.

It wasn’t until 1957 that the first modern application of thermography came into existence when a Canadian doctor discovered that the skin temperature over a breast tumor was higher than that of healthy tissue. By 1982, the Food and Drug Administration approved thermography and classified it as an additional diagnostic tool for the detection of breast cancer. However, DITI was introduced as a diagnostic tool before strict protocols were established for both the technicians who performed the scans and the doctors who interpreted the scans. Shortly after its initial beginnings, DITI fell out of favor as a diagnostic tool in the medical community.

There are now stringent protocols both for testing and interpreting. Perhaps due to these guidelines, thermography (as with all digital technology) has exploded in its technique and capabilities. Thermal cameras detect heat given off by the body and display it as a picture on a computer monitor. These images are unique to the person and they remain stable over time. It is because of these characteristics that thermal imaging is a valuable and effective screening tool to determine changes that could point to trouble down the road. As we all know, early cancer detection is important to survival.

Another advantage is that, unlike mammography, there is no radiation and no compression of the breast; two significant reasons some women refuse mammography. Thermography measures temperature changes in the body. Tumors create their own blood vessels. Where there are more blood vessels, there is more heat. It is in these areas on the body that the camera detects changes in heat or temperature.

Medical doctors who interpret the breast scans are board certified thermologists.

Thermography can be utilized by women of all ages. It is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. Cancer typically has a 15 year life span from onset to death. Ideally, women should begin thermographic screenings by age 25. A woman diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 possibly had the cancer as early as age 30. Since most women do not have a mammogram until age 40, there is a critical time period from age 25 to 39 that thermography could be extremely beneficial.

Thermography does not replace mammography. However, it is an additional tool that is available to women. By combining both technologies, the detection rate increases to 95-98%, surpassing either technology as a stand-alone therapy.

Thermographic screening is not covered by most insurance companies but is surprisingly affordable for most people. For more information or to find a certified clinic in your area, go to www.proactivehealthonline.com.

About The Author

Brenda Witt is co-owner of Proactive Health Solutions in Southern California. She has worked in the medical field for 9 years and is now an American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT) certified thermographer in the Orange County area. To contact Brenda, email her at brenda@proactivehealthonline.com.

Ways Of Detecting The Early Stages Of Breast Cancer

2007-05-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

As many doctors will tell you where most diseases or health issues are concerned, the methods for fighting them is by prevention, being aware and early detection. Therefore if are aware that there is a history in your family of heart problems and cancer then you an advantage over others. Because you know of the risks involved concerning the family history of the disease or health issue involved you can educate yourself on having a healthier lifestyle and what factors in the environment could be contributing to you becoming a higher risk. Certainly with the issue regarding breast cancer this is no different, in fact awareness and knowledge are the strongest you will have in not only detecting the disease early but also beating it.

If you were able to detect breast cancer early enough, you will find that it can often be treated more effectively. In fact the five year survival rate for women who are treated for the early stages of breast cancer is an astounding 96%.

However in its early stage breast cancer does not usually cause the patient any pain and this is why it can be easy for us to recognize it. In fact when breast cancer is in the first developmental stages there are often no symptoms which make it easily identifiable, and it is only as the cancer grows that the changes will begin which should be watch for and be aware of.

So how do you go about detecting the signs and symptoms (changes):-

One of the first signs you may notice is a new or persistent lump or a thickening in or near the breast or possibly in the underarm area.

The size or shape of your breast may change over time.

You will discover that there is discharge from either of the nipples that had not occurred before.

There will be a change in colour or feel of your breast, areola or nipples, which may consist of dimpling, puckering or a scaliness of the skin.

By carrying out regular self breast examination you should be able to detect any one of this signs or symptoms and if you find something that you feel is abnormal then arrange an appointment to see your doctor. There is nothing wrong in being cautious where this disease is concerned. Just remember that most abnormalities that you find are not cancerous and are more likely to be cysts or a growth of fatty tissue and this can be quickly and painlessly dealt with. I’m sure that not only your doctor but you and your family will be pleased that you are erring on the side of caution, rather than ignoring something that can become more serious later on.

About The Author

Kerris Samson, who now lives in Spain and has become a work from home mum. Is now spending a large amount of her time researching breast cancer and other cancers and alternative treatment methods. For further information please visit http://www.cancerreport.info.

Top 10 Things Every Woman Should Know about Breast Cancer

2007-05-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer is a reality many women will have to deal with. Statistics show that one woman out of nine will develop breast cancer in her life. Whether it be a dear friend, a close family member or herself, every woman will be touched by breast cancer in one way or the other. Breast cancer accounts for about 30% of all cancers.

Every woman should be aware of the risk factors and change those she can to lower her risk of developing breast cancer in her life.

Women who are not active physically, smoke or consume a lot of alcohol are at higher risk to develop breast cancer.

Women who have their first child at a later age or have never given birth are at higher risk to develop breast cancer.

Women who had their first period at an earlier age (less than 12 years old) are at higher risk for breast cancer.

Woman who have close family members who had develop breast cancer are at higher risk for themselves.

Women who are older. The further a woman advances in life, the higher her probability of developing breast cancer.

Women who experience a late menopause (after 55 years old) have an increase risk of developing breast cancer.

There is hope however and certain measures have proven to help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer for a woman. It is recommended to exercise regularly, lose any excess weight, lower alcohol consumption and stop smoking. It is also proven that women who breastfeed their babies are at lower risks to develop breast cancer.

Certain measures, by finding breast cancer at an earlier stage can lower the complication rate and morbidity associated with this condition. The two most recommended measures are to do a mammogram exam every two years after the age of 50 (or earlier if a woman has risk factors) and doing a breast self-examination. It is also recommended for a woman to visit her doctor regularly. One has to know that about two thirds of breast tumours are found by the woman herself upon doing her self-examination.

Many organizations and industries have joined forces to push back breast cancer and one can only encourage them by donating time or money for this worthy cause. There are many researches on breast cancer conducted worldwide and it is expected that the near future will see the decline of this devastating affliction.

About The Author

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com http://www.drnathaliefiset.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com.

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2007-01-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

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