Thursday, January 27, 2011

What is Stomach Cancer? Gastric Cancer Risks and Causes

Stomach cancer or gastric cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in the stomach. Although there may be benign growths like certain types of stomach polyps, most of the tumors that develop in the stomach are malignant tumors. Generally the term gastric cancer refers to an adenocarcinoma of stomach as it is the most common form of malignant tumor of the stomach.

Risk Factors for Stomach Cancer

Stomach cancer affects men more than women and is more often seen in the over 50 age group. Overall, stomach cancer is considered to be an outcome of multiple factors. Several risk factors have been identified from epidemiological studies and can be grouped as acquired factors, genetic factors and precancerous conditions

best weight loss program - free effective way to lose weight

After having this site up for a few years now and receiving tons of emails each day, I've come to realize that some people seem to be more interested in searching for the best weight loss program than they are in actually losing the weight itself. It's strange, I know. I've lost track of the number of emails I've gotten from people in search of this supposed best weight loss program. The one that is the most effective. The one that will get them most results the fastest. The one that is the easiest to do. They want to know which of the many weight loss programs that exist is the official BEST one.
Well, the answer to this almighty question really depends on what your definition of "best" is. See, to me, when it comes to an effective way to lose weight, the best weight loss program is the one that... ya know... causes you to lose weight. If it works, and it fits the general guidelines of good health, it's the best to me. I mean, if you really love carbs and can't live without them, the low carb diet might not be the best for you. But me... I could suck it up and do whatever the gimmick is. Really to me, the only way a program can't be the best is if it doesn't work. But hey, that's just me. And, as it turns out, a lot of people aren't me... and these people enjoy sending me emails.
So People-Who-Enjoy-Sending-Me-Emails, what is your definition of the best weight loss program? Think about it for a second. What to you would make one better than all the other programs? Would it be the one that's going to allow you to lose 15lbs a week?
If so, give up now. You will never find it. It doesn't exist.
Would it be the one that will you allow to lose weight at a normal, healthy rate... but without having to eat right or workout?
If so, you may be confusing the word "best" with the word "impossible." Stop looking... you're just wasting your time.
Would it be the one that revolves around a diet pill or fitness product of some kind that is going to make everything easier and faster than it could ever be?
If so, you might as well take your 3 easy payments of $19.95 and set them on fire.
There are no quick fixes. There are no magic pills or products. There is no tip, secret or gimmick that is going to make weight loss happen any easier or faster for you. There just isn't.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer affecting the mesothelium, which is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. In most cases, it begins in the pleura (the lining around the lungs) or peritoneum (the lining around the abdomen). The cancer is typically caused by asbestos exposure. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 to 80 percent of all cases of the disease. Standard treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy

Understanding the Mesothelium

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: one layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.
 
The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity, while the pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis, and the tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.

Obesity Increases Mortality in Colon Cancer Patients

PHILADELPHIA — Postmenopausal women diagnosed with colon cancer may be at increased risk of death if they fail to maintain a healthy body weight before cancer diagnosis, according to a study published in the September 2010 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The researchers found that women considered "underweight" or "obese," or who had increased abdominal obesity prior to cancer diagnosis seemed to face a greater risk of mortality.
"Maintaining a healthy body weight is beneficial for postmenopausal women. This may also be beneficial for those diagnosed with colon cancer later in life. It looks like abdominal obesity may be a useful indicator of higher colon cancer mortality," said Anna E. Prizment, Ph.D., M.P.H., a postdoctoral fellow in the division of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota, Masonic Cancer Center. "It is too early to say whether a decrease in weight characteristics after diagnosis will also decrease mortality risk; at that point it may be too late. Therefore, it's best to maintain a normal, healthy body weight throughout life."
Prizment and colleagues extracted data from the Iowa Women's Health Study, which included 1,096 women diagnosed with colon cancer who were observed over a maximum 20-year period. During that time, 493 died, of which 289 died from colon cancer.
Women classified as obese, with a BMI of at least 30 kg/m2, had a 45 percent increased overall mortality rate. The few women classified as underweight, with a BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2, had an 89 percent increased mortality rate compared to those with normal BMI.
Furthermore, women with high waist-to-hip ratio had a 30 to 40 percent greater risk of colon cancer related death. Prizment said that the "exact mechanisms underlying the link between obesity and higher mortality of colon cancer patients are unknown."