Category Archives: Living with Cancer

After Cancer, Living with Cancer, Stress Management, Testimonials

Three Tips to Understanding your Cancer’s Prognosis

Understanding Cancer
Understanding Cancer

Cancer is the giant bugaboo that eventually invades everyone’s life if they live long enough. Still, if caught early and treated agressively, a prognosis of cancer is not necessarily an untimely death sentence. Here are the most important things to know about your prognosis once you have defintively been diagnosed with cancer:

It is Fact Based

Though it may mystify the patient to some extent, a doctor’s cancer prognosis is thoroughly grounded in his own and his peer’s medical experience. The doctor will look at such things as the type and location of the cancer, its metastatic stage – that is, how much it has actually spread – and the cancer’s grade – how abnormal it looks and how likely it is to spread even more.

It’s Mostly Statistics

While Mark Twain facetiously opined that there are “lies, damn lies and statistics,” the actual truth is that stats really do tell you a lot about your prognosis. By analyzing various factors such as the specific characteristics of the patient’s disease, the available treatment options and any other health issues, the doctor will make an educated guess as to what will happen.

It is Not Completely Certain

While your prognosis is your doctor’s “best guess” as to the likely course and outcome of your disease, it is by no means 100% certain. Remaining positive throughout the process is always the best medicine.

As you can see, a prognosis is as much art as it is science and the best doctors combine both when making a prognosis. For more detailed information, please contact us at Issels® or you can reach us directly at 1-888-437-7357.

Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Can Your Hair or Lack of It Be An Indicator for Cancer?

Going Bald?
Going Bald?

Going bald is a fact of life for some men. There are many who dread looking in the mirror in the morning to find that they’ve lost more hair, while others embrace their hair loss by shaving their heads at the first sign of thinning. The truth is that being bald isn’t as big a deal as it was even just a few years go. Although a new study indicates that middle-aged balding might be an indicator for prostate cancer.

The study observed men who were approaching the age of forty-five and came to the conclusion that if they were going bald, they had about a thirty-nine percent increased risk for cancer than men who had all of their hair at that age. It was speculated that this could be because a dip in testosterone resulted in prostate cancer.

However, are these findings accurate enough to cause men to be concerned if they exhibit male pattern baldness?

Physicians say it’s highly unlikely. The study lacks the information that’s needed to support its findings. The best plan of action for any man who is approaching middle age is to visit the doctor on a regular basis and get screened for prostate cancer. Even though baldness might end up being a factor in a cancer diagnosis, the fact is that most cancer patients got the disease because of their genetics or because of a lifestyle choice.

Your family history is a strong indicator of whether or not you’re at risk for developing any type of cancer. If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer or any type of cancer, here at Issels®, we understand cancer treatments and patients in a way that’s different from other cancer centers. We’ve successfully been treating patients for sixty years, and we can help you too. Contact us.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

The Diabetes and Cancer Connection Is It Real?

Diabetes Linked To Cancer
Diabetes Linked To Cancer

With more information about cancer, people can make better decisions regarding their health. Considering the evidence of a link between increased cancer risks and diabetes, people with high blood sugar have even more reason to start taking action.

The diabetes and cancer connection does not necessarily mean that diabetes itself causes cancer. Rather, scientists believe that people who exhibit high blood sugar — a resting level of 100 mg/dl or greater — tend to be more likely to develop certain forms of cancer.

One reason for the connection: insulin plays an important role in cell growth. With insulin problems, the body may be less equipped to fight the growth of cancer cells.

While the link is still not fully understood, some key medical facts have been established regarding diabetes and cancer:

  • High blood sugar levels are believed to increase your cancer risk by up to 15%.
  • The link between cancer and diabetes holds true for people who are not overweight.
  • People with prediabetes show higher rates for liver, colorectal and stomach cancers.
  • Diabetes has also been linked with higher risks of heart disease and other serious conditions.

Whether diabetes has a causal relationship with cancer remains unclear. However, enough evidence has mounted to suggest that risk groups for diabetes likely have higher risk for cancer as well.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prediabetes, consider the potential risk of cancer as another reason to make changes to diet and exercise.

Healthy habits play an important part in the holistic, comprehensive fight against cancer—you can contact us to learn more about advanced therapies and alternative cancer treatments.

Cancer Care Tips, Living with Cancer, News

Tips to Weathering Chemotherapy

Getting Through Chemotherapy
Getting Through Chemotherapy

When you go through cancer treatments, you’re not alone. Here are some great suggestions to help weather chemotherapy:

Know how to manage the nausea. Feeling ill and vomiting are the worst parts of chemotherapy for most people. Spread out your eating across many small meals instead of three regular meals, avoid beverages during mealtimes, and eat slowly.

Try out meditation and emotional exercises. Being in control of your emotions can help when side effects hit. Don’t be afraid to address your emotional hurdles through meditation, talk therapy, and alternative medicines.

Be prepared to try new foods. Many people undergoing chemo feel like foods taste different, even common and favorite foods. If what you eat tastes odd or foul, branch out and try lots of things—even foods you typically dislike—and find what works.

Stick with healthy foods to feel your best. Cupcakes may be tempting, but most people do best when avoiding junk foods, sweets, fatty foods, and fried foods. These treats should remain treats, while a generally healthy diet will keep you feeling best.

Get some hats, including one with a wide brim. Before chemotherapy, you may wish to shave your head and get a wig. Find some hats, too, including warm and comfy ones for when you feel chilly and a wide-brimmed hat to help with sun protection.

See the dentist first. Teeth cleanings are a bad idea during chemotherapy, so see the dentist a few weeks beforehand and use saltwater rinses to gently help with sores.

We’re also here to help with individualized, holistic treatments. Talk to us if you’re interested in learning about alternative cancer treatment options.

Cancer Research, Living with Cancer

Tips to Boosting Weight Gain for Cancer Patients

peanut butter sandwich
Try to add calories as you can with easy to eat foods.

While eating is generally (and correctly) thought of by most as a pleasurable activity, its primary function is to provide your body with fuel and nutrients. This aspect becomes even more crucial when you’re undergoing cancer treatment. You may actually be losing weight at a time when it’s important to keep up your strength.

Eating properly boosts your energy levels, prevents muscle loss and fortifies your immune system.

Use these helpful tips to maintain a nutritious diet along with a healthy weight.

• It’s a basic formula: eating calorie-dense foods will make your weight go up. If you want to gain weight, add 500 to 1,000 calories to your normal daily intake. If your goal is maintenance, 15 calories per pound is a good rule of thumb.

• Protein is the building block of muscles. Rich sources include peanut butter, meats and seafood, nuts and cheese. If your system can’t tolerate high-protein foods, try low-fat cottage cheese, milk and yogurt. Protein powder is another method to increase your intake.

• Fruits and vegetables are chock-full of valuable vitamins and minerals. Choose dried fruits and 100 percent fruit juices along with starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, corn and peas.

•  The American Cancer Society advises that it’s best to eat before you begin to feel hungry. If nausea is a problem, stick with sandwiches and other cold or room-temperature foods that don’t require cooking.

Our alternative cancer treatment includes non-toxic therapies with fewer side effects, making it easier to eat a healthy diet and maintain your weight. Visit our website to read real-life success stories from our patients.

Living with Cancer

Tips to Weathering Radiation

Getting Through Chemo
Getting Through Chemo

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill fast-growing cancer cells. But, as with other traditional cancer treatments, radiation also damages many healthy cells. This collateral damage can cause numerous aggravating side effects.

Boost Your Immune System

Side effects usually begin during or within the first six months following radiation treatment and may continue for months, sometimes years, after treatment ends. Maintaining a healthy immune system before, during and after radiation can help prevent or minimize adverse reactions and shorten their duration.

Many cancer patients benefit from a combination of radiation and integrative immunotherapy. Immunotherapy kicks your immune system into overdrive, allowing your body to fight cancer cells more effectively during treatment. Immunotherapy may also help prevent cancer recurrence.

Managing Radiation Side Effects

Use these cancer care tips to weather the most common radiation side effects:

  • Fatigue. Sleep and rest as much as possible. Eating a healthy diet and exercising can help boost energy and improve stamina.
  • Skin changes. Redness, dryness, itching, peeling and blistering may occur around the treatment site. To prevent irritation, wear soft, loose clothing. Bathing in lukewarm water can be soothing. Cover up and wear sunscreen outdoors, but check with your cancer team before applying lotions or sunscreens as some can interfere with treatment.
  • Swelling and soreness. Wear loose clothing to decrease discomfort. Symptoms gradually decrease after treatment but may persist for up to a year.
  • Hair loss. Hair loss at treatment sites usually grows back in 3-6 months but can be permanent in cases of high-dose radiation. Treat your hair gently. Avoid harsh products, curling irons and hot rollers.

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