The Genetics of Cancer

All cancer cells occur because of gene mutations. A mutation is a change or error that occurs in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA; the complex set of instructions that tells every cell in a person's body how to function). Genes are the basic biologic units passed from parent to child that provide information about a person's physical characteristics, such as eye color or risk of getting a certain disease. Genes are located on chromosomes (strands of DNA). Each cell in a person's body contains about 20,000 to 25,000 genes. They are located on 46 chromosomes, which are arranged in two sets of 23 chromosomes—one set inherited from the mother and one set inherited from the father. One chromosome in each set of 23 determines whether a person is female or male (these are called the X and Y chromosomes). The other 22 chromosome pairs, called autosomes, determine other physical characteristics.

This website give us information about the genetics of cancer, how the genectics's factors can cause cancer to someone. Please click here http://www.cancer.net/all-about-cancer/genetics/genetics-cancer for more information.

Alcohol and Cancer

Cancer kills an estimated 526,000 Americans yearly, second only to heart disease (1). Cancers of the lung, large bowel, and breast are the most common in the United States. Considerable evidence suggests a connection between heavy alcohol consumption and increased risk for cancer, with an estimated 2 to 4 percent of all cancer cases thought to be caused either directly or indirectly by alcohol (2). A strong association exists between alcohol use and cancers of the esophagus, pharynx, and mouth, whereas a more controversial association links alcohol with liver, breast, and colorectal cancers. 
In this web we will learn about the connection between alcohol and cancer, you can train your skimming or scanning skill by reading this article. Click http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa21.htm to read more.

How much cancer does smoking cause

Tobacco smoke contains over 60 cancer causing chemicals, known as carcinogens.   When smoke is inhaled through the mouth, throat and into the lungs, the carcinogens in the smoke are absorbed through the lining of the lungs into the bloodstream.   They are then distributed by the blood and the lymphatic system throughout the body causing cells in particular organs to multiply uncontrollably; that is, to become cancerous.

An example of one of the carcinogenic substances in tobacco smoke is Benzo(a)pyrene, which damages the all important P53 gene.   This gene plays a vital role in maintaining the body's health by preventing uncontrolled cell multiplication.

This website will tell us about some cancers that causes by smoking, just click here http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/31903/reduce-risks/smoking-reduce-risks/tobacco-facts/how-much-cancer-does-smoking-cause/?pp=31903 for more information.

3 Common Herbs for Cancer Prevention

I am always reminding people of the quote "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." More and more people are actually prescribing to this philosophy and are changing their habits in an attempt to become healthier. One of the many things that people are doing these days is to take antioxidants as a way to decrease their risk of developing cancer. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this is a good time to bring to people's attention three very common herbs that can be used in the battle against cancer. They are Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Garlic (Allium sativum), and Tea (Camellia sinensis).
This web will give us information about 3 common herbs for cancer prevention, this article is very useful to increase our reading skill too. Click here http://voices.yahoo.com/3-common-herbs-cancer-prevention-6927556.html to learn more.

Blood Cancers

Blood cancers affect the production and function of your blood cells. Most of these cancers start in your bone marrow where blood is produced. Stem cells in your bone marrow mature and develop into three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. In most blood cancers, the normal blood cell development process is interrupted by uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of blood cell. These abnormal blood cells, or cancerous cells, prevent your blood from performing many of its functions, like fighting off infections or preventing serious bleeding.
This website give us information about blood cancers, there is also a short video in this website. Just click http://www.hematology.org/patients/Blood-Disorders/Blood-Cancers/5229.aspx to read more.

The five deadliest cancers for women

We are at war with cancer every day, and it's often an uphill battle. The good news is that more battles are being won. But we need to be aware of which types of cancer hit women hardest, and what is being done to fight them. “Today, we can see the genomic code much more clearly,” says David Huntsman, a genetic pathologist with the Hereditary Cancer Program at the B.C. Cancer Agency in Vancouver. “That was never possible before. It has just become feasible in the last several months.” This will lead to better diagnostic tools for early detection, and customized therapies that target specific abnormalities in cancer.

In this website we can learn about the fife deadliest cancers for woman, this article is good for us to train our reading skill. Just click http://www.besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/health/the-five-deadliest-cancers-for-women to read more.

Deadly Tasmanian Devil Cancer

Deadly Tasmanian Devil Cancer

A contagious cancer decimating Tasmanian devils makes itself invisible to the animals’ immune systems, which might otherwise fight it off, a new study shows.

Devil facial tumor disease shuts down production of proteins that normally decorate the surface of cells, telling the body whether a cell is its own or not. As a result, the devil’s immune system doesn’t recognize cancer cells from another devil as a potentially worrisome invader, Hannah Siddle, a marsupial geneticist at the University of Cambridge and an international group of collaborators report online March 11 in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

The finding could lead to a way to stop the deadly disease. “It’s really the first hope that there could be a vaccine or immune therapy,” says Elizabeth Murchison of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge. Murchison, who was not involved in the new study, discovered in 2009 that the tumor originated in cells insulating a single devil’s nerve fibers. Since that initial case, which probably occurred in the late 1980s or early 1990s, the disease has spread across eastern and central parts of Tasmania, killing every devil it infects.

Tasmanian devils have such low levels of genetic diversity that many researchers thought the animals’ immune systems couldn’t distinguish their own cells from other devils’, and wouldn’t recognize a tumor cell as foreign. Yet the marsupials aren’t exactly identical, Siddle says. Other studies have demonstrated that the animals reject skin grafts from one another, suggesting that the tumor cells should get the boot, too. But the devils don’t appear to mount any serious defense against the cancer.

Siddle and her colleagues discovered that devil facial tumor cells turn off genes that the immune system uses to distinguish between cells from its own body and foreign cells. Without the proteins made by these major histocompatibility, or MHC, genes, the tumor cell can conceal its true identity as both a cancer cell and tissue from another animal.

In tests of devil tumor cells done in lab dishes, the researchers were able to turn MHC genes back on with a dose of either an antifungal drug called Trichostatin A or an immune chemical called interferon gamma. Trichostatin A is known to affect gene activity. Dogs infected with a contagious cancer called canine transmissible venereal tumor keep the nonfatal cancer in check partly by making interferon gamma.

If the drug or the immune chemical works the same way in the animals as it did in cells, it could rev up the devil’s immune system to fight off the tumor, says study coauthor Jim Kaufman, an immunogeneticist at the University of Cambridge.

Tumor cells that have had their MHC genes turned back on might serve as vaccines. (The tumor cells would be killed before scientists injected them into the devils.) But other researchers aren’t so sure such a vaccine will work. Many tumors, including the contagious tumor that infects dogs, turn down production of MHC proteins. Yet immune cells still find and at least attempt to kill the cancers, unlike in the devils.

The devil facial tumor must take additional steps such as secreting chemicals to tamp down immune responses, says Robin Weiss, a virologist at University College London. To fight the devils’ disease, researchers will need to discover any other evasion strategies the tumor uses.

Siddle and Kaufman are already on the trail of the tumor’s other strategies and are working with collaborators in Tasmania to test a vaccine using cells with rebooted MHC genes.

By : Linda Andriani

Cancer and social care

If you have cancer, your first priority is medical care. But there are people who can help with other aspects of life, such as where to get help with money and benefits.
The first person to speak to about social care is your doctor or nurse. They'll be able to discuss your needs and refer you to a key worker, possibly a social worker. This is the person who'll be responsible for assessing exactly the kind of help you should get. There are so many sources of help available that it's essential to have someone to guide you.
In this website you will get some information about getting support to survive as a cancerian, in this website we also can watch the video of some people who live with cancer. Click http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/cancer/Pages/Socialcare.aspx to read and watch.

Hope in 10 Cancer Breakthroughs

Where do your cancer research dollars go?

PHOTOGRAPHER: GLENN LOWSON /

Dr. Mick Bhatia is an international leader in cancer stem-cell research based in Hamilton.

“The mission that we have is to eventually create a world where Canadians don't have to fear cancer and in order to not fear cancer, we have to be able to understand it,” says Luba Slatkovska, senior manager of research at the Canadian Cancer Society. “The only way to understand cancer is to research.”To shine a light on the life-saving and life-enhancing potential of cancer research, the Canadian Cancer Society has selected the top 10 cancer research highlights of 2012.These discoveries help reduce cancer rates, reduce mortality, and improve the quality of life for those diagnosed with cancer.These 10 exciting findings were chosen from 730 research projects supported by the Canadian Cancer Society in 2012.

1. Decoding a deadly form of breast cancer will lead to more personalized treatmentsAn international team of scientists led by Dr. Sam Aparicio in Vancouver decoded, for the first time, the genetic makeup of triple-negative breast cancer. This breakthrough could help change the way this difficult-to-treat disease is diagnosed and may be the foundation for the next generation of treatments.

2. MAGIC team finds new ways to treat malignant childhood brain cancerDr. Michael Taylor in Toronto was part of the international MAGIC team of experts – short for Medulloblastoma Advanced Genomics International Consortium – that found several genetic abnormalities that led to the development of medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumour. The researchers identified many genetic targets for more effective treatments.

3. Improving survival for patients with rare form of pancreatic cancerSurvival rates for pancreatic cancer patients are often poor, but one study's findings may help change that. The study suggests that patients with periampullary adenocarcinoma, a rare form of the disease, live longer if they have both surgery and chemotherapy.

4. Trial finds Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients live longer with chemotherapy aloneLimited-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients may live longer when treated with standard chemotherapy compared to those also treated with radiation, according to a trial. This means patients could be effectively treated without the long-term side effects of radiation.

5. Barriers delay referral to palliative careA study led by Dr. Camilla Zimmermann in Toronto focused on palliative care in Canada. It found that cancer patients are often only referred to palliative care in their last months or days. The study found that early referral can help care teams relieve symptoms and distress, while helping improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their loved ones.

6. Natural sea sponge product prevents cancer-induced muscle wastingA research team in Montreal discovered that a natural product from sea sponges helped prevent muscle wasting in mice. The product, pateamine A, can also stop muscle wasting once it has already started. These findings could lead to potential treatments for cancer patients suffering from muscle wasting caused by tumours.

7. Study shows drug destroys human cancer stem cells but spares healthy onesDr. Mick Bhatia, an international leader in cancer stem-cell research based in Hamilton, discovered that thioridazine, an antipsychotic drug, kills the cancer stem cells responsible for initiating leukemias without harming normal stem cells.

8. Developing smarter treatments for rare young adult cancerA research team in Vancouver discovered how the genetic mutation responsible for the growth of synovial sarcoma – a rare and often fatal form of cancer most commonly occurring in the limbs of young adults – interacts with proteins in the cell to cause cancer. They found that drugs used to suppress these proteins can also kill tumour cells.

9. Vitamin D controls proteins to stop cancer development and growthDr. John White and his research group in Montreal studied the c-Myc protein, which is heightened in at least 50 per cent of cancers. They found that vitamin D can block c-Myc in human cells, in several ways.

10. Drug shows promise in fighting acute myeloid leukemiaA team of researchers in Toronto tested several drugs approved for other conditions in hopes of finding some that could target acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. They found that Mefloquine, an antimalarial agent, caused the AML cells to burst.

By : Linda Andriani

Eye Cancer

Maine-born infant’s fight for life against rare eye cancer strains family on both coasts

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Courtesy photo

A rare form of infant cancer has claimed the left eye of Londyn Elise Porter, who at age seven months is fighting for survival after her cancer spread from her left to right eye and into her brain. Born in Maine and now living with her mother and grandmother in California, the child's medical ordeal has dominated the thoughts and prayers of family and friends on both coasts.

Courtesy photo

Seven-month-old Londyn Elise Porter was recently diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer, which has claimed her left eye and has spread into her right eye and into her brain. Family in Washington County and in California say they are "waiting on a miracle" in hopes that the infant survives.

So is her daughter. And so is her daughter’s daughter. And so is that daughter’s daughter, 7-month-old Londyn Elise Porter, whose young life is on the line.

This story is very interesting, if you want more know about this information just click http://bangordailynews.com/2013/04/06/news/down-east/maine-born-infants-fight-for-life-against-rare-eye-cancer-strains-family-friends-on-both-coasts/ .

By : Linda Andriani

World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day: Are we killing cancer?

Are oncologists right to hail a new era in which cancer is a chronic disease rather than a death sentence?

A new DNA database means patients will have their tumour's DNA decoded and then be matched with the right drugs to keep 

This means patients will have their tumour’s DNA decoded, and then be matched precisely with the right drugs to keep the disease at bay. Prof Ashworth explained that this is a crucial step towards transforming some types of cancer into a manageable disease rather than a death sentence. “We should be aspiring to cure cancer, but for people with advanced disease, it will be a question of managing them better so they survive for much longer, turning cancer into a chronic disease.” A report by the King’s Fund in 2011 claimed that the rate of overall improvement in cancer survival accelerated between 2004 and 2007, possibly as a result of the NHS Cancer Plan, published in 2000, under Prof Sir Mike Richards, National Clinical Director for Cancer. This strategy for investment and reform across the NHS aimed to give cancer services high priority, by improving prevention, promoting early detection through screening, and guaranteeing high-quality treatment throughout the country. It set new national and local targets (including those for the reduction of smoking and the reduction of waiting times)

Just click http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/9482981/World-Cancer-Day-Are-we-killing-cancer.html if you want to read more about this.

By : Linda Andriani 

Just click 

The 9 Things That Make a Good Gift For Cancer Patient

How Can Gifts Help Cancer Patients?
Cancer is a very difficult disease to overcome. Thoughtful gifts for a cancer patient are an excellent means to offer a sign of support to someone who is facing a very difficult time. The gift you select should symbolize support, love and a sense of hope to inspire them to stay upbeat.

What are Some Gift Ideas for a Cancer Patient?
There are a lot of brilliant choices when it comes to selecting presents for a cancer patient. The following is a tiny list of suggested gift ideas for cancer patients:

- Jewelry items like cancer bracelets or cancer awareness pins that promotes cancer awareness and survivorship
- Cancer stuffed toys like inspirational stuffed bears
- Apparel like t-shirts,hats or bags that promotes cancer awareness and survivorship
- Cancer patient journals,which are designed to encourage patients to utilize journaling as a therapeutic means of coping with their disease and its treatment
- Gift certificates to their favorite stores to help purchase necessities
- Gift certificates for life's luxuries like massage treatments,manicures,or facials,which they might otherwise overlook during this time
- Skin care products that are made especially for those getting radiation and other forms of cancer treatment
- Hats,turbans,scarves,or other accessories that might help offset some of the negative side effects of cancer treatment
- Inspirational books about cancer survivors

Of course there are a lot of other various items that may be perfect gift choices for the cancer patient in your life. The most suitable gift will depend on the relationship between you and the cancer patient and the person's personal taste. I am sure that the thoughtfulness of your gift will be appreciated just as much as the item itself

Gifts Not to Give to a Cancer Patient
While it is the thought that counts when giving presents, it is critical that the presents you choose do not send an unsuitable impression. Here's a list of gifts that are improper for cancer patients:

- Gifts that could make a cancer patient feel uncomfortable about themselves such as wigs or false eyebrows
- Gifts that poke fun or humor with regards to cancer in some way
- Gifts that lack compassion or don't have any kind of meaning
- Books on death and dying
- Gifts that not at all connected to the cancer patient's plight and are just general in nature

Just click http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/110779/cancer/the_9_things_that_make_a_good_gift_for_a_cancer_patient.html to read more. 

By : Linda Andriani

Prostate Cancer

The prostate is an exocrine gland of the male reproductive system, and exists directly under the bladder, in front of the rectum. An exocrine gland is one whose secretions end up outside the body e.g. prostate gland and sweat glands. It is approximately the size of a walnut. 

The urethra - a tube that goes from the bladder to the end of the penis and carries urine and semen out of the body - goes through the prostate. 

There are thousands of tiny glands in the prostate - they all produce a fluid that forms part of the semen. This fluid also protects and nourishes the sperm. When a male has an orgasm the seminal-vesicles secrete a milky liquid in which the semen travels. The liquid is produced in the prostate gland, while the sperm is kept and produced in the testicles. When a male climaxes (has an orgasm) contractions force the prostate to secrete this fluid into the urethra and leave the body through the penis.

Diagram of the location of the prostate gland and nearby organs

Diagram of the location of the prostate gland and nearby organs

Read more just click http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150086.php .

By : Linda Andriani

The Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation

The Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It is made up of a group of dedicated individuals supporting ongoing research for the Kanzius Noninvasive Radiowave Cancer Treatment project; a treatment without any side effects. Our mission is to create national and global awareness of the potentials of this treatment and to raise funds to help accelerate the speed at which research progresses through human trials. We believe that by acting together in support of continuing research and development, we can make a difference in the lives of people who suffer from this disease.
  In this website there is a video that show us about the cancer research in USA, by watching this video you can increase your listening skill and also it can increase your knowledge. Just click http://www.kanziuscancerresearch.org/?gclid=CI67z_mh1rcCFWdU4godxhwA_w to watch the video.

Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer affecting the membrane lining of the lungs and abdomen.

Making a correct mesothelioma diagnosis is particularly difficult for doctors because the disease often presents with symptoms that mimic other common ailments. There is no known cure for mesothelioma, but treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy have helped to improve the typical mesothelioma prognosis.
Pleural mesothelioma (affecting the lung’s protective lining in the chest cavity) represents about three quarters of all mesothelioma incidence. Peritoneal mesothelioma which affects the abdominal cavity and pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the cardiac cavity, comprise the remainder. Testicular mesothelioma is extremely rare and typically presents with metastases of the peritoneal variety. There are three recognized mesothelioma cell-types. Between 50 and 70% of all mesotheliomas are of the epithelial variety. While prognosis is generally poor, it is considered less aggressive than sarcomatoid mesothelioma and biphasic mesothelioma, which comprise the remainder of cell type diagnoses.

Get This Image For Your Site

This article about is Mesothelioma Cancer, if you want find mesothelioma symptoms, mesothelioma diagnosis, etc. So, if you want to read more just click http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/#!prettyPhoto
By : Linda Andriani

True Story About Love Story Cancerous

The true story of a model who is suffering from breast cancer. She tells how the fight against the deadly disease. I hope this story useful for us. 

A beautiful woman twirls in front of the Eiffel Tower, decked out in a pale pink gown that makes her look like she stepped out of a fairytale. She smiles brightly and laughs as she gets her picture taken by Australian portrait photographer of the year Sue Bryce. But this is no ordinary fashion photo shoot.

The "model," Jill Brzezinski Conley , was diagnosed with breast cancer a day before her 32nd birthday, underwent a double mastectomy -- and now, at 35, has incurable stage-4 breast cancer which has metastasized to her bone.

In late August, Brzezinski-Conley, who lives with her husband in Kentucky, went to visit her childhood friend Nikki Closser, a wedding photographer in Seattle. "[Nikki] took pictures of me, and I was like, 'Nikki, I want you to take pictures of my breasts so that maybe we can send in the photos to magazines for breast cancer,'" Brzezinski-Conley told The Huffington Post. "[The media] never shows what breast cancer looks like."

After the session, Closser emailed the pictures along with Brzezinski-Conley's story to Bryce, whose work she had admired. Inspired, Bryce contacted both women right away and invited Brzezinski-Conley to skype into a creative live workshop where she surprised her with the offer of a photo shoot -- in Paris. Three weeks later, Bryce, Brzezinski-Conley and Closser were off to the City of Light for five days, with videographer Hailey Bartholomew in tow.

"It was a million times better than what I ever dreamed of," said Brzezinski-Conley. "For the first time, in those five days, I felt like Cinderella. I didn’t feel like a cancer patient. They made me feel like a supermodel, and it was the nicest feeling ... I didn’t want to go back home."

She hopes that her story -- and the images that accompany it -- will inspire other women to feel good about their bodies, regardless of how they look. She especially hopes that they reach other women in their 20s and 30s who are battling cancer. "I wanted the photo shoot to be for women who look like me, [to show them that] they can still feel sexy and beautiful," Brzezinski-Conley told HuffPost.

But she doesn't want the only message she gets across to be about beauty. She's also passionate about educating young women about breast cancer, since she put off seeing a doctor for a year after she noticed that she had an inverted nipple. "If I would’ve known [that] an inverted nipple was a sign of breast cancer, I would've gotten checked up right away," she told HuffPost. "I always wonder if my cancer would have been at a different stage [if I had]." Her advice to young women is simple: "Be educated, learn your body, learn the signs of breast cancer."

By : Linda Andriani

Bone cancer

Definition of bone cancer: Primary bone cancer is cancer that forms in cells of the bone. Some types of primary bone cancer are osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and chondrosarcoma. Secondary bone cancer is cancer that spreads to the bone from another part of the body (such as the prostate, breast, or lung).
This website will tell us about bone cancer, and the other information about bone cancer. Please click http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/bone for more information :)