Can one still enjoy fertility after undergoing cervical cancer treatments?

By Eranga Isaac

Eranga Isaac is author of the book -
Understanding Basic Facts About Breast And Cervical Cancers

Treatment for cervical cancer often involves removing the uterus and
may also involve removing the ovaries, ruling out a future pregnancy.

However, if the cancer is caught very early, you still may be able to have children after surgical treatment.

A procedure called a radical trachelectomy can remove the cervix and part of the vagina while leaving the majority of the uterus intact.

Contact the author via isaac_editorial@yahoo.com
+2348059233001

What is Cervical Cancer? By Eranga Isaac - Breast and Cervical Cancers Author

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
each year there are estimated 493,000 new cases of cervical cancer and
274,000 deaths globally. Cervical cancer occurrence in more developed
regions is 17 percent while in less developed regions, it is 83
percent. Cervical cancer is one of the diseases that affect the poor
excessively.

According to Global Health E-Learning Center, Cervical cancer occurs
when abnormal cells develop and spread in the cervix, the lower part
of the uterus. A unique fact about cervical cancer is that most cases
are triggered by a type of virus known as Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
When found early, cervical cancer is highly curable. The disease
progresses gradually from the time of infection with the virus, and
may take 15 to 20 years for cancer to develop.

The cervix is subject to a lot of stress during labour and delivering,
which appear to account for increased cervical cancer risk. The cervix
is also subject to micro trauma during sexual intercourse.

Foods that promote and prevent cancer By Isaac Eranga - a health journalist

According to the Dietitian of the Dietitics and Nutrition Unit,
General Hospital Onitsha- Mrs. Ngozi Okolo, the following food below
promotes or causes cancer:

1- Red meat such as fried red meat, grilled or barbecued meat (Suya),
ham, bacon, sausages, hot dogs, over cooked meat, etc.

2- Excess consumption of fat particularly from animal sources such as
meats, eggs, milk, etc.

3- Smoked, pickled, salted or highly spiced foods or meat.

4- Alcoholic beverages such as beer, stout, wine, liquors, coffee,
tobacco (cigarette, snuff).

5- Excess consumption of refined food products such as commercial
baked foods, refined sugars, sugary carbonated soft drinks, chocolate,
etc.

6- Saturated animal fat (butter), high calorie foods, acid (margarine).

7- Consumption of fried foods.


Foods that prevent cancer

1- Fruits particularly the citrus such as oranges, pineapples, apples,
grapes, pawpaw, mangoes, etc.

2- Vegetables - green leafy vegetables, carrots, cabbages, tomatoes,
onions, garlick, etc.

3- Legumes such as soy, tofu, soy milk, beans.

4- Vegetable oils such olive oil.

5- Whole grain cereals-bread and pasta (not refined), rice, rye, oats,
barley, etc.

6- Fermented dairy products such as the yoghurt.

7- All fibre containing foods.

Breast and Cervical Cancers Memo

The disease burden of breast and cervical cancers has brought
excruciating pains to the live and homes of many; it has caused
perpetual trauma and endless untimely deaths among people both at the
higher and lower classes of the society. Research shows that large
number of persons are still very much ignorant about the causes and
prevention of breast and cervical cancers.

It was this massive ignorance that prompted a Public Health
Communication Expert - Eranga Isaac to write a book on breast and
cervical cancers.

Breast and cervical cancers are preventable and curable when detected
in an early stage. Most of the cases of these diseases are discovered
late when treatment is less effective.

To get copy of the book "UNDERSTANDING BASIC FACTS ABOUT BREAST AND
CERVICAL CANCERS", call Isaac on +2348059233001 or email at
isaac_editorial@yahoo.com

Eranga Isaac is a member of the Global Health Network and is a
professional Health Journalist based in Edo State Nigeria.

Understanding Skin Cancer

SKIN CANCER GALLERY

        Skin cancer is by far the most type of cancer. All skin cancers can be treated effectively if they are found early, so knowing what to look for is important.
       There are many types of skin cancer, each of which can look different on the skin.
       This picture gallery contains some examples of the common types of skin cancer, as well as some other non cancerous types of skin growths. but skin cancers can look different from these examples.
       This is why it's important to see a our doctor in any other reason and treatment.

Just one or two drinks a day could increase risk for certain cancers

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism define light to moderate alcohol consumption as up to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. But according to new research published in The BMJ, even this level of alcohol consumption can increase cancer risk.

Researchers found women who drank up to one alcoholic beverage daily were at greater risk of certain cancers - particularly breast cancer - regardless of smoking history.

Previous studies have associated heavy drinking with greater risk of certain cancers, including breast, colon, liver and mouth cancers.

But according to Prof. Edward Giovannucci and colleagues, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA, there is limited evidence on how light to moderate drinking impacts cancer risk.

What is more, the researchers note there has been little research on how alcohol consumption affects cancer risk independent of smoking. Smoking is a well-established risk factor for many alcohol-related cancers, and because drinkers are more likely to smoke, the authors say smoking may have been a confounding factor in previous studies linking alcohol consumption with cancer risk.

As such, Prof. Giovannucci and colleagues set out to assess the association between light to moderate drinking and cancer, also looking at how such alcohol consumption impacts cancer risk independent of tobacco use.

The team analyzed data from two large US studies involving 88,084 women and 47,881 men, whose health was monitored for up to 30 years.

The alcohol consumption of participants was determined via a dietary intake questionnaire completed every 4 years.

Light to moderate drinking was defined as up to one standard drink, or 15 g or alcohol, a day for women and up to two standard drinks daily, or 30 g of alcohol, for men. One standard drink is the equivalent to a 118 ml glass of wine or a 355 ml bottle of beer.

As well as assessing participants' overall cancer risk, the researchers assessed their risk of alcohol-related cancers, including colon, rectal, liver, breast, oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus cancers.

People with family history of cancer 'should consider abstaining from alcohol'

Over the 30-year follow-up period, 19,269 cancers were diagnosed in women and 7,571 cancers were diagnosed in men.

Fast facts about alcohol use

• In 2013, around 56.4% of American adults aged 18 and older reported consuming alcohol in the past month
• Alcohol contributes to more than 200 diseases and injury-related health conditions
• Each year, around 88,000 people in the US die from alcohol-related causes.

10 health risks of chronic heavy drinking

Men and women who engaged in light to moderate drinking were found to be at a small but "non-significant" increased total cancer risk, regardless of their smoking history.

However, the researchers found that women who engaged in light to moderate drinking were at greater risk of alcohol-related cancers, particularly breast cancer. This result rang true for women with and without a history of smoking.

Among men, light to moderate drinking was only linked to increased risk of alcohol-related cancers in those who had a history of smoking.

In an editorial linked to the study, Dr. Jürgen Rehm, of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada, says the findings from Prof. Giovannucci and colleagues provide a greater understanding of how even light to moderate drinking can influence cancer risk.

While more research is needed to further assess the link between smoking and alcohol consumption on cancer risk, he believes the current findings suggest women should consume no more than one alcoholic beverage daily and men should drink no more than two.

Dr. Rehm adds:

"[...] People with a family history of cancer, especially women with a family history of breast cancer, should consider reducing their alcohol intake to below recommended limits, or even abstaining altogether, given the now well-established link between moderate drinking and alcohol-related cancers."

Last month, Medical News Today reported on a study that found individuals aged 50 and older who are healthy, active, sociable and wealthy may be at increased risk of harmful drinking.

Written by Honor Whiteman

Copyright: Medical News Today

Exercise 300 minutes a week 'to cut postmenopausal breast cancer risk'

Doubling the amount of weekly moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise, to 300 minutes instead of 150 minutes a week, had a better effect on body fat in a trial of 400 inactive postmenopausal women.

Links have been established between physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer risk.

Reducing total fat and other adiposity measures, especially for obese women, was more effective with the greater exercise during a 1-year clinical trial published in JAMA Oncology.

The finding is noteworthy, say the authors, because body fat has been associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, so these women may derive unique benefit from exercise.

Physical activity is an inexpensive, noninvasive strategy for disease prevention.

Worldwide, public health agencies recommend that for overall health we be physically active for at least 150 minutes a week at moderate intensity, or 60-75 minutes a week at vigorous intensity.

The authors led by Christine Friedenreich, PhD, of Alberta Health Services in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, conclude: "In previously inactive postmenopausal women, a 1-year prescription of moderate to vigorous exercise for 300 minutes/week was superior to 150 minutes/week for reducing total fat and other adiposity measures, especially in obese women." They add:

"These results suggest additional benefit of higher-volume aerobic exercise for adiposity outcomes and possibly a lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer."

For the study, the women with body mass indexes (BMI) between 22 and 40 were asked not to change their usual diet.

Any aerobic activity that raised heart rate to 65-75% of heart rate reserve was permitted during the trial.

Participants met one-to-one with a study exercise trainer in the first two sessions, receiving orientation to the training facility and a variety of aerobic equipment, including:

• Treadmills
• Stationary bicycles
• Elliptical trainers.

Trainers also provided a comprehensive exercise educational guide that included home-based exercise examples and technique instructions for specific activities.

Effects on a number of measures

Average reductions in total body fat were 1 kg (1% of body fat) larger in the 300-minute exercise group compared with the 150-minute group.

Decreases were also larger for the following measures in the 300-minute group:

• Subcutaneous abdominal fat
• Total abdominal fat
• BMI
• Waist circumference
• Waist-to-hip ratio.

The results show that there were stronger effects for women who were obese - had a BMI of 30 or more - against the measures for change in weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference, and subcutaneous abdominal fat.

The authors conclude: "A probable association between physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer risk is supported by more than 100 epidemiological studies, with strong biologic rationale supporting fat loss as an important (though not the only) mediator of this association.

"Our findings of a dose-response effect of exercise on total fat mass and several other adiposity measures including abdominal fat, especially in obese women, provide a basis for encouraging postmenopausal women to exercise at least 300 minutes/week, longer than the minimum recommended for cancer prevention."

Written by Markus MacGill

Too Much Sitting May Raise a Woman's Cancer Risk: Study

BREAST CANCER IN PERSPECTIVE

By Eranga Isaac, Nigeria

According to the HealthDay News, lots of time spent sitting may increase a woman's odds for cancer, but it does not seem to have a similar effect on men, a new study suggests.

HealthDay News quoted Dr. Alpa Patel, who directs the Cancer Prevention Study-3 at the American Cancer Society as saying thus: "Longer leisure time spent sitting was associated with a higher risk of total cancer risk in women, and specifically with multiple myeloma, breast and ovarian cancers. But sitting time was not associated with cancer risk in men," 

They also quoted Dr. Paolo Bofetta, a professor of preventative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City, as saying that encouraging individuals across all categories of weight to reduce sitting time would have an impact on their physical activity, with beneficial effects on cancer and other chronic diseases. 

Reported recently in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the study tracked outcomes for more than 146,000 men and women who were cancer-free at the start of the study and then followed from 1992 to 2009. During that time, nearly 31,000 of the participants developed cancer.

More time spent sitting during leisure time was associated with a 10 percent overall higher risk of cancer in women, after the researchers adjusted for factors such as physical activity levels and weight. There was no such link found in men, however.

Among women, specific cancers associated with high levels of sitting during leisure time were the blood cancer multiple myeloma, invasive breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.

"Further research is warranted to better understand the differences in associations between men and women," Alpa Patel and colleagues wrote.

Previous research has shown that physical activity can reduce cancer risk, but few studies have examined the link between sitting time and cancer risk. Over the past few decades, sitting time in the United States has increased, the researchers said.

The study wasn't designed to prove cause-and-effect. However, given the large amount of time Americans spend sitting, even a slight link between sitting and increased cancer risk could have major public health implications, Patel's group said.

Experts were puzzled by the fact that sitting appeared to boost a woman's odds for cancer, even after the research team factored out the notion that sitting might simply mean less daily exercise.

For example, "one would assume that women that exercise more have a decreased risk of breast cancer, but the study tried to control for this variable," said breast cancer specialist Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"It is unclear why leisure time spent sitting, if not a marker for decreased physical activity, would increase the risk of cancer," she said. Bernik believes more study is needed to pinpoint the reason behind the finding.

Dr. Charles Shapiro directs translational breast cancer research at the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, also in New York City. He said the study was limited by the fact that it relied on the recall of people answering questionnaires about past habits. Still, he said, "the study is of importance because it highlights that less leisure-time sitting and increased physical activity are distinct [entities]," with separate implications for cancer risk.