Treatment Diaries - Community of Support for Chronic Illnesses

Treatment Diaries is a social networking platform for those living with or caring for someone with chronic diseases to share their stories and connect. This support network can be especially important during the holiday season.

Sometimes it can be lonely to live with a chronic illness or be a caregiver for someone with a chronic illness. Treatment Diaries is a comforting place to journal experiences and express feeling privately or with others. Community members can ask questions about treatment options and receive support, all anonomyously.

Living your life with a chronic condition or caring for someone with an on-going illness is perhaps one of life’s greatest challenges, demanding significant perseverance and genuine support. Whether you are a patient, caregiver, family member or advocate - doctors offer medical assistance, loved ones provide empathy for a short period - but who really understands the daily struggle and the questions you live with; “Why me?” or “What can I do to help make it stop?” or “Why won’t the pain just go away?” The answer: ONLY you and those who share your condition and experience! The good news, at Treatment Diaries, no matter what the condition or situation - YOU are no longer alone.

Why Treatment Diaries?

Connections are powerful and made through shared conditions and the inspiration found in those who understand

Real information shared based on personal experience

Who you are and the sharing you do is kept anonymous

Search on a key word to make connections through shared treatments, experiences and emotions.

Read the diaries of others and be inspired.

Scribble in a diary of a fellow user to show encouragement and provide hope.

Extending support through experience is empowering - building a new sense of meaning in your life and a renewed sense of self. To help someone you can relate to is therapeutic and a large component of establishing overall personal well-being.
Founder Amy Ohm says “We want people to make authentic, quality, lifelong, and if they wish anonymous connections, and inspire others to live life to the fullest, no matter what their condition.” If you are searching for on line support checking out http://www.treatmentdiaries.com/ might be both comforting and uplifting.

If you are searching for a gift that will be usefual and appreciated by a cancer patient or someone with another chronic disease which has unpleasant side effects please visit http://www.lotstolivefor.com/

Minerva Health Technologies Inc. Partners with Lots To Live For, Inc.

Minerva Health Technologies Inc. Partners with Lots To Live For, Inc. to Distribute Minerva® Health Manager Personal Health Record Software


WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. – Minerva Health Technologies Inc. has partnered with Lots To Live For, Inc. to distribute Minerva® Health Manager, a Personal Health Record Manager system that organizes important health information for patients and families in one software solution.

Whether individuals and their family members are relatively healthy and going for a routine doctor’s visit, or managing a chronic condition and receiving extensive treatment, many want to be actively involved in their healthcare experience. Minerva Health Manager helps them securely manage their individual health history, without the use of the Internet; from detailed information on medical alerts, emergency contacts, health conditions, medications, allergies, immunizations, and insurance, to storing test results, treatments, and contents of their official advance directives.

And best of all, Minerva personal health records can be portable, so Healthcare Providers and Agents can have immediate access to their patient’s most current medical records – wherever, whenever, without the use of the Internet.

“Unfortunately, you can’t always rely on our healthcare system to have access to critical health information for accurate diagnoses or treatments. Anyone who has been in an emergency room likely has nightmares of all of the paperwork and chaos,” said Dan Schiavello, President, of Minerva Health Technologies. “With Minerva, you can have all of your health information stored on a lightweight wristband or tiny flash drive---smaller than a house key --- available in emergencies and for routine doctor visits.”

With a complete health history carried on their Minerva Wristband or Slimline Flash Drive, stored on a mobile device such as an iPad, iPhone or Android, or even as a printed report, they will be in a better position to receive the very best healthcare for themselves and their family members.

The Minerva personal health record software solution is comprehensive and easy to use, and it is surprisingly affordable for such a powerful software tool. Watch the 3‑minute Video Tour to learn how Minerva can help save lives. You can also download the free Trial and the Minerva PHR Viewer, a free app for your mobile device.


Lots To Live For, Inc. offers products to combat unpleasant and uncomfortable side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Importantly, Lots To Live For, Inc. sells items to help heal and soothe radiation burns. In addition they provide helpful cancer skin care products for sensitive and compromised skin, and hair care products to reduce and prevent hair loss. Lots To Live For, Inc offers thoughtful and appreciated cancer gifts and compassionate service. Now through the partnership with Minerva, Lots To Live For, Inc. also offers patients a way to organize, coordinate, store, and carry their important medical records.


About Minerva Health Technologies
Founded in 2000, Minerva Health Technologies Inc. is a software development company specializing in computer aided health software development and consulting. Minerva Health Technologies develops Consumer and Healthcare Provider software to manage personal health records and to optimize the interaction between patients and their healthcare providers.

Follow Minerva on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MinervaHealthManager.

For more information, please visit MyMinerva.com


About Lots To Live For
Lots To Live For, Inc. is a family business created to help individuals who are battling cancer. We offer help and solutions for side effects caused by radiation and chemotherapy treatments. We have carefully selected products that were extremely useful to various patients we've worked with, which include the courageous members of our own family. All of the products are available to order on our website.

Follow Lots To Live For on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LotsToLiveFor.

For more information, please visit LotsToLiveFor.com

CaringBridge.org allows creation of free, personal and private websites that connect people experiencing a health challenge with family and friends

CaringBridge provides free websites that connect people experiencing a significant health challenge to family and friends, making each health journey easier. CaringBridge is free to users because it is powered and supported by generous donors.

Patients and caregivers who receive a difficult diagnosis should consider creating a CaringBridge website to document their personal health journey. CaringBridge can help those with serious health challenges to communicate with friends and family about their journey. And, friends and loved ones can leave messages and thoughts of inspiration for the patient. Because patients may have time constraints due to facility visiting hours or medication protocols, the CaringBridge guest book allows communication at convenience. Visitors to the guest book don't have to worry that their attempts to reach out might be intrusive or ill timed. And, the patient can communicate with supporters through journal postings. Those with serious health challenges are encouraged to explore this wonderful resource.

The following information is from the About Us section of the CaringBridge.org website:
CaringBridge websites offer a personal and private space to communicate and show support, saving time and emotional energy when health matters most. The websites are easy to create and use. Authors add health updates and photos to share their story while visitors leave messages of love, hope and compassion in the guestbook.

Connected by CaringBridge

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Each day, half-a-million people connect through CaringBridge.
More than 1 billion visits have been made to personal CaringBridge websites.
The CaringBridge community includes authors, visitors and/or donors in all 50 states and more than 225 countries/territories around the world.

Please visit our website for caring gifts at http://www.lotstolivefor.com/

Minerva Health Manager Video Tour - Describing Personal Health Record Software

Please view this short video which describes the Minerva Health Manager personal health record software. Personal health records are important to maintain as healthcare in the US becomes more complicated. Personal health records can help you if you visit multiple doctors, for different diagnoses or for second opinions. Storing personal information electronically is the wave of the future. Minerva is highly rated by services which rate personal health record software.



There are many reasons to buy this product. Most important:
Minerva Health Manager can save your life!
As a reminder, some of Minerva’s main features are:
Keeps track of medical alerts
Track medications and check for side effects and drug interactions
Can store digital x-rays, videos, MRI’s and photos
Keeps doctor contact information organized and accessible
Keeps an updated list of Emergency Contacts
Keeps a record of diagnoses
Keeps a record of surgeries
Family history is coordinated
Keeps records of doctor visits
Can help prevent medical mistakes and duplicate testing
Easy access to important health information
Carry your family health records with you on your slimline or wristband flashdrive, or on your iphone, ipad or android
Create and access advanced directives including living wills

Minerva is essential for everyone, not just people with complicated, lengthy or significant health histories. It is also essential for families with young or college age children. It is especially helpful for children who participate in varsity athletics, children who are away at camp or college, and family members who may be traveling or studying abroad. It is essential for people who travel frequently for business and may encounter a health situation while traveling in a different city, state or country. It is essential for athletes who train vigorously and who might be at risk of traffic or other accidents during training.

To read more about the Minerva health manager click here.
To purchase the Minerva health manager click here.

Patients Want Coordinated Care - Personal Health Records and Portability

Since our last post was about the importance of coordinating, organizing and maintaining personal health records and how Minerva Health Manager can help to accomplish this, we have decided to reprint a Q&A which was originally published in the magazine Cure Today on 9/14/2011. Dr. Lichtenfeld gives excellent advice about becoming your own health advocate.

Here is a complete reprint of the article which you can also access by clicking here.

Q & A: Patients Want Coordinated Care
BY LEN LICHTENFELD, MD PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 14, 2011
Q: After switching doctors, I was surprised that I had to retrieve paper copies of my records. Weren’t patient records supposed to go digital?

A: Cancer patients and their caregivers see firsthand the problems we have in our healthcare system, not the least of which is how we transfer information from place to place. Patients, in transition from active cancer care to more routine follow-up in community settings, are particularly vulnerable when diagnostic and treatment data doesn’t flow easily from oncologists to primary care professionals.
Patients are beginning to recognize that they are caught in the middle of the muddle. A recent survey commissioned by the Center to Advance Palliative Care and supported by the American Cancer Society asked consumers what their biggest concerns were for patients with serious illnesses. A top issue was that doctors might not talk to and share information with each other—and these results aren’t surprising. Patients are letting it be known that from their perspective their care has become disjointed and uncoordinated as they move from place to place and doctor to doctor. The challenges are increasing as the ways in which we deliver care are morphing into new and more challenging systems.
Much of this was supposed to be addressed by expanding the influence of electronic medical records. Although there has been progress, it has been slow in coming. We still need widely accepted standards that allow different computer systems to use the same data—that way, test results could be easily available wherever the patient receives care, and scans wouldn’t have to be repeated. And, although the process of health information exchange is gaining traction, it may be some time before networks that will move patient information from one place to another, just like an ATM network, are up and running.
Until we arrive at that magical day when our treatment information follows us to where we get our health care, you must be your own advocate. Know your disease, know your treatment, and know what your healthcare team wants you to do and when you should do it. Keep copies of important records and even CDs of scans. If you don’t understand something, speak up and ask questions. No one is going to look out for you more than you do for yourself.
—Len Lichtenfeld, MD, is deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.
(end of article from Cure Today)

To learn more about how the Minerva Health Manager can help you organize personal health records click here.
To read about and order the Minerva Health Manager personal health software click here.

Minerva Health Manager Software Organizes Personal Health Records

Many people associate electronic health records with healthcare providers. In fact, personal health records should be organized and consolidated as well. Many people don't realize that having thir personal health records available in an emergency can be lifesaving.

Minerva Health Manager is a personal health manager that organizes important health information for you and your family in one software solution. Minerva Health Manager is surprisingly affordable - the individual version costs less than $30 and the family version less than $60.

Minerva Health Manager is portable, so you and your doctors can have access to your most current medical records – wherever you are, whenever you want.
Your personal health information will never be inaccessible or out of reach again.

With Minerva, your health records are organized, in your hands, and in your control.
Coordinate and organize your health records so you can be prepared in an emergency!
Minerva Health Manager can save your life!
Here are some of Minerva’s main features:

• Keeps track of medical alerts
• Keeps track of allergies
• Track medications and check for side effects and drug interactions
• Keeps track of immunization history
• Can store digital x-rays, videos, MRI’s and photos
• Keeps doctor contact information organized and accessible
• Keeps an updated list of Emergency Contacts
• Keeps a record of diagnoses
• Keeps a record of surgeries
• Family history is coordinated
• Keeps records of doctor visits
• Can help prevent medical mistakes and duplicate testing
• Easy access to important health information
• Carry your family health records with you on your slimline or wristband Flash Drive, or on your iPhone, iPad or Android
• Create and access advanced directives including living wills

 MORE POWER TO THE PATIENT

Whether you are relatively healthy or managing a chronic condition, you want to be actively involved in your healthcare experience. With Minerva, you can be. Minerva helps you privately manage your individual health history on your own computer; from detailed information on your health conditions, medications, allergies, immunizations, and insurance to storing your test results, diagnoses, treatments, and contents of your official advance directive.

This means that in any medical situation, from a routine doctor’s visit to a medical emergency, you are equipped with important aspects of your personal health, along with valuable emergency contact information. With your complete health history in hand – whether printed as a report from your own computer to your own printer, or carried on your Minerva slimline or wristband Flash Drive, iPhone, iPad or Android – you are in a better position to receive the very best healthcare for you and your family. Minerva Health Manager includes family health history reports that record hereditary health conditions in your family tree – so you can work with healthcare professionals to take the right steps to help maintain your good health, as early as possible. Minerva can empower you to make good choices for your health.

FEWER MEDICAL OVERSIGHTS

Lack of information can lead to devastating medical oversights. Access to that information, whether your healthcare happens down the street or around the world, can help keep you and your family safe. A doctor responds to a medical emergency with the information available. With Minerva, that information can be far more complete. And, when it comes to the care of family members, easy access to the details of each and every one of their medications, immunizations, allergies, conditions, and historic health events can enrich the quality of care they receive. Accurate information such as allergies to medications can be lifesaving in emergency situations.

YOUR HEALTH HISTORY – TO GO – WITH YOU WHEN YOU NEED IT

You probably won’t be seeing your doctor while sitting at your computer. That’s why Minerva Health Manager is completely portable: all of your health history on you Minerva slimline or wristband Flash Drive, iPhone, iPad, or Android. Where you go, it goes! Plus, with the click of you mouse, you can print as much of your health history as you want in a report, along with an emergency identification card that you can always carry in your wallet. If you have a chronic condition: just take your flash drive with you to your new specialist and you won’t have to detail a lifetime of information, or potentially forget details that could mean the difference between the right medical decision and the wrong one. You just have to hand your flash drive to your doctor, and he or she can see the information on their computer. And even more importantly and potentially lifesaving – if you are rushed to the emergency room, unable to communicate, your flash drive can do the talking for you – your medications, drug allergies, health conditions, medical alerts, and emergency contacts.

PERSONAL OR FAMILY SOFTWARE AVAILABLE

All of the features and benefits of Minerva that are available to you are also available to your parents and children. That’s because, unlike some other Personal Health Records, Minerva Health Manager is a solution for your entire family. With a unique login, your parents and children can access and manager their own Personal Health Record in the same software. Your parents and children can carry their Personal Health Records with them wherever they go. So, not only will you be protected at home and around the globe, so will the people you treasure most.

Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom, medicine and science and can protect you too.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Minerva Health Manager CLICKHERE. Go to the upper right where it says SHOP NOW (in red) and select whether you want the individual or family version. Use the code LIVEFOR at check out to save 20% off the list price.
To watch a short youtube video about Minerva Health Manager CLICK HERE
To watch a short youtube video that will convince you that portable personal health records can be lifesaving CLICK HERE

Help for Using the Internet to Research a Significant Health Diagnosis

In this book Andrew Schorr gives helpful advice on how to best navigate the internet if you are researching a significant health diagnosis.

According to the book review on the Amazon website: Gone are the days when patients take life-changing diagnoses lying down. The first place people go to learn more about their health, especially when it is at risk, is the Internet. But this unregulated channel can be as harmful as it is beneficial when it comes to medical content. As a step-by-step guide, The Web-Savvy Patient: An Insider’s Guide to Navigating the Internet When Facing Medical Crisis explores topics such as wading through search engine results, connecting with online communities, defining conditions, identifying the specialists, and organizing the outcome of your research so that doctors will listen. Delivering practical instruction and supplying real-life reassurances, author and recognized patient empowerment pioneer Andrew Schorr encourages individuals and family members to retain control rather than fall victim to fear and worry. Schorr offers up true stories of empowered patients alongside the details of his own experience as a cancer patient, revealing how the Internet led him toward the physician, hospital, and treatment that he believes saved his life. Enlightening and logically organized, the book is easy to read and easy to relate to. Respected medical experts, support groups, and patients agree that when it comes to improving the quality of online health content, Schorr, a longtime patient educator, medical journalist, and leukemia survivor, is the ultimate expert.

The Continuing Shortage of Generic Cancer Drugs

Shortchanging Cancer Patients
By EZEKIEL J. EMANUEL
Published: August 6, 2011
Getting to the roots of the real rationing crisis — a severe shortage of important cancer drugs.
Many generic cancer drugs are in short supply. Click here to view this article, published in the NY Times which offers a fascinating look at why the shortages have occurred and why they persist.

A Cookbook with Recipes to Lower the Risk of Breast Cancer by Nutrition Researcher Mary Flynn of Brown University

Under the auspices of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, Flynn, a research dietitian at the Miriam Hospital and assistant professor at Brown Medical School, studied the effects of a plant-based olive-oil diet ("PBOO") for overweight women who had undergone breast cancer treatment, compared to a low-fat diet recommended by the National Cancer Institute. Her conclusion--that the plant-based olive oil diet is both more effective and more satisfying--is the basis for this combination research/recipe book, penned with the help of Barr, a cookbook author formerly associated with Julia Child. The authors explain that the PBOO diet concentrates primarily on foods that women should eat in order to lower their risk of breast cancer or to ward off its recurrence, while omitting foods associated with risks; the focus on olive oil and veggies leads to improvement in blood lipids, blood sugar, and insulin, all biomarkers for breast cancer. Part II presents a 1,500-calorie diet that includes 150 simple, affordable, and enticing recipes, ranging from breakfasts, salads, and sandwiches to main courses and desserts. This user-friendly and preventive diet plan will benefit every woman concerned about breast cancer and health.

The Pink Ribbon Diet: A Revolutionary New Weight Loss Plan to Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk





The Pink Ribbon Diet: A Revolutionaly New Weight Loss Plan to Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk

© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CR Magazine - Another Great Resource for Cancer Patients, Survivors and Caregivers

CR was launched by the American Association for Cancer Research in March 2006 to serve an unmet need: a forum for sharing credible, balanced information about cancer and perspectives on the pressing challenges in cancer research today. We believe that collaborations among members of the cancer community—survivors and those who care for and about them—will lead to results in cancer prevention, treatment and care.
CR Magazine has a print version and an on line version. The CR website offers some interesting podcasts which have been created to address specific issues of interest to cancer patients. Some examples of the podcasts which are accessible on the website are:
The Human Side of Cancer
With Dr. Jimmie Holland
By Kevin Begos
A new series of podcasts about coping with the psychological and emotional side of cancer.
Cancer News Podcast -Speeding Up Translational Research
By Kevin Begos
A proposed NIH center aims to move science from bench to beside faster.
Cancer Drug Shortages
By Kevin Begos
Doctors and pharmaceutical companies must find solutions to shortages of some tried-and-true medications.
Novel Strategies for Breast Cancer Therapy
By Kevin Begos
Improved understanding of breast cancer subtypes can lead to better treatments for the disease.
Pathobiology of Breast Cancer
By Kevin Begos
Scientists now have a greater understanding of how breast cancer works.
The above are just a few examples of the podcasts available on the website. To access the podcasts and to view additional titles click here.
You can subscribe to the print edition of CR Magazine by clicking here.

Lots To Live For, Inc. Facebook Fan Page

Lots To Live For, Inc. has launched a Facebook Fan page. Please "like" the page so that you can get updates about our products. You can also read what our customers have to say about our products.



Lots To Live For, Inc. offers one stop web shopping for patients combating unpleasant side effects from chemotherapy and radiation treatment. There are also helpful resources for cancer patients and caregivers.

Lots To Live For, Inc. offers:
Products to help heal and soothe radiation burns

Cancer skin care products for sensitive and compromised skin
Cancer hair care products to reduce hair loss and stimulate hair regrowth
Oral care items for dry mouth and mouth sores
Nutritional products to help boost the immune system.
Cancer gifts for individuals undergoing radiation and chemotherapy
Natural, Botanical and Homeopathic products to relieve cancer side effects
Products for the Relief of Nausea associated with chemotherapy
An all natural Skin Care line of products made without perfumes or chemicals
Post radiation sun protection products

No other company offers such a complete collection of cancer care products to help all types of cancer side effects. We are also a cancer care resource offering cancer information and links to useful articles, organizations and research. Please take your time exploring and call or email us with your questions.

To view the Lots To Live For, Inc. facebook page please click here.
To view the Lots To Live For, Inc. website where you can view and order products on line click here.

Cure Today Magazine - A Great Resource - Free Subscription for Patients, Survivors and Caregivers

CURE Media Group has become the source of information and inspiration for those on the cancer journey. CURE Media Group's flagship product, CURE magazine, is the indispensable guide for every stage of the cancer experience. Through the magazine, educational forums, a resource guide for the newly diagnosed, a national nursing award, books, and a variety of online tools, CURE Media Group combines science and humanity to make cancer understandable.

The Spring 2011 issue of CURE is now available on line or in print with the latest on chemobrain, advancements in ovarian cancer and the changing landscape of cancer drug approvals. In the cover story, "Lifting the Fog," the author explores what may cause chemobrain, also called cognitive dysfunction, and coping strategies some survivors are using to deal with the side effect. You'll also find information on oral mucositis, a survivor's reflection on losing her hair and newly approved treatments for breakthrough pain, anal cancer and follicular lymphoma.

Some other articles you will find in this issue are:
Breaking Out of the Silence
Advances in ovarian cancer gain ground.
Hitting Hard-to-Treat Cancers
Hampered by lack of screening tools, science is taking aim at the most lethal forms of the disease.
Bending the Rules
Yoga has earned accolades as a complementary therapy, and now studies are confirming its value.
Hurdles on the Faster Track
Patients & the FDA struggle over how to define success in the battle against metastatic disease.

You can click here to sign up to receive a free subscription of Cure Today.
Cure Today is a wonderful and free resource for patients, caregivers and survivors.
The above information is taken from the Cure Today website.
To view the Cure Today Spring 2011 magazine on line click here.

You can view a collection of product lines which will effectively combat all types of cancer treatment side effects at our companion website Lots To Live For, Inc.
The products offered on www.LotsToLiveFor.com can help prevent and heal radiation burns, help improve and soothe dry, flaking and compromised skin, and help dry mouth and mouth sores. You can also find homeopathic remedies for skin care side effects. There are also hair care products to help prevent loss, and stimulate regrowth for thinning hair. Nutritional products, so helpful for compromised immune systems are also available.

Complete Guide to Nutrition for Cancer Survivors - Helpful Book

A useful guide to nutrition for cancer patients and survivors:

American Cancer Society Complete Guide to Nutrition for Cancer Survivors: Eating Well, Staying Well During and After Cancer
Abby S. Bloch PhD RD (Editor), Barbara Grant MS RD CSO LD (Editor), Kathryn K. Hamilton MA RD CDN CSO (Editor), Cynthia A. Thomson PhD RD (Editor)



Dieticians can be extremely helpful for people who have cancer. Many cancer patients do not have access to nutritional counseling. This helpful book can serve as a useful resource.

Written for consumers, patients, and families seeking reliable information about nutritional support for people with cancer, this comprehensive guide offers the latest information about using nutrition to optimal advantage during the cancer journey. Also discussed is the role of sound nutritional choices before, during, and after cancer therapy and how they can help bolster energy levels, strengthen the immune system, fight off infection, and minimize the side effects of treatment. Charts, information on special diets, and level-headed advice about dietary supplements make this a valuable tool for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

About the Authors
Barbara Grant, MS, RD, CSO, LD, is the outpatient clinical nutritionist at the Saint Alphonsus Cancer Care Center and is a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition. Abby S. Bloch, PhD, RD, is executive director of programs and research for the Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation, was on staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, and was chairperson for the American Cancer Society Advisory Committee on Nutrition and Physical Activity. Kathryn K. Hamilton, MA, RD, CDN, CSO, is an outpatient clinical oncology dietitian with the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at the Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, New Jersey; an assistant professor at College of St. Elizabeth in Morristown; and a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition. Cynthia A. Thomson, PhD, RD, is an associate professor at the University of Arizona department of nutritional sciences, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, and was a nominee for the Sidney Salmon Memorial Award for Cancer Research in 2009.

Breast Cancer Lymph Node Treatment Protocol Updated: For Up to 20% of Patients Removal of Cancerous Nodes Yields No Survival Advantage

A somewhat surprising and counterintuitive recommendation is the result of a multiyear breast cancer study: approximately 20% of women with breast cancer should not have cancerous lymph nodes from under their arms removed. This new approach to treatment was adopted by Memorial Sloan-Kettering, a renowned cancer treatment hospital in New York City in September 2010. Dr. Monica Morrow, chief of the breast service at Sloan-Kettering is one of the author's of the study supporting this new protocol which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on 2/9/11. The study found that the survival rate for patients whose lymph nodes were removed is very similar to the survival of patients whose lymph nodes were not removed.

The study concludes that taking out the lymph nodes does not change the treatment plan, improve survival, or make the cancer less likely to recur. Often, the removal of lymph nodes causes dangerous, painful and potentially disabling complications such as infection and/or lymphedema.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are now standard therapy for women whose breast cancer has traveled to the lymph nodes. It is believe that this treatment is effective for wiping out any disease in these lymph nodes.

Importantly, the new results do not apply to all patients, only to those whose women who meet the specific criteria as laid out in the study with regard to lymph node descriptive details.

For products that can help you reduce and relieve side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer, please visit http://www.lotstolivefor.com/

For more information you can refer to:
The article by Denise Grady in the NY Times entitled “Lymph Node Study Shakes Breast Cancer Treatment” dated 2/9/11
The article in the Journal of the American Medical Association entitled "Auillary Dissection vs No Axillary Dissection in Women With Invasive Breast Cancer and Sentinel Node Metastasis" with multiple authors including Armando E. Giuliano, MD
A followup article to the 2/9 article in the NY Times, also by Denise Grady "Implications of Study on Breast Cancer"

Shortages for Some Generic Drugs used for Cancer Chemotherapy Treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeing "a record number of shortages" this year, said Valerie Jensen of the FDA's drug shortage program. This is putting pressure on hospitals and doctors which in certain cases have been forced to search for acceptable alternative treatments. Most shortages are for injectable medications (also called sterile injectibles), including several for cancer, Ms. Jensen said.

Doxorubicin, a generic drug also known as adriamycin, is a common treatment for some breast cancers and lymphomas, is in short supply causing some patients to receive alterhative regimens.

The drug cisplatin is also in short supply. Cisplatin is a mainstay treatment for testicular cancer, and is also used for other cancers.

Shortages also exist for Leucovorin which is frequently used in combination with fluoruracil to treat cancers such as colon and rectal, head and neck, esophageal, and other cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. It can also be used as an antidote to effects of certain chemotherapy drugs such as methotrexate.

Bleomycin is a chemotherapy drug that is administered for the treatment of several types of cancer, including squamous cell carcinomas, testicular cancer, head and neck cancers, and lymphomas. It works as an antineoplastic drug, meaning that it is a tumor antibiotic and is toxic to fast growing cells. Some hospitals are experiencing difficulting in procuring Bleomycin.

In a recent MSNBC online story, Jensen said 40 percent of the shortages are due to manufacturing problems, 20 percent because a firm stops making a drug and 20 percent from production delays. The basic cause, she said, is the drugs are not as profitable as newer ones. According to a report on Fierce Pharma drugs run short for a variety of reasons: Increased demand for a particular treatment, short supplies of active ingredients, manufacturing problems, recalls...and because some older drugs are only made by a handful of manufacturers, when one company's production slows or stops, that affects the entire supply. For instance, the cancer drug cisplatin is made by three companies--APP, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Bedford--and both Teva and Bedford report manufacturing delays, while APP, understandably, is struggling to keep up with increased demand.

It is important to be vigilant and to inquire about the availilbity of enough medication to complete your prescribed regimen if a generic injectible cancer medication is prescribed.

For further information you can refer to these articles:
NCI Cancer Bulletin
http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/011111/page2
ONS Connect
http://www.onsconnect.org/2011/01/whats-up-with-all-these-cancer-drug-shortages
Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2014118438_webdrugs04.html
Wall Street Journal
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2014118438_webdrugs04.html

To learn about and purchase products that can help to reduce the side effects of cancer drug treatment you can view this website: www.LotsToLiveFor.com

Homeopathic Treatment for Radiation Burns and Other Skin Conditions

7 Cream is a homeopathic treatment for radiation burns and radiation dermatitis, as well as an excellent cream for other skin conditions. The 7 ingredients are described below with their healing properties. You can order 7 Cream by clicking here.

7 CREAM'S ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii) comes from the fat obtained from the karite tree from Africa. It is extremely therapeutic; helping to heal cracked and damaged skin. Shea butter penetrates the skin and leaves it feeling soft and smooth. It contains unsaponifiables and cinnamic esters, which have antimicrobial and moisturizing properties and provide protection from the UV rays of the sun.
Avocado oil (Persea americana) contains more than 20% essential unsaturated fatty acids. It also contains vitamins A, C, D and E, proteins, beta-carotene, lecithin, fatty acids and potassium. It has a superior moisturizing effect on the upper layer of the skin and reduces scars. A study at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology found that avocado oil significantly increases the water soluble collagen content in the dermis. The AMA states that it reduces roughness, cracking and irritation.
Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera) is one of the safest most effective natural body moisturizers available. It is rich in lauric fatty acid. According to research as it appears to have significant antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Manuka oil A unique oil extracted from the Manuka plant. We use a particularly concentrated form of it. For example it is effective against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes and Propionibacterium acnes in concentrations as low as 1:3500.
Neem oil (Azadriachta indica) is used widely in India as an antibacterial, antiviral. antifungal, antiseptic and antiparasitic. It is used to treat skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, scabies, syphilitic sores, chicken pox etc.
Manuka Honey is honey from the flower of the Manuka tree indigenous to New Zealand. Its healing properties have been known to the Maoris for a very long time. Manuka honey promotes a hydrated healing environment and rapidly clears bacteria from colonized and infected wounds. It has even been observed to be effective against antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria (MRSA). It has an anti-inflammatory action and prevents scarring. Manuka honey has been used to treat a range of skin problems including chronic sores, ring worm, eczema, fungal infections and dandruff. We use the most powerful and expensive form of Manuka Honey available.
Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis Miller) is a well known plant with many documented therapeutic effects. It has more than 200 biologically active components including polysaccharides, phytosterols and glycerol. Aloe Vera has been found to have anti-inflammatory, burn healing and wound and scar reducing properties. We use a pure, certified Organic, aloe Vera gel.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) has been used by herbalists and homeopaths for hundreds of years. Its chief use is as a local application to help heal and prevent infection of wounds through its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. 7 Cream contains a powerful Organic, alcohol free Calendula extract made especially for us by Gaia Herbs and contains as much as most purely calendula creams.
7 Cream was developed by a homeopathic practitioner in Canada. The water used in 7 Cream is Canadian glacier water - the world’s purest and softest water
NO parabens, mineral oil, fragrances, lanolin, propylene glycol. The unavoidable preservative and stablisers are chosen for their gentleness and non-toxicity.

This cream, while excellent as a moisturizer, protective barrier cream, and infection preventer, was also designed to be a promoter of healing for damaged skin. It is therefore very useful for injuries and burns as well as eczema and otherdermatitis type conditions and fungal infections. It can also being used cosmetically for its moisturizing effect.

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New Developments for Blood Test to Detect Circulating Cancer Cells

Scientists from the Boston area who invented the concept, and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson announced today that they are joining forces to market an ultra-sensitive blood-test for cancer, the Associated Press reported. Click here for the AP report.

Daniel Haber, who heads Massachusetts General Hospital’s cancer center and is one of the test’s inventors, described the procedure as “like a liquid biopsy” that avoids painful tissue sampling and may be a more reliable way of monitoring patients than periodic scans, the newswire said.

Many doctors believe that stray cancer cells in the blood mean that a tumor has already spread, or is likely to spread. This test that can capture such cells and determine whether cancer cells are circulating in the blood, and the volume of the cells in the blood. This level can be monitored over time to determine if chemotherapy or other treatments are effective on a particular patient. Circulating Tumor Cells are also referred to as CTC's

The test was invented by Boston scientists from Massachusetts General hospital and Harvard University. The Veridex unit of Johnson & Johnson is joining with the doctors and scientists who invented it to further the research and refine the tool.

To read a CNN report about this test click here.

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