San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2010 Information

The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium attracts academic and private physicians and researchers, as well as other health care professionals focused on curing breast cancer, to discuss and learn about new and late-breaking research including experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of breast cancer and pre-malignant breast disease, as well as new findings from clinical trials. With the addition of the AACR as a symposium collaborator, this year’s program will attract more thought-leaders and high-quality proffered papers in basic and translational breast cancer research as well as increase the participation of young investigators by providing superior education and training opportunities for the next generation of breast cancer researchers.
You can view information about the symposium: http://www.sabcs.org/
Abstracts from presentations are available on the website above.
The publication Cure Today has a daily email which reviews highlights of the presentations at the symposium each day. There are also video interviews with some of the presenters. You can view these daily hightlights at: http://media.curetoday.com/sabcs2010/day1.html
Following are two briefs that appear in the Cure Today highlights:
Highlights from the 2009 Symposium: An Update
COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS
Physicians, researchers and advocates from all around the world came away from the 2009 SABCS with answers to a number of important questions: Is beginning on an aromatase inhibitor better than switching from tamoxifen? Is Herceptin more effective with or following chemotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer? Does Avastin slow progression of metastatic breast cancer and by how much? And how well does Xgeva work against bone pain and fracture when compared with Zometa? Get an update on last year's breaking news.
Preventing Cancer in BRCA Mutation Carriers
BY MELISSA WEBER
Every woman with a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene should have their ovaries removed to lower their risk of ovarian cancer, said speaker Susan Domchek, MD, during an educational session Wednesday at the SABCS. Calling the preventive surgery "mandatory" in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, Domchek said there's no evidence that current ovarian cancer screening is effective.
Click on the abstract name above to be taken to the full article referenced.
To view products that can help with side effects caused by breast cancer treatment, please visit: http://www.LotsToLiveFor.com

BioBands - Relief from Chemotherapy Nausea (CINV)

BioBands are clinically proven, effective wristbands that provide relief of nausea associated with chemotherapy, anesthesia (post-operative), travel (motion sickness) and pregnancy (morning sickness).
A BioBands wristband is a safe, simple, effective and inexpensive way of relieving nausea: whether it’s from motion sickness, morning sickness, post-surgery anesthesia, or chemotherapy treatments. Biobands are safe and easy to use. They offer quick results with no side effects. Biobands are Drug Free and Chemical Free.
The wristband utilizes acupressure, a natural pressure therapy applied to a specific acupuncture point that controls nausea and vomiting. A small bead embedded in the adjustable band presses down on the P6 (Neiguan) point, located three finger widths above the wrist crease between the tendons of the flexor surface of the forearm, approximately in the area of a watchband.
Drug-free BioBands are easy to use and have no side-effects. Simply place the adjustable band correctly on either wrist. A built in bead provides customized pressure at the P6 acupressure point on the underside of the wrist. This gentle pressure interrupts the signals that trigger nausea. Several clinical studies have confirmed significant results regarding the effectiveness from P6 acupressure for nausea relief.
This simple and inexpensive product which is so easy to use can help you resume your normal lifestyle. It is a must buy purchase for anyone suffering from nausea as a side effect of chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments.
To learn more about BioBands or to buy BioBands please click here.
You can call us for more information about how BioBands can help both chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)as well as radiation induced nausea and vomiting (RINV)
toll free 1-866-LIVE FOR or 1-866-548-3367
Click here for other natural products to treat chemotherapy and radiation side effects.

Great Holiday Gifts for Cancer Patients - Give the Gift of Natural Skin Care

Skin Free Products offer an all natural skin care solution for cancer patients. The Skin Free product line is made with all natural ingredients and is an excellent product line for people with delicate, sensitive and very dry skin, or skin that is compromised by chemicals or medication. The products are innovative, effective and affordable.

A great holiday gift is the Basic Four Gift set: This fabulous gift has it all! A must for anyone with dry, broken, or delicate skin. This gift bag includes: Super Moisture Body Balm, 8 oz.; After Shower Moisture Spritz, 8 oz.;Niaouli Butter Stick, 1 oz. and Extra Moisturizing Soap, 3.5 oz.

The Skin Free products have the following attributes:
• All natural ingredients
• No harmful chemicals or preservatives
• No artificial fragrance
• No petroleum products
• No colorants
• No animal testing
• Non-greasy
• No steroids

Skin Free products contain oils obtained from vegetable sources that are readily absorbed by the skin, providing a pleasing feeling, and offer a variety of beneficial antioxidants, vitamins, and other healing nutrients. Many other skin care products have petroleum jelly or mineral oil bases are occlusive and not absorbed by the skin. This results in an unpleasant or “greasy” feeling.

Please visit our website by clicking here to read more about the Skin Free skin care product line.

Two New DNA Tests Could Offer Noninvasive Ways of Detecting Colon Cancer

Two new DNA based tests could help most people avoid colonoscopies if they are ultimately approved by the FDA after completing clinical trials and testing. Colon cancer is diagnosed in approximately 150,000 people per year in the US.

Exact Sciences of Madison, WI uses stool samples, and searches for the presence of four altered genes that are diagnostic indicators of colon cancer. This test could catch cancerous and precancerous tumors at an early stage, when they are still curable. Doctors could then remove them promptly. Exact Sciences hopes to complete a trial in 2012 and the test, if approved by the FDA could be available shortly thereafter.

Epigenomics AG of Germany has developed another test that searches in blood for changes in a single gene, Septin 9. This single gene is not in the Exact Sciences’ panel of genes.

Both tests could be less expensive than a colonoscopy, and would presumably have better compliance because many people avoid colonoscopies due to their invasive nature and unpleasant preparation.

To read more about these tests please refer to the NY Times article by Nicholas Wade dated 10/29/10 by clicking here.

Cancer Gifts – Thoughtful Gifts for Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy Treatment

Cancer gifts express your caring, concern and support. If you are having trouble selecting just the right item for your friend or loved one consider buying a product or a collection of products to ease cancer side effects.

Patients who are undergoing radiation therapy often get radiation dermatitis, or radiation burns. There are some excellent creams and lotions that can help to prevent the burns, and then to soothe them if a person has already been burned. A few suggestions include:

•  RADX radiation therapy gift kit – 4 products to help from before radiation starts to post radiation skin protection care. Using these products should keep your skin supple and healthy
•  Alra therapy lotion - offers soothing relief to skin exposed to radiation therapy, and is also effective in the treatment of eczema, sunburn, and other severe dry skin conditions
•  CoolMagic gel sheets - these light-weight, see-through polymer sheets provide instant cooling to burns, abrasions, skin tears, radiation reactions and sensitive wounds, effectively reducing pain.
•  Skin cooler rolls - especially effective on hyper-sensitive, compromised skin. They can be used on radiation dermatitis, sunburn, “hot flashes”, or itchy, dry skin.
•  My Girl's Cream - Calendula based, and made in Hungary, My Girls skin cream has a creamy texture that spreads easily over delicate skin and helps maintain the healthy appearance of the skin without staining clothes.
•  7 cream -  7 Cream is a topical homeopathic skin care remedy with 7 natural ingredients whose healing properties help radiation burns.

Other unpleasant and uncomfortable side effects of radiation and chemotherapy can be related to oral care, hair care, skin care (other than radiation burns), and nausea.
We will talk about gift suggestions for these side effects in future blog posts.

To view our cancer gift page click here.
http://www.lotstolivefor.com/brands/cancer-gifts/

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Scalp Cooling to Prevent Chemotherapy Hair Loss

We have received a number of questions about scalp cooling with ice or gel caps to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy. We have researched some literature and found an article which has reviewed a number of studies relating to Scalp Cooling During Chemotherapy. We suggest that if you are interested in this that you refer to the full article we highlight and reference in this blog piece. The article is entitled “Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Hair Loss by Scalp Cooling” by E. G. Grevelman and W.P.M. Breed of the Netherlands, and was published by the Annals of Oncology on January 10, 2005. This article is available on line and can be accessed by clicking here. The abstract from this article is shown below:

Abstract
Background: Chemotherapy-induced temporary hair loss is one of the most common and distressing side-effects of cancer therapy. Scalp cooling to reduce this hair loss is a controversial issue for many doctors and nurses. This may be due to inadequate knowledge.
Methods: This review from 53 publications and three personal communications focuses on the efficacy of the treatment, side-effects, possible disadvantages and the controversies in these areas.
Results: Scalp cooling has become an increasingly effective method to prevent hair loss, especially when anthracyclines or taxanes are used. Unfortunately, many studies were small and badly designed and are therefore difficult to compare. There is a considerable variation in the success rates in the various studies. This remains unexplained, but the cooling time, the chemotherapy used and the temperature seem to be influential. Scalp cooling should not be used if chemotherapy is given with a curative intent in patients with generalised haematogenic metastases. The majority of patients tolerate cooling very well.
Conclusion: Based on the results of these studies, scalp cooling should be applied more. However, it is not possible to advise on the optimum application of the cooling methods (system, duration and temperature). Careful application of the cooling cap might be more important than the cooling system itself. In addition, scalp cooling is effective but not for all chemotherapy patients. Further psychological, clinical and biophysical research is needed to determine exact indications for cooling and to improve the effect, tolerance, side-effects and the cooling procedure. Multicentre trials should be carried out to gather this information.

On our website we sell several products that can help people who are dealing with chemotherapy hair loss. We sell shampoos that can help to reduce or prevent hair loss during chemotherapy, and if the hair has already fallen out, we have some products that can help to cleanse the scalp and the hair follicles. Please refer to our website for information about the Thymuskin Product line, the Anasazzi Hair Care line, and Alra Shampoo.

Expert Guidance on Treatment and Prevention for People with Cancer and their Allies

We would like to introduce you to Ralph W. Moss, PhD. He has been thinking and writing about cancer — especially its less-conventional treatments — for over 35 years. During this time he has written or edited twelve books and three film documentaries on questions relating to cancer research and treatment. Moss is a graduate of New York University (BA, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1965) and Stanford University (MA, 1973, PhD, 1974, Classics).
The former science writer and assistant director of public affairs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York (1974-1977), Moss evaluates the claims of various conventional and non-conventional cancer treatments. He currently directs The Moss Reports, an up-to-date library of detailed reports on more than 200 varieties of cancer. Since 2001 he has published a weekly online newsletter that reaches tens of thousands of readers. Although not a medical doctor, he is noted for his critical acumen on health topics and is listed in Marquis Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in HealthCare, etc.
Ralph Moss has a very informative blog with guidance on treatment and prevention for people with cancer. You can access this blog by clicking here: http://themossreports.wordpress.com/
Some recent topics he has written about are:
Overcoming Side Effects of Tamoxifen
A Dietary Supplement for Breast Cancer
In addition to his cancer blog, Ralph Moss also has a website called Cancer Decisions and you can subscribe to a weekly e-newsletter through this website.