Archive for May, 2009
It seems that the whole world has turned pink. You can buy a pink frying pan, pink Barbie doll, pink M&Ms;, even a limited edition Ford Mustang with a ‘Pink Package!’ These pink product purchases generate money for breast cancer research and treatment.
So, if everything’s pink, why does breast cancer still kill over 500,000 women (and men) worldwide each year? This has a simple two-part answer. First, breast cancer is a multifactorial disease and second, the ‘pinking of the world’ has as much to do with product merchandising as it does with funding research.
As the second most common cancer (lung cancer is first), breast cancer is a major health concern, especially for women who are 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer as men. Breast cancer is also the leading type of cancer diagnosed in women and is much more prevalent in well-developed nations. Women in the US have a 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer and a 1 in 25 chance of dying. The good news is, death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990, with larger decreases in women younger than 50. These decreases are believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment.
Breast cancer is actually considered to be the final outcome of many factors, both hereditary and environmental. This includes gene mutations that can occur by exposure to estrogen, viruses and/or radiation, production of growth factor chemicals that speed tumor growth, inherited defects in DNA repair functions, and such factors as age, childbearing, hormone exposure, high fat diet, tobacco and alcohol use, obesity and shift work. Consequently, it is nearly impossible to determine what mix of elements creates the cancer in any given individual. This situation suggests that there may be many possible approaches to defeating breast cancer. However the interrelationship among the factors makes it difficult to create one successful approach.
Once a diagnosis of breast cancer has been made, the individual woman’s disease state is carefully studied to learn as much as possible about the specific circumstances of her breast cancer and includes staging, grading, evaluation of receptor sites, growth factor hormones and gene expression.
The tumor is staged by size, involvement of other tissue and presence in the lymph system or other organs. About 90% of new cancer cases in the U.S. are classified as early stage. Tumors are graded by how biopsied cells behave. The more the cancer cells behave like normal cells, the less aggressive they are. Receptor site evaluation includes testing tumors for sensitivity to the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Tumors are also tested for the presence of growth factor hormone, HER2, which can accelerate tumor growth and newly developed tests for gene expression can help predict the likelihood of relapse.
TREATMENT OPTIONS ARE AS COMPLEX AS THE DISEASE.
(1) Surgery to remove the tumor is the most common first treatment. Newer breast-conserving surgeries combined with radiation have proved just as effective as mastectomy.
(2) Radiation therapy uses high dose radiation to destroy cancer cells. Although some surrounding cells can also be affected, radiation is considered to be a localized treatment.
(3) Multi-agent chemotherapy is usually used for women with potential for or evidence of breast cancer spread. Since cancer cells grow more rapidly, they are killed more rapidly than non-cancerous cells. Chemotherapy often negatively affects other fast growing cells in the body such as stomach lining cells and hair cells.
(4) Immunotherapy uses the immune system to fight cancer. Women who are positive for HER2 can be treated with trastuzumab (Herceptin), a monoclonal antibody which blocks the action of this growth hormone.
(5) Hormonal therapy is used in in situations where some breast cancer tumors grow faster in the presence of female hormones. Drugs like Tamoxifen and the aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane) either lower estrogen levels or prevent cancer cells from being able to use it.
One of the greatest advances in cancer research is the discovery of therapies that target only cancer cells. In the future, some cancers may be managed over long periods of time with regular drug therapies, similar to the management of other chronic diseases. The following therapies, currently in clinical testing, show promise.
(1) Cancer vaccines - A protein called carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is present in 40 to 60 percent of breast tumors, as well as others. Researchers are putting the gene for CEA in the virus formerly used to vaccinate against smallpox and using it to produce both antibodies and immune cells against the tumors.
(2) Angiogenesis - A tumor needs a constant supply of blood and nutrients to grow; the process is called angiogenesis. A number of drugs that may block angiogenesis are under development.
(3) Photodynamic therapy - a photosensitizing agent is either injected into the bloodstream or put on the skin. After the drug is absorbed by the cancer cells, light is applied only to the area to be treated. The light causes the drug to react with oxygen, which forms a chemical that kills the cancer cells.
The marriage of breast cancer research fundraising with product merchandising has inspired a whole new generation of cause-based product promotion. Although the amount of money raised for breast cancer research through product pinking is not known, industry analysts estimate that cause-related marketing has generated about $1.44 billion in donations to causes. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation alone has raised $267 million.
Each company that chooses to associate itself with this fundraising cause makes its own decisions about how it will apportion the money received from product purchase and to whom the money will be given. In some cases, corporations involved in “pinking” have placed less emphasis on supporting a worthy cause and more emphasis on riding the coattails of the pink ribbon. As an example, some corporations pledge a percent of sales to breast cancer research, up to some limit, whereas some corporations make a onetime donation such as $10,000 from sales of their product, again enticing people to spend money to support a cause that may never see their money.
In fact, some companies may actually be selling products that may increase the risk of breast cancer. Yoplait’s 2008 campaign “Save Lids to Save Lives”, urged consumers to buy pink-lidded cups and for each pink lid returned, Yoplait would donate ten cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $1.5 million. A woman would have to eat three containers of Yoplait every day during the four-month campaign to raise $36. However the yogurt is made from cows treated with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone(rBGH) and interestingly there are numerous health concerns, including breast cancer, surrounding the use of rBGH. Due primarily to the efforts of the Think Before You Pink project of the Breast Cancer Association, General Mills announced in February 2009 that they will take rBGH dairy out of Yoplait yogurt
The Think Before You Pink project suggests that you ask the following questions before buying pink.
(1) How much money actually goes towards breast cancer research and is it a reasonable donation, given the price of the product?
(2) What is the maximum amount that will be donated? If the maximum is too low, your purchase may not result in any contribution at all.
(3) How are the funds raised? If you will have to cut out a coupon or go to a website and do something more, are you really going to do it?
(4) Where does the money go? The Breast Cancer Association suggests that the greatest needs are funds to treat low income women who develop breast cancer (not for screening which is already available through the efforts of other groups) and support for underfunded, innovative research.
(5) What is the company doing to assure that it’s not contributing to the incidence of breast cancer? You can go to the Think before You Pink website to read about possible conflicts.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS BREAST CANCER IS COMPLEX WHEREAS PINK MARKETING REMAINS COMPLICATED.
Breast cancer continues to be a major killer of women worldwide because it occurs as the result of a constellation of hereditary and environmental factors. It’s difficult to treat for the same reasons. However, breast cancer research has made enormous strides in treating the disease and may one day render breast cancer as manageable as diabetes.
Pink marketing has certainly added millions of dollar to breast cancer research efforts but you may want to be sure that the pink product you’re buying donates sufficient funds to the most important areas of need and does not contribute to the problem by offering products that are associated with the risk of developing breast cancer. If you’re not sure about a pink product check out the website Think Before You Pink or make a donation directly to the dozens of breast cancer research, education or support organizations available.
Until medical research has solved the problem of breast cancer, do your part to improve early detection, make a commitment to regular breast self-examination and be sure to undergo mammogram examination on the schedule your doctor suggests.
The article “Everything’s Pink - So Why Isn’t There A Cure For Breast Cancer?” may be found in its entirety on http://HealthWorldNet.com .
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/everythings-pinkso-why-isnt-there-a-cure-for-breast-cancer-945857.html
If, like many, you seek good information on how to get rid of man breasts , you may be thinking of getting a book on the subject. But, from the many hundreds of books on toning, shaping and sculpting your body that have been published, how do you choose the best books on how to get rid of man boobs?
This article will show you how to select the right books to help you lose those man boobs. Perhaps you might not like what I have to say! Read on…
The first rule is, don’t be too impressed by the strings of letters after the author’s name. There are many so-called “experts” who have conveniently escaped from the real world into the classroom. Instead of mixing with real people that have real problems, they spend their days in the lecture rooms and library. The reward for this is to get a lot of letters after their names. They use their exam results to suggest that they have “expert knowledge” of life and people.
Rather than read books written by people who get their knowledge from books, it would make sense to read books written by authors who have “been in the trenches” and have real experience. They’ve either got rid of their own man boobs themselves or they have assisted many of their friends. “Friends” are not therapy patients that come in for the “$50 hour consultation” either. Friends are people the author cared enough about to give them time and dedication.
Next, avoid any and all of the books with “irresistible” headlines like “How to lose your man boobs in two weeks.” This is almost like saying, “lose your man boobs by getting scammed.” Many of the books on the market today turn that concept into 250-page documents. These are just works of fluff and fluff won’t help you get rid of man boobs, so they don’t deserve your attention – or your money.
Instead, you should look for a book that will give you new information you didn’t know before; information that your friends can’t give you.
For instance, will the book tell you what the best current diets are, based on up-to-date scientific knowledge about nutrition? Will it point you in the right direction to some of the most-researched nutritional supplements? Will it give you a step-by-step guide for performing the correct exercises? Will the book tell you how to get over the negative effects man boobs can create for one’s own personal pride and self esteem? Will it give you advanced techniques when the normal methods to removing man boobs are too slow?
Finally, look at who is recommending the book. Do the testimonials seem like real people? Or are they written by the author’s marketing company?
There are hundreds of books that will try to convince you that they really know what they are talking about. Sadly , most of them are drivel because they weren’t written by an author who has seen it for real. As a result, they give broad generic advice that could be best summed up in a paragraph instead of a book.
Don’t waste money and effort. Select your authority with care!
We research and write about successful weight-control methods including tips and advice regarding weight-loss supplements such as Yi-Wu tea, Hoodia Gordonii and Acaiburn to assist people who wish to know how to get rid of man breasts to how to get slimmer Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/best-seller-books-on-man-breasts-may-make-a-fool-of-you-940804.html
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Unfortunately it is a sad condition of our society in that lots of individuals are extremely unhappy with the body which they were given. No matter if it is the size of their nose, the width of their hips are or the even the cup size they have been blessed with most individuals in the world would change something about their bodies. If we are talking about women, other than being thinner, the majority of women want to change the size of their breasts. Yet, not all women are eager to undergo surgery to increase their profile and size.
The wish to avoid going under the knife has spawned a lot of non-surgical alternatives for breast enlargement. Among these alternative solutions are breast enlargement pills. But be careful, it is always advisable that you talk with your physician before starting any new medicine no matter if it is a prescription, OTC or even herbal. It
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Almost everyone would like to change something about themselves given the choice however when it comes to a women
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Currently we live within a society, that advises females to grow the biggest breasts that they can, and after Vincenz Czerny completed the first breast implant procedure back in 1895, it
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Regrettably it’s a poor condition of our society that many people are very displeased with the body which they were given. No matter if it
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The notion of looking our best is not a fresh idea. Women and men have been looking into new ways to help them better their least favorite physical facets since Adam and Eve. It ought to not be a surprise then that increasingly males are looking closely at plastic surgery choices to aid them get the look they’ve always dreamed of. We’re talking of pectoral implants or breast implants for men, as well as breast reduction to help them get rid of the dreaded man boobs.
While pectoral implants for guys are still a niche product their interest is on the rise. Though they are more commonly requested by men in the UK, the United States is finally coming around. Taking a look back at 2006 there 409 men had breast implant surgery carried out in the U.S. That was a 99% increase compared to the year before. Sadly there is a stigma that is attached to this procedure, that is guys who get pectoral implants are to lazy and weak to get the well developed chest of some of Hollywood
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Wherever possible, women normally prefer to use a natural breast enlargement technique as they are invariably safer. The use of silicone or other compounds is not essential in these non-invasive techniques. Natural breast enlargement goods are easily purchased - consisting of pumps, tablets, applications, creams and sprays while exercise and massage can be carried out without any other aids or with some of the previously discussed products.
On entry into pubescence from ten years upwards, young women produce a number of hormones that help with sexual growth including estrogen and progesterone to name 2, and this is what the breast enlargement pills are trying to simulate. It is acknowledged that particular herbs stimulate growth, and these herbs are in addition known to increase the bulk of the breast growth because they contain phytoestrogen which has the same purpose as human estrogen by inducing the growth of breast tissue.
There are also breast enlargement emollients, lotions and atomizers which contain natural ingredients which work by firming the tissues and ligaments of the breasts. This is also helped by the natural moisturizing result these products have which helps to keep them looking younger. As an aid for the woman using herbal breast enlargement products, it is possible to buy them in all the forms you would expect like applications, emollients, an atomizer form and in addition in tablets as well.
Another successful breast enlargement technique is employing breast pumps which are founded loosely on the contraption employed by lactating mothers when they want to remove unnecessary milk. They are constructed of two identical cups which fit entirely over the breast and a pump action results in a negative pressure which in turn creates a vacuum as the air is removed. Oddly, the use of breast pumps not only helps with enlargement but other positive effects like the increased blood flow which in turn helps tissues ligaments and more importantly, removes any poisons that may have built up particularly if the woman is lactating.
There are a number of exercises for the magnification of breasts but apart from these exercises massage is in addition very helpful. Essentially, the exercises are designed at firming up the pectoral muscles below the breasts and once they become firmer, the tissues follow suit, which make the tissues tighter and more supple.
The special thing about these types of regimes is that yoga and exercise do not cost anything nor call for any special apparatus to make them work. Massage on the other hand requires knowledge of how to carry this out successfully, and when it is, it will also help remove any toxin buildup by improving the blood flow.
So the benefits of natural breast enlargement are many particularly when you acknowledge they are healthier and have almost no bad effects nor do you need to be operated on.