Tip Room

Spread the Word: New Tool Helps Triple Negative Breast Cancer Patients

Dear Colleagues,

For the first time, an app that uses virtual human technology is making it possible for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients to learn about their cancer and treatment options. This unique patient education tool seeks to improve survival rates and health outcomes for women diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC represents 10% to 20% of all breast cancer diagnoses. Women with triple negative breast cancer have a 16% lower 5-year survival rate compared to women with other types of breast cancer. With the new app, called Talk to Someone: Triple Negative Breast Cancer, patients can navigate through questions about breast cancer and treatment and get answers from a virtual TNBC survivor named Linda, who is emotionally responsive and easy to understand. Patients lead the conversation by selecting questions to “ask” Linda about TNBC, chemotherapy, life during treatment, and survivorship. The goal is to help patients gain knowledge they need to make the right treatment decision for themselves.

We need your help to get this tools in the hands of the women who need it. Please share this resource on your channels and let me know of any opportunities for future collaboration to spread the word.

To talk with Linda about diagnosis and treatment, visit Talk to Someone: Triple Negative Breast Cancer, or download the app on the App Store or Google Play Store.

Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH

Director, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control

The Prostate Gland and its effect on us , (men only).

Read it and apply, esp the part on diet.
Useful for all MEN over-40:

A useful article / talk on Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) or in simple terms, Enlarged Prostate. Diet is the most important part of this talk which is something within our control; and it works.

FULL TEXT OF PROSTATE HEALTH AWARENESS LECTURE

MEN MUST READ

Gentlemen,

I am here to speak with you on Prostate. The topic is misleading. Is prostate strictly for men? Yes, ONLY men have prostate and ONLY men over 40 years but the healthcare enlightenment is for everyone. There is no woman who does not know a man 40 years and above, father, uncle, brother, son, friend, neighbour, colleague…

Essentially what I will be doing today is health promotion. Responsible health promotion must provide three things:

  1. Information
  2. Reassurance
  3. A plan of action.

Let me start with a background on prostate health.

Everyone has a pair of kidneys. The job of the kidney is to remove waste. It is the LAWMA (waste management company) of your body. Everyday your blood passes through the kidney several times to be filtered. As the blood is filtered, urine is formed and stored in a temporary storage tank called the urinary bladder.

If there were to be no urinary bladder, as a man walks on the road, urine will be dropping.

Now think of the plumbing work in your house. Think of the urinary bladder as the overhead storage tank. From the storage tank, a good plumber will run pipes to other parts of the house, including the kitchen. God in His wisdom ran pipes from our urinary bladder to the tip of the penis. The pipe is called the urethra. Just below the bladder and surrounding the urethra is a little organ called the prostate gland.

The prostate gland is the size of a walnut and weighs about 20grams. Its job is to make the seminal fluid which is stored in the seminal vesicle. During sexual intercourse, seminal fluid comes down the urethra and mixes with the sperms produced in the testicles to form the semen. So semen technically is not sperm. It is sperm + seminal fluid. The seminal fluid lubricates the sperm.

After age 40, for reasons that may be hormonal, the prostate gland begins to enlarge. From 20 grams it may grow to almost 100 grams. As it enlarges, it squeezes the urethra and the man begins to notice changes in the way he urinates.

If you have a son under 10, if he has a little mischief like we all did at that age, when he comes out to urinate, he can target the ceiling and the jet will hit target. Call his father to do same, wahala dey. His urine stream is weak, cannot travel a long distance and sometimes may come straight down on his legs. So he may need to stand in awkward position to urinate.

Not many men will be worried their urine stream cannot hit the ceiling. Toilets are on the floor and not on the ceiling. But other symptoms begin to show.

TERMINAL DRIPPLING:

The man begins to notice that after urinating and repacking, urine still drops on his pants. This is the reason why after an older man urinates, he has to ring bell. A younger man simply delivers to the last drop and walks away. Just see an older man coming from the bathroom. Sometimes he may clutch the newspaper closely to hide the urine stains, particularly on plain colored trousers.

HESISTANCY

At this point you wait longer for the urine flow to start. There are 2 valves that must open for you to urinate – the internal and external sphincters. Both open but because of obstructions in the urethra, you wait longer for the flow to start.

INCOMPLETE EMPTYING

You have this feeling immediately after urinating that there is still something left.

As all these things happen, the bladder begins to work harder to compensate for the obstruction in the urethra. The frequency of urination goes up. Urgency sets in. Sometimes you have to practically run into the toilet. Nocturia also becomes common. You wake up more than 2 times at night to urinate. Your wife begins to complain.

Men being men may not talk to anyone even at this point. Then the more serious complications start.

Stored urine gets infected and there may be burning sensation when urinating.

Stored urine forms crystals. Crystals come together to form stone either in the bladder or in the kidney. Stones may block the urethra.

Chronic urinary retention sets in. The bladder stores more and more urine. The size of the bladder is 40 – 60cl. A bottle of coke is 50cl. As the bladder stores more urine it can enlarge up to 300cl. An overfilled bladder may leak and this leads to wetting / urinary incontinence. Also the volume may put pressure on the kidney and may lead to kidney damage.

What may likely bring the man to hospital is acute urinary retention. He wakes up one day and he is not able to pass urine.

Everything I have described above is associated with prostate enlargement, technically called benign prostate hyperplasia.

There are other diseases of the prostate like:

  1. Prostatitis – inflammation of the prostate
  2. Prostate cancer – cancer of the prostate.

This discussion is on prostate enlargement.

I have bad news and good news.

The bad news is that everyman will have prostate enlargement if he lives long enough.

The good news is that there are life style changes that can help the man after 40 to maintain optimum prostate health.

NUTRITION

Look at what you eat. 33% of all cancers, according to the US National Cancer Institute is related to what we eat.
Red meat everyday triples your chances of prostate disease. Milk everyday doubles your risk. Not taking fruits / vegetables daily quadruples your risk.

Tomatoes are very good for men. If that is the only thing your wife can present in the evening, eat it with joy. It has loads of lycopene. Lycopene is the most potent natural antioxidant.
Foods that are rich in zinc are also good for men. We recommend pumpkin seeds (ugbogulu).
Zinc is about the most essential element for male sexuality and fertility.

Men need more zinc than women. Every time a man ejaculates he loses 15mg of zinc. Zinc is also important for alcohol metabolism. Your liver needs zinc to metabolize alcohol.

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

As men begin to have urinary symptoms associated with prostate enlargement, it is important they look at alcohol consumption. More fluid in means more fluid out.

Drink less. Drink slowly.

EXERCISE

Exercise helps build the muscle tone. Every man should exercise. Men over 40 should avoid high impact exercise like jogging. It puts pressure on the knees. Cycling is bad news for the prostate. We recommend brisk walking.

SITTING
When we sit, two-third of our weight rests on the pelvic bones. Men who sit longer are more prone to prostate symptoms. Do not sit for long hours. Walk around as often as you can. Sit on comfortable chairs. We recommend a divided saddle chair if you must sit long hours.

DRESSING

Men should avoid tight underwear. It impacts circulation around the groin and heats it up a bit. While the physiological temperature is 37 degrees, the groin has an optimal temperature of about 33 degrees. Pant is a no – no for men. Wear boxers. Wear breathable clothing.

SMOKING

Avoid smoking. It affects blood vessels and impact circulation around the groin.

SEX

Regular sex is good for the prostate.

Celibates are more pronenn to prostate illness. While celibacy is a moral decision, it is not a biological adaptation. Your prostate gland is designed to empty its contents regularly.

Thought: when someone shared something of value with you and benefit from it. You have a moral obligation to share it with others because someone in your friends list might be saved.
Forwarded as received💪�
The subject is very important Please post the message on the largest number of your acquaintances:

“Pieces of lemon in a glass of hot water can save you for the rest of your life,” says Professor Chen Horin, chief executive of the Beijing Military Hospital.

Even if you are busy, you should look at this message and pass it on to others!

Hot lemons can kill cancer cells!

Cut the lemon into three pieces and place it in a cup, then pour hot water, it will become (alkaline water), drink it every day will certainly benefit everyone ..

Hot lemons can once again release an anti-cancer drug.

Hot lemon juice has an effect on cancerous tumors and

has shown treatment for all types of cancer.

Treatment with this extract will only destroy the malignant cells and will not affect healthy cells.

Second: The acids and mono-carboxylic acid in lemon juice can regulate hypertension and protect narrow arteries, adjust blood circulation and reduce blood clotting.

After reading, tell someone else and pass it on to someone you love and take care of your personal health.

Advice:

Professor Chen Horin points out that anyone who has received this letter is at least guaranteed to save someone’s life … I have done my part, I hope you will help me to spread it too.


Lung Cancer Facts and Tips:

Lung cancer, the No. 1 cancer killer, claims the lives of approximately 435 people in the United States every day. In fact, more women die of lung cancer each year than breast, ovarian and uterine cancers combined. While lung cancer is curable with surgery in its early stages, most people are given diagnoses of lung cancer after symptoms develop, when the disease is often advanced and resistant to treatment.

Now, however, there is good evidence that we can reduce the number of people who die of this devastating disease. A recent study called the National Lung Screening Trial proved that we do that by using a low-dose CT scan to detect early stage lung cancer. The study showed that in older people, both current and former heavy smokers, annual screening reduced the number of deaths from lung cancer by 20 percent.

Dozens of medical organizations, including the United States Preventive Services Task Force, now recommend CT lung screening for high-risk individuals. Approximately nine million Americans meet the task force’s criteria for high risk: current smokers between 55 and 80 who have smoked, on average, at least one pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years, or former smokers in that age range who smoked that much and quit within the last 15 years. The recommendation carries significant weight. And the screenings will be more affordable for those who want them because the Affordable Care Act requires that all private insurers cover CT lung screening for those at high risk with no co-pay, starting in January 2015.

Many hospitals have started successful CT lung screening programs. Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., has offered CT lung screening since January 2012. We provide the exam free to all qualified high-risk individuals. Over the past two and half years we have screened more than 2,500 men and women and have detected more than 40 cases of lung cancer. Three out of four of these lung cancers have been Stage I, the most curable stage of the disease.

CT lung screening is also offered free at several Connecticut hospitals in the Hartford HealthCare system. The hospitals range from a large, urban 867-bed academic medical center to a small, 144-bed hospital serving a more rural population. Over the last 10 months, this diverse group of hospitals has performed more than 600 CT lung screening exams with early results matching those of the national trial.

Source:

Connecticut Cancer Partnership

Cervical Cancer Facts and Tips:

Did you know that Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women? Since the Pap test was created, the death rate of cervical cancer has decreased by 50% in the last 30 years. taking a Pap test can prevent cervical cancer by finding and treating precancerous lesions.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines can prevent a substantial number of cervical cancers. Studies show the vaccine could prevent up to 70% of cervical cancers. Together, testing and vaccination could prevent more than 9 out of 10 (93 percent) cervical cancers in the US!

The CDC statement on HPV vaccines says:

HPV vaccines are given as a series of three shots over 6 months to protect against HPV infection and the health problems that HPV infection can cause.

Two vaccines (Cervarix and Gardasil) protect against cervical cancers in women. One vaccine (Gardasil) also protects against genital warts and cancers of the anus, vagina and vulva. Both vaccines are available for females. Only Gardasil is available for males.

HPV vaccines offer the best protection to girls and boys who receive all three vaccine doses and have time to develop an immune response before being sexually active with another person. In addition to girls and boys aged 11 or 12 years, HPV vaccines are also recommended for teen boys and girls who did not get the vaccine when they were younger, teen girls and young women through age 26, as well as teen boys and young men through age 21 and others at high risk.

The American Cancer Society has published the following cervical cancer screening guidelines:

Women ages 21 to 29 should have a Pap test every three years.

Women ages 30 to 65 should have a Pap test and HPV test (called “co-testing”) every five years. This is the preferred approach, but it is okay to have a Pap test alone every three years.

Women over 65 who have had regular screening in the previous 10 years should stop cervical cancer screening as long as they haven’t had any serious pre-cancers found in the last 20 years.

Women who have had their uterus and cervix removed for reasons not related to cervical cancer, and don’t have a history of cervical cancer or serious pre-cancer, should not be tested.

Source:

Connecticut Cancer Partnership

Breast Cancer Facts and Tips:

I am asking one to be pro active with your health, both men and women, breast cancer is not just a female disease, but also male. According to the Hospital of Central Connecticut, every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. But with your support, contributions & awareness there is hope those statistics will fall.

According to Maggie Gardner, a cancer survivor, to reduce the impact on the already stressful lives of those who are and will be facing this disease, we also need to focus on basic needs for those who are suffering on both front. Much more needs to be done to address this dark forgotten area.

HOW TO PREFORM SELF BREAST EXAMINATION:

  • Lie down. Your right arm should be behind your head and your right shoulder on a pillow.
  • Begin by using your left fingertips. In a circular motion press down covering the entire breast.
  • Use a light medium and firm pressure looking for firm fixed lumps, hard lumps or lumps with irregular borders.
  • Squeeze nipple, check for discharge.
  • Repeat steps for your left breast.
  • Examine breasts monthly to be aware of what is normal and what is not. By T.H.O.C.C Just to add please get your mammogram, ultrasound or an MRI if you have to. If you suspect something is not right please follow through, do not take no for an answer.