Take a Moment To Reflect; Don't Delay Testing

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Yesterday, I attended the funeral of a woman who passed away from colorectal cancer.  She  40 years old and left behind her 2 small children and a loving husband.  Sad is an understatement to describe the scene.  So, today, I'm just going to be brief and ask all of you to take a minute and remember this young woman in your thoughts as well as her family.  I will also ask you to ensure you are tested regularly for any familial cancers.  It might save your life - you never know....

Are You A Cancer Patient At Memorial Sloan Kettering?

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Many patients who are being treated at MSKCC are unaware of the Benheim Center, conveniently located near the hospital.  The Benheim Center is a beautiful facility that offers various integrative treatments for cancer patients and their significant other to make this difficult time in life a bit easier.  Reiki, massage, meditation, acupuncture...all these and more activities are available to you.  Here is the link:
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/outpatient/bendheim-integrative-medicine

Patient Advocate

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  I am always surprised with the ignorance of most cancer patients concerning their diagnosis and treatment strategy.  Lack of information is never a positive in these cases.   Here's your very important tip of the day - if you or your loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, ask for a patient advocate.  This is the person from the hospital who is there to help you through this difficult time in life: to answer questions, be the liason between you and your team of physicians and to ensure that you are receiving all therapies that will help with an expedient and effective recovery.  For every type of cancer, there is a support group/organization out there ready and willing to serve you at no cost.  If you are a cancer survivor and have been aided by one of these groups, donate your time and/or money to help them help others....pay it forward.

Side Effects of Tamoxifen Reduced with Acupuncture Treatment

Per the Society of Acupuncture Research:
Side Effects of Tamoxifen and Acupuncture

In a single arm, observational study, fifty participants with early breast cancer received eight traditional acupuncture treatments from one acupuncturist to manage side effects from Tamoxifen...Participants reported hot flashes and night sweats were significantly reduced.[Source: De Valois BA, Young TE, Robinson N, McCourt C, Maher EJ. Using traditional acupuncture for breast cancer-related hot flashes and night sweats. J Altern Complement Med. 2010. 16(10):1047-57. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20954961

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you are experiencing side effects of radiation therapy, chemotherapy and particularly tamoxifen, contact my office today.  You will experience relief from the symptoms and side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  Together, we will form a partnership to optimize your journey to wellness.

Every Man Should Know About Testicular Cancer

The National Cancer Institute reports that testicular cancer is most common among men between the ages of 20 and 34.  Testicular cancer is highly curable. More than nine out of 10 men with testicular cancer are diagnosed with a small, localized tumor that is highly treatable. Even if the cancer has spread at diagnosis, many men with testicular cancer are treated successfully and have an excellent chance of survival.

Symptoms of Testicular Cancer
Self examination or physical examination by an m.d. is often the first way testicular cancer is noticed.
Self exams should be a monthly routine; a routine physical exam once a year is recommended. Testicular cancer symptoms include:
• A lump in either testicle that may or may not cause pain
• An enlarged (swollen) or hard testicle
• A dull ache in the lower abdomen or groin
• A sudden gathering of fluid in the scrotum
• Feeling of heaviness in the scrotum

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  be smart and do your self examinations on a routine basis.  If you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms, go to your m.d. or urologist and have a thorough exam.  Early detection can save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Opens New Center For Stem Cell Research

From the MSKCC site:  "To take advantage of the potential of embryonic stem cells and human adult cells to produce regenerative treatments and provide insights into cancer, the Sloan-Kettering Institute has created a new Center for Stem Cell Biology (CSCB). Led by stem cell biologist Lorenz P. Studer, the virtual center will foster collaborations among Sloan-Kettering Institute investigators working in the field."

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  read this link and pass it on, please: 

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/102678.cfm?Email_PageName=April+2011+Lately%40MSKCC&Email_OID=newsletter%2Ditem%2Dlink%2D529191

Acupuncture on Dateline NBC

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was featured recently on Dateline NBC on the benefits of Integrative Medicine...acupuncture being one of the featured medicines used at the Bendheim Center, NYC.  Watch  this video and pass it on to everyone you know.  There are various ways of relieving the symptoms and side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  If you or someone you care about is going through a difficult journey battling cancer, please have them contact me to discuss how acupuncture can alleviate their discomfort.  If they are not in the New York City area, I will try to find a practitioner in their area.  Remember, the cancer patient should only see a licensed acupuncturist who is well-trained in the field of oncology.  These patients have special needs and require special care!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/vp/41670690?Email_PageName=March+2011+Lately%40MSKCC&Email_OID=newsletter%2Ditem%2Dtitle%2D527273#41670690

Free Housecleaning for Women Undergoing Chemotherapy

Cleaning for a Reason
If you know any woman currently undergoing chemotherapy, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning - once per month for 4 months while she is in treatment. All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service. This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners to help these women. It's our job to pass the word and let them know that there are people out there that care.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Be a blessing to someone and pass this information along.
http://www.cleaningforareason.org/ï
You may not know someone going through chemo, but someone on your email list might. Please forward!

Acupuncture For the Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Treatments

AAT (androgen ablation therapy) is a common procedure for prostate cancer patients.  Patients who receive this therapy can quite often experience the same type of hot flashes women have during menopause or during ovarian or breast cancer treatments.  Urology Magazine 2010, May 20, reported on a study carried out here in the United States that reported that 41% of participants receiving acupuncture during AAT experienced over a 50% reduction in hot flashes.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you or someone you know is experiencing hot flashes due to AAT, send them this blog and link and help make a difference in his life.
http://www.kmondesire.com/

PSA Test at Age 60 Can Help Predict Lifetime Prostate Cancer Risk

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has just published this article on PSA testing for men at the age of 60.  A simple blood test performed at age 60 can determine a man's risk of dying from prostate cancer within the next 25 years, according to a new study led by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center investigators. The study's findings suggest that regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer should be focused on men who receive high readings from a PSA test performed at age 60 and that men with low readings can be spared further screening.



Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  I suggest ALL of you read this (both male and female) and pass this link on to every male that you know.
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/100469.cfm?Email_PageName=September+2010+Lately%40MSKCC&Email_OID=newsletter%2Ditem%2Dtitle%2D511660

Indoor Tanning Increases Melanoma Risk by 74 Percent

Indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors. Additionally, the more time a person has spent tanning indoors, the higher the risk. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, killing approximately 8,650 Americans in 2009. “We hope that these findings, along with what we already know about the risks of indoor tanning, will keep people from using tanning beds,” said Allan C. Halpern, MD, MSc, Chief of the Dermatology Service at New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Vice President, The Skin Cancer Foundation.
In a study of 1,167 melanoma cases and 1,101 people without melanoma (controls) appearing in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, researchers, led by DeAnn Lazovich of the University of Minnesota, found that almost 63 percent of the melanoma patients but just over 51 percent of the control group had tanned indoors. Ultraviolet radiation from tanning machines is cancer-causing to humans, according to a 2009 report released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), affiliated with the World Health Organization. The IARC also includes solar radiation in its list of the most dangerous types of cancer-causing substances.
http://www.skincancer.org/