Cancer & and Treatment Information

Health Insurance

2010-11-09T03:23:00.000-08:00

Health insurance helps protect you from high medical care costs. Many people in the United States get a health insurance policy through their employers. In most cases, the employer helps pay for that insurance. Insurance through employers is often with a managed care plan. These plans contract with health care providers and medical facilities to provide care for members at reduced costs.

You can also purchase health insurance on your own. It usually costs you more than employer-based insurance. People who meet certain requirements can qualify for government health insurance, such as Medicare and Medicaid. If you do not have health insurance, you must pay your medical bills directly or rely on health care providers or organizations that donate care.

Medical Waste Incinerator

2010-11-09T03:21:00.000-08:00

Medical waste incinerators (MWIs) burn hospital waste. .... Summary of Results of EPA Test Program for Medical Waste Incinerators

Since much of the waste that hospitals produce, including hypodermic needles, body parts and fluids, diapers, laboratory cultures, etc., is infectious and potentially dangerous, many hospitals feel it is safer to burn this waste, rendering it harmless, rather than to bury it in landfills. When burned, hospital waste and medical/infectious waste emit various air pollutants, including hydrochloric acid, dioxin/furan, and toxic metals (lead, cadmium, and mercury).*

In Ohio:

healthcare facilities generate over 73,000 tons of medical waste each year; *
150,000 children live within two miles of a permitted medical waste incinerator; *
17% of the minority population lives within two miles of a permitted incinerator, compared to 4% of white residents; *
12% of those below the poverty line live within two miles of a medical waste incinerator; *
26 medical waste incinerators are permitted to operate;
four hospitals in NE Ohio are licensed to burn medical waste on-site, including the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Parma Community Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, and St. Vincent Charity Hospital.

DNA Transcription

2010-11-09T03:20:00.000-08:00

DNA transcription is a process that involves the transcribing of genetic information from DNA to RNA
The transcribed DNA message is used to produce proteins. DNA is housed within the nucleus of our cells. It controls cellular activity by coding for the production of enzymes and proteins. The information in DNA is not directly converted into proteins, but must first be copied into RNA. This ensures that the information contained within the DNA does not become tainted.

DNA Transcription

DNA consists of four nucleotide bases [adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T)] that are paired together (A-T and C-G) to give DNA its double helical shape.

There are three main steps to the process of DNA transcription. RNA Polymerase Binds to DNA

DNA is transcribed by an enzyme called RNA polymerase. Specific nucleotide sequences tell RNA polymerase where to begin and where to end. RNA polymerase attaches to the DNA at a specific area called the promoter region.

Lose weight

2010-11-09T03:18:00.000-08:00

Want a Lose weight
There are 2 weeks weight loss diets that work, that’s for sure. The difficult part is to choose a diet that works for you and generate the results you want. In this article we can help you understand more about 2 week weight loss diets and be able to differentiate which of them work and which are fads.
There are various reasons why people want to lose weight. Some people lose weight because of health reasons, others because of their job (models and celebrities), and some because they need to prepare for a big event like weddings or office parties, or maybe because they want to raise their self-esteem and improve their body image.
Whatever the reason is, people are always looking for the fastest way to lose weight. Because of this, some people would resort to weight loss pills, diet plans, or even surgery. Although some of these weight loss methods do work; we should still consider the large percentage of those that don’t. Some of these “quick fix” techniques could even possibly do more harm than good, thus it is very important to consult your doctor before trying any of these.
The most popular “quick fix” method is a weight loss diet. There are countless diet programs available in the Internet alone. If you try to key in “fast weight loss diet plan” in the Google search bar, it would generate a lot of diet plans or menus that promise fast results. Some claim in losing 10 pounds in 10 days, some say 2 weeks, and others say 7 days. A lot of these diets are promising and aside from the challenge of choosing the right diet for you, the biggest question is: Are there any 2 week weight loss diets that work?
The direct answer is YES, there are actually a lot of two week diets that work. However, the success of the said diet depends on the actual amount of weight loss in a period of 14 days. To better understand this, it is essential to know a bit more on how the body loses and gains weight. If you understand this it will be easier for you to also understand how to lose weight in 2 weeks.
The first fact that you should remember is the ratio between calories and pounds. There are 3500 calories in every pound. This simply means, that for every 3500 excess calories that you get rid of by eating less caloric food or by burning it through exercise, you would lose one pound. On the other hand, if you gain 3500 excess calories, you are also adding a pound to your weight. This numbers mean that, if you lose 3500 calories in 2 weeks; you lose one pound. If it’s 7000 calories in two weeks; you lose 2 pounds in two weeks and so on.
Each person has a different daily calorie requirement. Factors that affect the calorie requirement are age, sex, weight, height, and intensity of activities in a day. You may use online calorie calculators or the Harris-Benedict equation to compute your daily calorie needs. However, an average adult has 1500-2500 caloric requirements every single day. Which means, losing 3500 calories in a day to meet the promise of losing 10 pounds in 10 days is not only dangerous but it is a bit impossible. If you do your math, you would also be able to figure out if the amount of weight loss promised by any diet is realistic and safe.
The healthiest weight loss for two weeks is 2-4 pounds. Sorry to disappoint you with these low numbers, but if you want to lose weight safely and you’re thinking of a long term goal, this is the safest I can recommend. You would see the candidates for the Biggest Loser lose more than these numbers in two weeks, but do remember that these people are closely monitored by health professionals and nutritionists.
If that would be the case, you need to lose 500-1000 calories everyday. You do this by eating foods that contain fewer calories like fresh fruits and vegetables coupled by burning the excess fat by exercising.
I always advice my clients to eat a balanced diet everyday; that means, you should eat foods from different food groups that have fewer calories. I highly discourage my clients to go on with no-carbohydrate diet because it will only result to ketosis which could increase the body’s toxic level and damage the organs. And most importantly, I always remind my clients to never try starvation diets. Fasting is okay for religious purposes, however starving yourself will only result to anorexia, malnutrition, and more serious health problems.
So, the next time you are offered a diet plan that guarantees results within two weeks or any specific time, try to check first if it’s realistic and safe. This way, you will not only save yourself from wasting the extra dollars but you save yourself from the disappointment as well.

MRI Scan

2010-11-09T03:16:00.000-08:00

An MRI (or magnetic resonance imaging) scan is a radiology technique that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer to produce images of body structures. The MRI scanner is a tube surrounded by a giant circular magnet. The patient is placed on a moveable bed that is inserted into the magnet. The magnet creates a strong magnetic field that aligns the protons of hydrogen atoms, which are then exposed to a beam of radio waves. This spins the various protons of the body, and they produce a faint signal that is detected by the receiver portion of the MRI scanner. The receiver information is processed by a computer, and an image is produced.

The image and resolution produced by MRI is quite detailed and can detect tiny changes of structures within the body. For some procedures, contrast agents, such as gadolinium, are used to increase the accuracy of the images.

When are MRI scans used?

An MRI scan can be used as an extremely accurate method of disease detection throughout the body. In the head, trauma to the brain can be seen as bleeding or swelling. Other abnormalities often found include brain aneurysms, stroke, tumors of the brain, as well as tumors or inflammation of the spine.
Neurosurgeons use an MRI scan not only in defining brain anatomy but in evaluating the integrity of the spinal cord after trauma. It is also used when considering problems associated with the vertebrae or intervertebral discs of the spine. An MRI scan can evaluate the structure of the heart and aorta, where it can detect aneurysms or tears.

It provides valuable information on glands and organs within the abdomen, and accurate information about the structure of the joints, soft tissues, and bones of the body. Often, surgery can be deferred or more accurately directed after knowing the results of an MRI scan.

Kidney Cancer

2010-11-09T03:15:00.000-08:00

The kidneys are a pair of organs on either side of the spine in the lower abdomen. Each kidney is about the size of a fist. Attached to the top of each kidney is an adrenal gland. A mass of fatty tissue and an outer layer of fibrous tissue (Gerota's fascia) enclose the kidneys and adrenal glands.

The kidneys are part of the urinary tract. They make urine by removing wastes and extra water from the blood. Urine collects in a hollow space (renal pelvis) in the middle of each kidney. It passes from the renal pelvis into the bladder through a tube called a ureter. Urine leaves the body through another tube (the urethra).

The kidneys also make substances that help control blood pressure and the production of red blood cells.

Asbestos Cancer

2010-11-09T03:12:00.000-08:00

Asbestos is a family of naturally occurring silica compounds (similar to, but not the same as, the silica of window glass and computer chips). These substances form fibers with varying shapes and sizes and are found throughout the earth. There are three commonly available types of asbestos; chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos), and crocidolite (blue asbestos). All three have been associated with cancerous and non-cancerous lung disease.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms

2010-11-09T03:11:00.000-08:00

Peritoneal symptoms of mesothelioma may include:

Weight loss
Lumps in the abdomen
Abdominal (stomach) pain
Abdominal swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen (stomach).

Mesothelioma Symptoms

2010-11-09T03:09:00.000-08:00

When cancer begins in the membrane that surrounds the lungs, mesothelioma symptoms may include shortness of breath and pain in the chest or under the ribcage. If the cancer starts in the mesothelial tissue covering the organs in the abdominal cavity, symptoms such as weight loss and abdominal pain may develop. Sometimes, signs and symptoms will not appear until 30 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma

2010-11-09T03:03:00.000-08:00

Mesothelioma is a benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous) tumor affecting the mesothelium, which is a membrane that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura (lining around the lungs) or peritoneum (the lining around the abdomen).

Benign mesothelioma can also be called a fibroma, and cancerous mesothelioma is also known as malignant mesothelioma. A mesothelioma can further be named based on where it occurs. For example, malignant pleural mesothelioma is cancer that begins in the lining around the lungs.
Most people who develop malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. A benign mesothelioma does not appear to have any relationship to asbestos exposure.