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Pituitary tumors are abnormal growths found in the pituitary gland which makes hormones that affect growth and the functions of other glands in the body.
The pituitary gland is a pea-sized, reddish gray organ in the center of the brain, just above and behind the nose.

Pituitary carcinomas occur in both sexes, usually by the third or fourth decades of life. These tumors are quite common with 25% of people having small pituitary tumors on autopsy but most are symptom free and the vast majority of pituitary adenomas go undiagnosed throughout life.

Types of Pituitary Tumors
The types are named after the types of hormones the pituitary makes and include prolactin-producing adenomas, somatotrophin-secreting adenomas, corticotrophin-secreting adenomas, gonadotrophin-secreting adenomas, thyrotrophin-secreting adenomas, null cell adenomas, and adenomas of the mixed cell type. Another type of pituitary cancer shows up as very large hands, feet and face (acromegaly). The three tissue types of Pituitary tumours include; Chromophobe Adenoma (90%), Basophil Adenoma and Eosinophil Adenoma.

Causes
Although the exact cause is unknown, a predisposition to Pituitary tumors may be inherited through an autosomal dominant trait. Chromophobe adenoma may be associated with production of corticotrophin, melanocyte stimulating hormone, growth hormone and prolactin. Basophil adenoma with excess corticotrophin production and consequently with Cushings syndrome. Eosinophil adenoma with excessive growth hormone production.

Signs and Symptoms
As pituitary tumors grow they replace normal glandular tissue and enlarge the tissue that house the pituitary gland (sella turcica). The resulting pressure on adjacent intracranial structures produces the following typical symptoms: frontal headaches, vision problems, personality changes or dementia, seizures, head tilting and dizziness, strabismus, nystagmus, nausea and vomiting, or any of the problems caused by the production of too many hormones such as infertility or loss of menstrual periods in women, abnormal growth, high blood pressure, heat or cold intolerance, and other skin and body changes.

Diagnosis
An MRI scan is now considered the imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis of pituitary disorders because of its multiplanar capability and good soft tissue contrast enhancement. The definitive diagnosis depends on the histological identification of the tumour found at surgery.

Treatment
Treatment of pituitary neoplasms involves surgery, radiotherapy and drug therapy. Radiotherapy can be used as the primary treatment of pituitary tumours or as an adjunct to surgery. Medical therapy involves the replacement of hormones in hypopituitarism or suppression of hormone release in functional tumours.

Prognosis of Pituitary Cancer
Although prognosis depends on the type of pituitary tumor and the patient age and general state of health, pituitary tumors are usually curable, although many people will have to continue taking hormone replacements, sometimes for the rest of their lives.

Dick Aronson has a background of over 35 years in various facets of the Healthcare industry. He set up and ran clinical trials in more than 20 countries and he has also founded a number of small private health related businesses. Dick now runs a number of informative health websites Go to Health Innovations Online and Go to Cancer Information Online

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy in women worldwide, and it remains a leading cause of cancer-related death for women in developing countries. Cervical tumors usually affects women of middle age or older, but it may be diagnosed in any reproductive-aged woman. Cervical tumors are classified as either preinvasive where the lower third of the epithelium contains abnormal cells, or invasive in which the full thickness of the epithelium contains abnormally proliferating cells.

Cervical cancer develops in the lining of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus (womb) that enters the vagina. Cervical cancers don’t always spread, but those that do most often spread to the lungs, the liver, the bladder, the vagina, and/or the rectum.

Cause
Cervical cancer almost always develops from cell changes caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is spread through genital skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. Cervical carcinoma also seems more prevalent in women who smoke. Sexual activity that increases the risk for infection with HPV and HIV and for cervical cancer includes the following: Having multiple sexual partners or having sex with a promiscuous partner, a history of sexually transmitted disease, sexual intercourse at a young age.

Signs and Symptoms
The early stages of cervical cancer may be completely asymptomatic. Symptoms of advanced disease may include: loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, pelvic pain, back pain, leg pain, a single swollen leg, heavy bleeding from the vagina, leaking of urine or feces from the vagina and bone fractures.

Diagnosis
The Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test has been used to screen for pre-cancerous lesions in asymptomatic women for the past 50 years. While the pap smear is an effective screening test, confirmation of the diagnosis of cervical cancer or pre-cancer requires a biopsy of the cervix. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, the precursor to cervical cancer, is often diagnosed on examination of cervical biopsies by a pathologist.

Other Risk Factors
Women with diets low in fruits and vegetables may be at increased risk for cervical cancer. Research suggests that the risk of cervical carcinomas goes up the longer a woman takes oral contraceptives, but the risk goes back down again after the OCs are stopped. Women who have had many full term pregnancies have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer.

Prevention
Cervical cancer is the easiest female cancer to prevent, because there is a vaccine and a screening test available. The vaccine known as Gardasil offers protection from the most dangerous types of HPV and recently published results indicate that new cervical tumors may eventually be reduced by as much as 97% in those areas where vaccination is introduced and maintained.

Treatment
Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer, the size and shape of the tumor, the age and general health of the woman, and her desire to have children in the future. Appropriate treatment also depends on accurate clinical staging. Preinvasive stages may be treated total excisional biopsy, cryosurgery or laser destruction. Invasive squamous cell carcinoma therapy may include hysterectomy and radiation therapy.

Internal radiation therapy uses a device filled with radioactive material, which is placed inside the woman’s vagina next to the cervical cancer. Some of the drugs used for chemotherapy for cervical cancer include 5-FU, Cisplatin, Carboplatin, Ifosfamide, Paclitaxel, and Cyclophosphamide.

Thirty-five percent of patients with invasive disease have persistent or recurrent tumours after treatment. Recurrent cervical cancer detected at its earliest stages might be successfully treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of the three.

Survival
The chance of being alive in 5 years for cancer that has spread to the inside of the cervix walls but not outside the cervix area is 92%. However, the 5-year survival rate falls steadily as it spreads into other areas. Recently, the combined use of cisplatin and topotecan was shown to significantly improve survival compared with single-agent cisplatin. If you combine all the stages together, the five-year survival rate is about 73%.

As the cancer metastasizes to other parts of the body, prognosis drops dramatically because treatment of local lesions is generally more effective than whole body treatments such as chemotherapy.

Dick Aronson has a background of over 35 years in various facets of the Healthcare industry. He set up and ran clinical trials in more than 20 countries and he has also founded a number of small private health related businesses. Dick now runs a number of informative health websites Go to Health Innovations Online and Go to Cancer Information Online

Basal Cell (often misspelled as Basil) is arguably the most common form of skin cancer in the world. Basal Cell Cancer starts in the lowest layer of the Epidermis (skin), which is called the Basal cell layer. Around eighty percent of diagnosed skin cancers are Basal Cell Carcinomas. This figure used to be higher (at 90%), but cases of Melanoma are unfortunately climbing.

Basal cell carcinoma is a slow growing cancer and rarely spreads to other parts of the body through the blood stream. Basal Cell Carcinoma is usually never fatal, however it can become severely disfiguring if left untreated.

Causes of Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Basal cell skin cancer is caused by repeated exposures to ultraviolet radiation (UV rays). Sources of this type of radiation come from Sun and tanning beds (no big shock there). Intense exposures of UV rays, such as sunburns can drastically increase the occurrence of Basal cell cancer.

Signs Of Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Basal cell cancer can be hard to spot early on because it almost looks like regular skin features. Basal Cell skin cancer almost always forms on the face, neck, arms and legs (basically any parts of the body that are exposed to the sun).

Below are some things to look for:
-Deep red area on the skin that doesn’t heal.
-Bumps that look like blisters that never burst.
-Lesions (holes in the skin) that never heal on their own.

If you experience any of the above go make an appointment with a dermatologist ASAP.

Treatment Of Basal Cell Skin Cancer
Treatment varies depending on the size, depth, and location of the basal cell cancer. Treatments options can include surgery, MOHS surgery, radiation, cryosurgery (freezing cancer cells), topical chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. Treating Basal cell with MOHS is by far the best way to prevent the Basal cell cancer from coming back (about a one percent chance of returning) while other forms of basal cell treatment are less effective (about a ten percent return rate). MOHS is a surgical procedure that involves removing tumor tissue layer by layer. Each of the layers of removed tissue are then scanned for cancer cells under a microscope.

Preventing Basal Cell Cancer
The best way to prevent Basal cell skin cancer is to protect exposed areas of your skin to UV rays. Always try to use a sun block with an SPF of at least 30 (and that doesn’t contain Oxybenzone if possible). Covering up is the single best way to prevent sun damage. Also, keep in mind that when clothes become wet they lose about half their protection from harmful UV rays.

Remember, only one bad sunburn drastically increases your chances for either Basal cell skin cancer or Melanoma skin cancer.

See our blog for daily information on Skin Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Oral cancer strikes an estimated 35,000 Americans each year. In 2007, 25% of those diagnosed with the disease, died. In fact, more people die from oral cancers then either melanomas or cervical cancer.

The use of tobacco and excessive alcohol is directly linked to developing oral cancers. However, almost 25% of patients diagnosed with oral cancel did not use either tobacco or alcohol.

Another alarming statistic has been reported by the ADA (American Dental Association). African Americans are particularly at risk for oral cancers. African Americans have an incident rate 1/3rd higher than Caucasians. More frightening, after contracting the disease, African Americans are twice as likely to die from the cancer.

What is the best way to guard against developing oral cancer. Experts agree that getting in the habit of regular dental check-ups is the best defense. Certainly not smoking and using alcohol in moderation are important but just as with other screenings for cancers, early detection is critical.

Oral screenings are a routine part of a regular dental check-up. A dentist can find a flat, painless white or red spot which may be suspicious yet completely unnoticed by the patient. Testing of the suspicious cells can be done quickly and if they turn out to be cancerous or even pre-cancerous, the cells can be surgically removed. Done early enough, this procedure has a very high probability that the patient will not develop oral cancel.

PAP smears, which have been commonly used since 1955 and colonoscopies, which are quickly becoming part of normal preventative screenings, detect early signs of cancer. Both cervical cancer and colon cancer have falling incident and mortality rates because of early detection procedures.

The same type of care should be taken to detect and prevent oral cancer. Do not put your health at risk because of a mistaken belief that seeing a dentist regularly is not that important.

40% of Americans fail to see a dentist regularly. Why? Some think they can not afford to take proper care of their mouth because they do not have dental insurance. True dental insurance, especially for individuals is expensive, but dental plans have become increasing popular. These are very inexpensive, non insurance plans. They offer a fee for service at a discount. The services provided by the participating dentist will be listed in the plan summary and both the regular price and the discount price will be shown. Joining one of these plans is easy and inexpensive and could literally save your life.

Compare all your options and pick a plan that will fit your life style and your pocket book.

Whatever you choose, traditional insurance or dental plan, use the plan regularly. Do not put your life at risk by ignoring the importance of dental check-ups.

Sheila Guilloton is the owner of a specialty agency which assists individuals and business owners in finding the dental insurance and other products for the health of your mouth. For help in selecting the best products to keep your teeth and mouth healthy, visit the Prestige Planners web site at http://www.prestigedentalplanners.com

Cancer is also known by the medical term malignant neoplasm. It is a disease which presents itself in a host of different ways, in a host of different areas of the body, and kills hosts of people every year. What is the real risk of you developing cancer, and what can you do to identify cancer symptoms, and even help work towards a cure for cancer?

Cancer is basically the uncontrolled growth of certain types of tissue or cells. They invade on cells that are adjacent to them, impairing their normal function (this is especially dangerous in the case of heart cancer, brain cancer, and lung cancer). Cancers can also spread to areas of the body other than their original location, through the lymphatic system or the circulatory system. There are benign forms of tumors, which do not invade their surrounding tissue, and do not spread to other areas of the body, and these are sometimes recognized as a precursor to cancer.

Cancer is incredibly prolific worldwide, and there has never been a singular cause or single best treatment identified. It has been estimated that cancer causes around 13% of all deaths worldwide -as the title suggests, it has recently been found that cancer kills 20,000 people each day. As you read this article, there will be hundreds of people the world over, dying from cancer. While 12 million people every year are diagnosed with some form of cancer, approximately 7.6 million of those die.

It is expected that this year, there will be around 2.9 million people in the developed world that die of cancer, out of 5.4 million new cases of diagnosed cancer. In the developing world, around 4.7 million people will die of cancer, out of 6.7 million new cases.

If you are a woman in the developed world, the form of cancer you are most likely to get is either breast, colorectal, or lung cancer. Women in the developing world were found to be far more likely to contract cervical cancer or stomach cancer, both of which are caused by viruses.

Men in the developed world most frequently have prostate, lung or colorectal cancer, while those in the developing world are more likely to get stomach, lung or liver cancer. The reason for the much greater incidence of stomach cancer in both men and women in the developing world is that it is caused by a bacterium Helicobacter pylori, while the greater incidence of cervical cancer in women is attributed to the prevalence of the human papillomavirus.

Since cancer symptoms vary among the different types, it is important to have any niggling health worries checked out by a professional. Be aware of your family medical history, and know the symptoms of cancers to which you might be susceptible. Sometimes seemingly unimportant things, like shortness of breath or lack of energy, can signal cancer. Other common cancer symptoms include lumps or swellings, which could indicate a tumor, enlarged lymph nodes, bone pain, weight loss , poor appetite, persistent coughs, or excessive sweating, especially night sweating. A symptom of heat cancer is an irregular heart beat.

The cure for cancer remains the holy grail of medicine. However, there are some breakthroughs in recent times which hold much promise for specific types of cancers, including lung cancer and skin cancer. Keep yourself abreast of developments, and ask your health professional if any of them may be pertinent in your case.

Bangkok Hospital - 36 years of advanced medical technology and expertise, complemented with Thai hospitality and compassionate care. Includes the world-renowned Bangkok Heart Hospital and specializing in oncology, neurology and orthopedics. Some of the worlds most advanced minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment procedures are in place.

Asbestos exposure can lead to a number of lung diseases including asbestosis, pleural fibrosis and lung cancer. Asbestosis results in widespread scarring of the lungs and can leave victims short of breath and more likely to develop lung cancer. Pleural fibrosis causes inflammation, hardening and thickening of the lining of the lung tissue but has a number of symptoms so can be fairly straightforward to diagnose.

The other type of lung disease that can develop after asbestos exposure is asbestos lung cancer. This can affect either the internal portions of the lungs or the outer lining. Although it is impossible to determine the exact figure for the number of people who develop the disease because of asbestos, it is thought that there are around as many asbestos lung cancer deaths in Great Britain annually as there are mesothelioma deaths.

The reason why it can’t be said how many lung cancer related deaths are down to this is because there are many other factors which can lead to the illness developing. Tobacco smoke is just one of these so it wouldn’t be possible to say whether a person got cancer because of asbestos exposure or because they smoked.

Asbestos lung cancer can be hard to detect because in the early stages there may be no symptoms at all. There are a few such as having a cough, chest pain and weight loss but this can also indicate other illnesses which is what makes it so hard to diagnose.

If it is thought that someone may be suffering from asbestos lung cancer then a number of steps will be taken in order to confirm this. A full physical examination will be conducted and more than likely a sample of phlegm (spit) will be tested for any cancer cells. If any cancerous cells are found then either a tissue sample will be taken or a biopsy will be performed to get an accurate result.

The people who are most likely to suffer from asbestos lung cancer are those who were exposed to it during their working life. The majority of patients who have been diagnosed with the disease once worked in mines, mills or factories. However, others who have suffered high levels of asbestos exposure include construction, boilermaking and automotive repair.

More and more people who are suffering from illnesses such as asbestos lung cancer are claiming compensation from companies who failed to implement safety precautions to prevent heavy exposure. If you are looking for an asbestos lawyer then there are companies out there who can help claim payments for various things such as the cost of care you have accrued.

J M Skinner & Co Solicitors asbestos lung cancer provide specialist legal services for property,asbestos, employment, personal injury and many other matters. Submitted by search engine consultants at http://www.webrepairservices.co.uk

Most people have probably heard of asbestos and the fact that people who have been exposed to it may go on to develop illnesses. Although the use of asbestos has now been banned in the European Union, people have still contracted diseases from when it was used in the past.

Mesothelioma is just one of the diseases that people can develop after prolonged asbestos exposure. It is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelial cells which cover the outer surface of most of the body’s internal body organs. This is caused by the exposure to asbestos which was around quite a lot in certain areas before it was banned. It could have been contracted in a number of ways from simply breathing it in to picking it up second hand from other people’s clothing, hair or skin.

Mesothelioma can take various different forms and can develop in the tissues covering the lungs or abdomen. The most common type that is diagnosed is pleural mesothelioma which affects the tissues lining the lungs called the pleura. Fortunately, it is unusual for his disease to spread to other parts of the body and even if it does, it doesn’t usually cause any problematic symptoms.

Most people who develop mesothelioma will have worked in jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. The most commonly affected trades were dockers, roofers, plumbers, electricians, shipyard workers and power station workers. However, it is possible for someone to contract the illness even if they have never had direct asbestos exposure. For example, family members may have breathed in the dust particles from the clothing of someone who worked with it.

There are various different symptoms that people can look out for if they know there is a chance they could have mesothelioma. Shortness of breath, a prolonged cough, chest pain, weight loss, abdominal swelling and fever are just some of the signs to look out for. These symptoms may not start showing until 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure however which is why many people don’t realise what it is at the time.

Diagnosing mesothelioma can be very difficult because the symptoms are similar to many other conditions. For this reason it is extremely important that doctors are made aware of any history to asbestos exposure so they know what to look out for. In order to make a proper diagnosis, a physical examination, a chest x - ray and lung function tests will be performed in order to see if there is any pleural thickening which is common amongst those who worked around asbestos. If anything suspicious has been found then a biopsy will be performed so that a diagnosis can be confirmed and treatment can begin.

Many people have enlisted the help of an asbestos lawyer in order to claim compensation against asbestos manufacturers. The first lawsuit was in 1929 and since then people have successfully won billions of pounds from these companies who neglected to implement safety measures to protect workers against exposure.

J M Skinner & Co Solicitors mesothelioma provide specialist legal services for property,asbestos, employment, personal injury and many other matters. Submitted by search engine consultants at http://www.webrepairservices.co.uk

It is expected that over a million Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in 2008. This deadly disease is quite easy to treat in its early stages, however if tumors go unnoticed, up until now there has been nothing that can be done to increase survival rates. A new use of immunotherapy in fighting skin cancer has recently been used with startling, although isolated success -a man in Oregon seems to be living proof of a skin cancer cure.

Skin cancer is most often caused by prolonged exposure to UV light -sunlight -without adequate protection. We have been told to slip, slop and slap for many decades now (Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat), however, there are still quite large numbers of people being diagnosed with skin cancer. It is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy, with greater numbers of people diagnosed with skin cancer than either breast, lung, colorectal or prostate cancer. While cancers are generally easy to identify, if they occur on a part of the body which is generally not viewed (the back, for example), skin cancer can turn fatal, and usually do not respond to cancer therapies such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Cancer has been such a plague on the medical industry because it has always been thought that the body does not recognize cancerous cells as foreign bodies (and treat them as such, by attacking them), because they are formed from the body’s own tissue. However, in the case of skin cancer, it was discovered in last century that some immune cells could latch onto and destroy cancer cells, curing skin cancer. The man in Oregon is the first person known to medicine to beat melanoma once it has spread to other areas of the body.

This man had a melanoma on his back, before it spread to his right lung and his groin. He was treated in July 2005 with the revolutionary process described below. Two months after receiving the treatment, there were no tumors in his body as revealed by advanced scans. What is more important is that 2 years later, he still had no tumors -and also no symptoms of cancer.

Researchers have recently focused on revving up T-cells, which are important also in the fight against leukemia. These cells envelop and kill foreign agents in the body. Researchers took blood from the patients, isolated the helper t-cells which locate and destroy foreign entities, and cultured more of them in the laboratory. When there were roughly 5 billion of the cells, they were injected back into the patients. This t-cell therapy was traditionally given in conjunction with traditional cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, however in the research which yielded a cure for skin cancer for one man, this immunotherapy was given alone.

However, further research is needed to determine the exact mechanism by which this was able to work so well. There were eight other patients involved in the immunotherapy study looking for a skin cancer cure, and none of the other patients have had such a degree of remission as this man. He has also fallen out of touch with researchers, and is not interested in being interviewed by the media.

With further research, it could be possible that we will have a cure for skin cancer in the near future.

Bangkok Hospital - 36 years of advanced medical technology and expertise, complemented with Thai hospitality and compassionate care. Includes the world-renowned Bangkok Heart Hospital and specializing in oncology, neurology and orthopedics. Some of the worlds most advanced minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment procedures are in place.

The word cigarette comes from the French and means small cigar. The earliest cigarette dates back to around the ninth century and took the form of reeds and smoking tubes.

Cigarettes, as we know them today, are full of tobacco which is processed from the fresh leaves of the Nicotiana plant. The process involves the plant being stripped of its leaves, these leaves being dried and cured before being shredded into small pieces. There are many varied ways of consuming tobacco, but smoking a cigarette is regarded as the most popular with more than 5.5 trillion cigarettes produced per annum.

So what do we get from smoking a cigarette? There are many reasons for picking up that first tab, each one is particular to the individual involved. The smoke a cigarette delivers is full of nicotine and produces a mild psychoactive effect.

Within ten seconds of inhaling smoke, the brain feels the effect of the drug. The receptor proteins on the surface of the neurons (nerve cells) bind easily to nicotine. When the nicotine hits the nicotine receptor, the neuron sends nerve impulses to targeted organs and tissues around the body. This process causes the release of neurotransmitters which then produces the effects of nicotine.

Epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine are the three main chemicals released when we smoke. Epinephrine and norepinephrine raise both blood pressure and heart rate as well as heightening our sense of awareness and concentration. Dopamine is the chemical that is released which causes the more pleasurable effects of smoking and can dramatically change the mood of the individual.

Over time, a smoker builds up a certain tolerance to nicotine which means (as with most addictive drugs) that more nicotine is needed to reach the same high. This is where the addiction kicks in: to feel the same level of calmness that the smoker felt before they started smoking, they have to inhale more tobacco smoke a day.

The implications of smoking on the human body are devastating. Heart disease, and lung cancer are the biggest and most common killers. Other problems associated with smoking are arterial disease, mouth cancer and pregnancy related problems.

Lung cancer is the disease of uncontrolled cell growth in the lung. It can lead to a process called metastasis which is the invasion of adjacent tissue beyond the lungs. Lung cancer is the biggest killer of all the cancer family, contributing more than 1.3 million deaths world wide per annum.

There are two main types of lung cancer; Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). NSCLCs account for approximately three quarters of lung cancer and can stem from three main areas; squamous cell lung carcinoma, adrenocarcinoma and large cell lung carcinoma. The first type starts near the bronchus and is a slower growing form of the disease. Adrenocarcinoma usually originates in the in peripheral lung tissue and is the NSCLC most heavily associated with smoking. Large cell lung carcinoma is a fast growing form of the disease and develops near the surface of the lung.

SCLC is less common than than NSCLC but is a quick killer. The disease starts in the larger airways (the primary and secondary bronchi) and spreads to the rest of the lungs almost immediately. This form of lung cancer is also heavily associated with smoking.

Symptoms of lung cancer include shortness of breath, heavy coughing (often accompanied by coughing up blood) and huge weight loss. There are treatments available, but the patient has to act quick. By spotting the disease at an early stage, doctors have a higher chance of saving the inflicted by either surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. With effective treatment, the five year survival rate is 14%.

Heart disease is another big problem associated with smoking. On its own, and with no other contributing factors, cigarette smoke significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease. When adding other factors such as obesity, diabetes and/or high blood pressure, the risk escalates even more. The Surgeon General stated that smoking is “the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States.”

Smoking not only increases blood pressure, but it also decreases exercise tolerance, increases the tendency for blood to clot and replaces oxygen with carbon monoxide in the blood. The ultimate effect of this is an added strain on the heart - a problem that worsens the more the individual smokes. As oxygen levels reduce, the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body which in turn makes heart attacks and strokes more likely.

Although heart disease accounts for approximately 30-40% of the mortality rate, stopping smoking can greatly reduce the likelihood of a tobacco related death. After kicking the habit, the risk of heart disease falls dramatically quicker than the risk of lung cancer. There have been significant reductions in heart problems after just one year of kicking the habit.

In many countries around the world, tobacco smoking is hugely frowned upon. Tobacco advertising has been outlawed in countries across the globe and some even enforce smoking bans in public places.

In Britain, the smoking ban is partly due to the death of TV producer and general showman, Roy Castle. After dying of lung cancer in 1994 having never smoked a single cigarette, his death was blamed on the equally dangerous second-hand smoke.

England joined the league of nations enforcing the ban in 2007, along with many European countries and 50% of America. Currently, Bhutan is the only country in the world to enforce a full ban on smoking. In 2004 a ban was placed on the sale of tobacco products which was followed by a full ban on smoking in public places in 2005.

Samantha is an expert Research and Theatre consultant. Her current interests are UK shortbreaks including LEGOLAND Windsor and Drayton Manor..

Cancer is a household word in our society. It would be rare to meet somebody that does not know of a person that has died of cancer, or even that has cancer currently. Celebrities’ battles with cancer are well publicized, and many of us have picked up on the common treatments for cancer and causes of cancer, without having any first hand experience with it. It has become somewhat of a holy grail of medicine, being the first to find a cure for cancer. In fact, scientists in Cuba have recently made a breakthrough in this area, patenting a new drug which not only helps fight lung cancer, but can also vaccinate against it.

The most common cause of lung cancer is long-term exposure to tobacco smoke. However, up to 20% of cases are caused by other environmental and genetic factors, including simple heredity, or exposure to asbestos, radon gas, air pollution, or second-hand cigarette smoke. Currently, with treatment, around 14% of people who develop lung cancer are still alive after five years, making lung cancer one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Around 1.3 million people die of lung cancer every year, and it is the most common form of cancer in men, and the second most common in women, after breast cancer. On of the best weapons in the fight against lung cancer is getting a regular cancer checkup.

Cuba has responded to these alarming statistics, with a scientific research institute patenting a drug which has helped lung cancer patients live up to a year longer in some cases. The drug is called CimaVax EGF, and it is actually classified as therapeutic vaccine, because it is composed of modified proteins that help the body build its own defenses against cancer cells. Vaccines that you have as a child, or when you travel overseas, work in the same way. You are injected with a dose of a killed bacteria or virus, or a modified protein from one of these, to help your body recognize the illness and develop antibodies to it, which will fight the infection if you encounter it in a live form (from somebody or thing that is infected with it).

Dr Gisela Gonzalez headed the team that researched and developed CimaVax EGF, which is said to be the first lung cancer vaccine in the world. She did recognize that other countries are working on similar vaccines, but they are in the development stage, while Cuba’s is ready to be used on lung cancer patients. It is tagged as a breakthrough in treating terminally ill patients, although not a miracle drug.

The conventional treatments for lung cancer, like heart cancer and many other forms of cancer, include radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These are often hard on a patient’s body, causing skin problems, loss of appetite, damage to surrounding tissues, and even secondary cancers. Anything that can be used to lower the number of chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments necessary can provide a better quality of life for lung cancer patients.

Testing has currently been approved by the US government, however, clinical studies may not begin for another two years. The tests in Cuba have revealed that patients live an average of 6 months longer when treated with the vaccine in combination with other therapies. This is a significant result in a disease where the average lifespan from diagnosis is only 20 months. It is the hope of researchers, as well as families the world over, that these new treatments can increase the number of lung cancer survivors, and improve the quality of life for terminal patients.

Bangkok Hospital - 36 years of advanced medical technology and expertise, complemented with Thai hospitality and compassionate care. Includes the world-renowned Bangkok Heart Hospital and specializing in oncology, neurology and orthopedics. Some of the worlds most advanced minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment procedures are in place.