You’ve heard all the scary stories, but they’re wrong. Deodorant, power lines, underwire bras — none have been scientifically linked to cancer. The truth:
Deodorant It’s a persistent internet myth: Deodorant or antiperspirant seeps through skin and wreaks havoc. Scientists have never found a cancer connection, so don’t put up with sweat stains or stinky workouts just to reduce your risks.
Power lines “Some people feel a major cause of cancer is the environment,” says cancer expert Susan Love, MD. “They want a smoking gun. But researchers haven’t been able to find anything tied to power lines.”
Bras No study supports the argument that your bra, underwire or otherwise, can raise your cancer risk. Find one that fits well — and forget about it.
Implants In a recent study, Swedish researchers found no link between cancer and breast implants from as long ago as 1965. Enhancements may get in the way of a clear mammogram picture, however, so ask your imaging centre if they use special techniques to accommodate implants.
Stress There’s no proof that stress can cause cancer. All the same, stress is not healthy. “If you have a cancer that’s been there for 8 to 10 years before you feel a lump, what makes it have a growth spurt? Stress may be the trigger,” Love says. That’s yet another reason to reduce stress any way you can, from doing yoga or meditation to reading a funny book or running around the block.
The blood-forming stem cells used for cancer therapy are called hematopoietic stem cells. They constitute less than one in 1,00,000 bone marrow cells. They look like small lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell in the vertebrate immune system) and cannot be easily distinguished. These cells are capable of self-renewal as well as production of progenitor cells, which differentiate into mature blood cells. Bone marrow, peripheral blood (the blood returning to the heart) and cord blood (obtained from the umbilical cord at birth) are three good sources of hematopoietic stem cells.
Collecting the Cells
Since during normal state the cells are very few in number, the bone marrow is stimulated with use of growth factors with or without the help of chemotherapy. This leads to an increase in the number of hematopoietic stem cells. Then they can be collected from either bone marrow or peripheral blood. [click to continue…]
Novalis Tx radio surgery uses a treatment beam contoured to the exact shape of your tumour, precisely delivering treatment while protecting surrounding healthy tissue. And a treatment session lasts just minutes, not hours. It is:
Precise
- Shapes the radiation beam to match the exact contour of the tumour or lesion, ensuring the maximum prescribed dose of high-energy radiation is delivered to the entire tumour
- Protects surrounding healthy tissue
- Adapts the treatment beam to breathing and other body movements to continuously maintain safe, complete and accurate dose delivery
Fast
- Non-invasive, outpatient procedure lasts just 15 to 20 minutes, rather than hours
- Reduces the likelihood of patient or tumour movements, ensuring the highest possible level of treatment accuracy
Versatile
- Employs a wide range of treatment modalities, ensuring you receive the best treatment for your individual case. Other radiosurgery devices are limited to only one treatment modality
- Delivers the industry’s highest dose rate, penetrating deeper to treat tumours previously considered untreatable
- Offers hope to patients with clinical conditions once considered untreatable and those for whom surgery is not an option
Development in cancer therapeutics has not been limited to newer diagnostic and preventive modalities. It has also been applied to the field of preventive oncology. Thus, past screening modalities limited to film-based mammography, PSA screening, PAP smear, fecal occult blood test have now been replaced by :
1. Digital mammography: A technique that uses a computer, rather than X-ray film, to record X-ray images of the breast.
2. Proteonomics : Large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions.
3. Virtual colonoscopy: A method of examining the colon by taking a series of X-rays (called a CT scan) and using a high-powered computer to reconstruct 2-D and 3-D pictures of the interior
4. Molecular tool DNA microarray: A collection of microscopic DNA spots attached to a solid surface forming an array, to measure the expression levels of large numbers of genes simultaneously. [click to continue…]