The latest updates in colorectal cancer

Colon and rectal cancer kill an estimated 50,000 Americans each year, according to the American Cancer Society. In this post, I bring you the latest update on research that aims to find the cure to colorectal cancer.

Colon Cancer Stopped in Its Tracks in Swiss Study
Swiss researchers report that they may have identified a way to stop colon cancer. The technique entails blocking a communications pathway known as Hedgehog-GLI (HH-GLI). By blocking this genetic pathway that allows cells to communicate with each other, the tumors can be blocked. This has the potential to prevent the cancer from progressing to advanced stages, from metastasizing, as well as from recurring.

According to  lead researcher Professor Ariel Ruiz i Altaba of Geneva University

“Previous works hinted at the possible role of HH-GLI in colon cancer, but this was denied by other studies, so its involvement was never entirely clear… In this study we have proven that HH-GLI is essential for the development and growth of colon cancers.”

The blockade of the pathway is done using cyclopamine, a plant-derived compound that has been tested in mice and found to be effective.

New Target Eyed for Colon Cancer Drugs
A new targeted therapy for colon cancer is in the making and is showing promise. The drugs being tested are targeting ERBB3, a molecule found on the cell surface. There are already drugs that work similarly by targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and are effective against some types of cancer but not against colon cancer. ERBB3 is closely related to EGFR and blocking ERBB3 seems to be effective in stopping colon cancer cells.

According to lead author David Threadgill, adjunct professor in the department of genetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a professor in the genetics department at North Carolina State University

“If you genetically remove ERBB3, as you would if you were pharmacologically targeting it, then the mice rarely develop colon cancer…If we can use an inhibitor to block ERBB3, then it should be a very potent anti-cancer therapy.”

Aspirin May Stem Deaths From Colorectal Cancer
While new therapies against colorectal are being developed, old drugs are also being rediscovered for their efficacy. Take, for example, good old aspirin. It’s not only effective against headaches, fever, and lately against cardiovascular disease, it can also work against colorectal cancer. A recent study showed that colorectal cancer who took aspirin regularly had a 29% lower risk of dying from the disease. The overall 5-year survival rate among aspirin users was 88% vs 83% among non-aspirin users. The 10-year survival rate was 74% and 69%, respectively.

According to the study’s lead author, Dr. Andrew Chan, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School:

“It’s a pretty significant benefit and does suggest aspirin may have a role in treatment of patients with established colorectal cancer as well as for the prevention of developing initial tumors.”

Something’s in your coffee that’s linked to cancer

There’s something in your coffee aside from caffeine that may be very important for your health. Introducing trigonelline or “trig” for short identified by scientists at Texas AgriLife Research.

So what is so special about trig? Well, for one thing, it acts like the female hormone estrogen. And because it is estrogenic, it can be a contributing factor to estrogen-dependent breast cancer but can help prevent colon cancer.

Does that mean we should stop (or step up) drinking coffee? Not so fast according to Dr. Clinton Allred, nutrition scientist at AgriLife Research.

“The important thing to get from this is that ‘trig’ has the ability to act like a hormone. So there is a tie to cancer in the sense that we are looking at estrogen-dependent cancer cells. But that doesn’t suggest that it would actually cause the disease. I don’t believe there should be any concern about drinking coffee at this point.”

Trig is natural compound used in traditional Indian medicine to relieve symptoms in postmenopausal women. However, the estrogen-mimicking properties of trig is surprising since its chemical structure is not similar at all to estradiol, one of the three estrogen hormones.

Trig is found in coffee beans but the amount of this estrogenic compound in your cup of coffee will depend on the following:

• The variety of coffee beans. Trig is found in the two main types of bans consumed in the US.
• The method of roasting the coffee beans. The more the bean is roasted, the less trig is contained.
• The method of brewing. Trig has been detected in a normal cup of brewed coffee.

How do estrogenic compounds such as trig affect cancer? Well, “Estrogen-dependent tumors in the presence of estradiol will grow faster,” according to Dr. Allred. His research team observed this in a series of lab experiments. Trig is definitely estrogenic even at low concentrations.

The researchers caution against jumping into conclusions and misconceptions:

“…people often narrow one compound in a food without considering the total mix of compounds and how they interact with each other or in a human body.”

“…menopausal women seek over-the-counter phytoestrogen compounds to relieve symptoms such as hot flashes.”

The researchers believe these behaviors are not advisable. The latter is especially dangerous since women might have estrogen- dependent breast cancer without even knowing it. It takes 30 years from the start of a tumor until diagnosis.

But not everything about trig is bad. Estrogenic compounds have been shown to prevent colon cancer formation. Thus, trig is a potential treatment for colon cancer provided the patient does not have estrogen-dependent cancer.

Think about your colon (even if you don’t want to talk about it)

The colon is an organ that people would rather not talk about. It is associated with waste and dirt, thus a subject matter that is almost taboo. Yet, cancer of the colon is a real problem that people should think, if not talk about.

Problems with the colon actually occur very often throughout a person’s life. However, these problems can add up with time, so that the incidence of colon cancer can be quiet high among the elderly. That is why current guidelines recommend for regular colon cancer screening starting at age 50. But how does it all start?

According to researchers at the University of Michigan

Regular wear and tear on the colon can cause little out-pockets called diverticula in one in three adults over the age of 65. They are sometimes more common when there is persistent constipation, which causes people to strain to pass stool that is too hard. The high pressure from straining causes the weak spots in the colon to bulge out and become diverticula.

Diverticuli are normally harmless. They usually form in areas where the blood vessels go through the intestinal muscle walls, making these areas weak. Diverticuli can get plugged up with waste and become infected by bacteria, resulting in a condition called diverticulitis. The older people get, the more diverticuli are formed in the colon, and the chances of plugging up, inflammation and infection go up.

It is said that 30% of adults aged at least 65 years old have diverticuli in their colon. By age 85, the incidence increases to 65%. Complications of diverticulitis can lead to colon cancer.

Colon cancer, however, is highly preventable. According to Dr. Kim Turgeon, a gastroenterologist in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, it is important to keep the colon healthy and this can be done by

• Keeping the bowels moving with a high fiber diet
• Exercising regularly
• Drinking lots of fluids throughout the day

Previous recommendations about not eating nuts and seeds to avoid little particles plugging diverticuli are no longer valid, as recent research studies have shown. These food can in fact be beneficial as they are rich in fiber.

It is also important that adults above the age of 50 should be routine screened, for example, through colonoscopy. Even if you are healthy, and had no history of colon or bowel problems, screening is still recommended.

It can be embarrassing to talk about your colon to friends. So why not talk to your doctor about it?

Is Motorcycle Use Linked to Cancer?

Hi everyone!  I’m back in Texas, and it’s suprisingly cold and rainy here.  We actually turned our heater on rather than the A/C for the first time, and the shock to our temperature control set the smoke alarm off.  Annoying, yes, but it’s nice to know that it’s not just my burnt pumpkin pies that are putting the smoke detecter to work 🙂 

Anyway, back to business.  While scouring the internet for the latest developments in cancer as I so faithfully do, I came across an interesting story on an online magazine devoted to London Bikers covering an upcoming book that attempts to draw a link between motorcycles and cancer.  

The claims come from a new book by Randall Dale Chipkar entitled, Motorcycle Cancer:  Are Motorcycles Killing Us With Cancers of the Prostate, Colon, Kidney, Bone, Etc?  According to the book’s promotional website, extremely low frequency electromagnetic field radiation is the silent culprit for a host of different cancers.  

While I generally avoid travelling on anything that doesn’t have a protective steel cage around it, my husband’s family is deeply embedded in motorcycle culture.  Harleys, dirt bikes, rides, and races — they’ve done it all, so I have a vested interest.  But clunky headline aside, I just don’t buy what Chipkar’s selling.  While it makes for a good spook tactic (a silent monster — between my legs!), there is not one single study to date that links motorcycle electromagnetic radiation and cancer on PubMed, the single largest repository for peer-reviewed medical studies and scientific journal articles.  There is, however, one 2004 Taiwanese study that correlates motorcycle exhaust to hormonal effects in breast cancer cell lines and female rats  (Take home message to all who ride:  try not to breathe the fumes.) Read more

Bottom’s Up: Why Focusing on Your Bottom should be a Top Health Priority

Hi there, readers! Since I’ll be on the road travelling for the next two days, I asked Amanda Devereaux, one of my former bosses and best friends, to step in for me for the following guest post.   Amanda, who is blessed with both beauty and brains, has a Ph.D. in Microbiology and is currently working in a cancer research laboratory.  I’m sure you’ll find her opinions as entertaining as I do!

It is that time of year again.  No, I am not talking about all the snow, ice, and crappy weather associated with winter, check local weather forecast.  It’s time to take care of your bottom.  

It has long been known that a colonoscopy is used to screen for colon cancer, and is your best bet at detecting a tumor in the early, treatable stages. Now, doctors with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, have published new research showing that colonoscopies can also be useful in predicting the development of advanced tumors as well.

This study, published in the journal of Gastroenterology, examined the records of 3,121 patients between the ages of 50 and 75 who had a colonoscopy between 1994 and 1997. Of these, 1, 171 patients presented with growths at the time of the initial colonoscopy, and the subjects were monitored with repeat colonoscopy procedures over the next 5 years (talk about a bummer, ba dum dum ching!!!!). At the follow-up, 7.4% of patients with initial growths were found to have advanced tumors, in comparison to 2.4% of those without growths in the initial test. These results will help divide patients into risk groups after the initial colonoscopy, and will help determine the number and frequency of any additional colonoscopy procedures.

Now I know what you are all thinking. I can think of about 100 other things I would rather do than have someone shove a camera where the sun don’t shine. But it really isn’t all that bad. I had a colonoscopy at the tender age of 25 (they were checking for Crone’s disease; turns out I am just a nervous fuss with irritable bowels!). The worst part of the whole thing was the “pre-cleansing” ritual of drinking 4 liters of a substance called “GoLightly”. What a joke that name is:   it should be called “Run like hell and pray you make it to the bathroom every 15 minutes for the next 4 hours”. The next morning I went to the hospital, they drugged me up, and the next thing I knew, it was over. Now, I understand that talking about your butt is taboo, and not in good taste. Just ask Emily Post. But if this article convinces at least one person to get checked out, possibly saving their lives, then I can live with being in bad taste.

Coping with Colon Cancer

By Lena Butler

Upon hearing the diagnosis of colon cancer, a set of mixed emotions can flow that can make you feel overwhelmed and stress. You are pressed into a situation where everything suddenly seems uncertain. Forced to look over future financial concerns, the shock of knowing your condition can put you to a breaking point.

The good news is, despite such worrying circumstances, this is a normal reaction of a cancer patient. The better news is the prospect of dealing with cancer should not discourage you to defeat the disease. There are a slew of success stories that will encourage you to face your situation with courage and joy.

Managing colon cancer despite the emotional weight can be dealt with by sticking to a set plan. There are many ways to cope with colon cancer and its stressful effects. With enough education and support, you will have the tools to deal with the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer.

Know the Disease

Colon cancer is a disease stemming from the growth of cancer cells in the colon and rectal area. Colon cancer basically starts from the abdomen with the ability for the cancer cells to spread as the condition becomes more complicated. If colon cancer is detected early, there is a high rate for survival.

Knowing the nature and the nuances of colon cancer will prepare you to face the disease. Once you receive the diagnosis of your cancer, start to engage on different discussions and consultations with the right people. As you educate yourself and know the disease more, you will have a better perspective of the disease and your situation. You should be prepared to undergo a set of colon cancer testing and treatment with the right information.

Getting Comfortable with Cancer Testing and Treatment

The location of the colon and rectum presents an uncomfortable procedure for cancer patients. Some people suspected of colon cancer delay their tests because they find colon cancer testing embarrassing. This attitude although understandable is not helpful in facing colon cancer.

The usual colon cancer testing requires a stool sample. Doctors can recommend a home based fecal occult blood test kit, which is a test that checks for blood in your fecal waste. If you are uncomfortable with the procedures of colon cancer testing, be sure to talk to your doctor so that he can stress the importance of colon cancer tests. Advanced colon cancer tests will definitely involve scanning and monitoring of the rectal area so it is necessary for you to be prepared for future tests.

Dealing with colon cancer treatments is a matter of choice. The doctor will recommend different treatment options depending on the stage of your cancer. Talk to your doctor about the side effects of colon cancer treatment and consult with you friends and family on the financial concerns of these treatments. Different colon cancer treatments involve different factors such as size and location of the tumor, overall health, stage of the colon cancer, your age, and your personal need and concerns. Every treatment choice should result from a comfortable decision made by you with the help of your support group.

Dealing with Colostomy

To deal with colon cancer, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the tumor and the bulk of the cancer cells from your body. Colostomy involves removing most or all of the colon and rectum. While this is an effective treatment, it leaves colon cancer patients with devastating side effects for the unprepared. After colostomy, you will need artificial procedures to remove your fecal waste.

To get over this feeling, you should trust your doctor when he says everything will be fine. While you are given the choice, you should also weight what is best for you. If you fear that your peers will reject you, you can talk to them so that they can understand your situation. As long as you communicate your fears and concerns with them and they reciprocate it with understanding, there is no reason not to go ahead with the surgery. While the trial of having colostomy is a tall task, just remember that this treatment will help you in the end.

Developing Coping Skills

In coping with colon cancer or any other cancer for that matter, you can develop different coping skills to face the disease effectively. You should feel empowered every step of the way. Do not let others decide for you. In dealing with colon cancer, it is important that you stand up and decide on your own. This will prevent you from feeling helpless.

It is true that colon cancer is an unpleasant condition, but with rigorous planning, constant colon cancer testing and treatment, developed understanding of the disease, and strong support group to surround you, you have everything you need to fight back a disease that can be beaten.

This Article is written by Lena Butler, the author of Colon Cancer Home Test Kits, a longer version of this article is located at Coping With Colon Cancer, and resources from other home health and wellness testing articles are used such as TestCountry Colon Cancer FAQ.

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Defend Youself From Colon Cancer

By Groshan Fabiola

Over 100,000 people will find out that they have colon cancer just in the United States alone. Colon cancer is one of the most spread cancer types in the U.S. while being the second and third factor of cancer death. But, thanks to new screening methods cancer can be diagnosed in its earliest stages resulting in a rising number of people being cured of this disease.

Since an abnormal cell needs 10-15 years to evolve into colorectal cancer, regular cancer testing would help diagnose and cure it before becoming a problem.

It is recommended that routine colonoscopies should be made every ten years since the age of 50. If you know that in your family someone had colon cancer or any other cancer forms you should start regular screenings more frequently and since at an earlier age.

The reason thatcolon cancer emerges is unknown and since it’s useless to prevent the abnormal cells from appearing there are measurements you can do to prevent it.

Two kinds of risk factors cause colorectal cancer: the ones you can do something about and the ones you can’t control. The last type of factors includes:

* Age. The risk of getting colon cancer increases with the age. Sure, the risk exists even if you are young but it’s way smaller.

* Family history. If some close relative of you has adenamotous polyps or colorectal cancer while they are still young your doctor will recommend colorectal cancer screenings before you are 50 years old because of the increased risk of developing the disease.

* Other risk increasing diseases. If you have Crohn’s disease or any other chronic inflammatory bowel disease the risk for developing colon cancer increases. It is recommended having regular screenings after you have been diagnosed with any inflammatory bowel disease. If you have diabetes your risk of having colon cancer increases by 40 percent.

* Ethnic Background. Eastern Europeans, Jewish population and the African Americans tend to have an increased factor risk for colorectal cancer due to a genetic mutation.

Your doctor should be informed if you think you have some of these factors. Depending on these factors your doctor will advise you to begin the colorectal screenings earlier.

The risk factors that you can control include:

* The diet. Animal fats increase the risks of colon cancer. It is known that many fruits and vegetables lower the risk of cancer formation so it’s recommended to have them every day and trying to substitute animal based food with “green” products.

* Exercise. Exercising will increase your fitness and in the same time lower the risk of most diseases including colorectal cancer.

* Obesity. Overweight is increases the chances of dying from colorectal cancer. You need to speak with your doctor about helping you lose some weight.

* Smoking. This is responsable for 12 percent of all deaths caused by colorectal cancer. Besides, the chemicals contained by cigarettes are responsable for all sorts of cancer.

* Alcohol. You can lower the risk of colorectal cancer by consuming less alcohol because, large alcohol intake increases the risk.

It really doesn’t matter what your risk factor is. You can change the development of colon cancer by maintaining a healthy life. This includes exercising, having care of your diet and weight and limiting smoking and drinking.

For more resource on different colon cancer subjects please click this link www.colon-cancer-center.com. You can also find valuable information about metastatic colon cancer or even about colon cancer treatment

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Some Answers To Colon Cancer Questions

By Groshan Fabiola

1. What is colon cancer?

Cancer is a disease which can affect cells from all organs. The colon cancer affects the cells of the colon, determining them to proliferate in an uncontrollable way. This mass of abnormal cells will form a tumor inside the colon. The cancer of the intestine is quite frequent and two thirds of this type of cancer is situated in the colon.

2. Who can develop colon cancer?

You are at risk of developing colon cancer if you drink a lot of alcohol and you are obese. Also if other members of your family had colon cancer or breast cancer you could inherit some genes that make you more sensible to cancer. If you have polyps on your intestine and you leave them untreated for a long time, they can transform into malign polyps, meaning that cancer had occurred.

3. Is my diet involved in cancer development?

Following a diet which is rich in fats and proteins could expose you to cancer. If you eat a lot of fruit, vegetables and high fiber foods you can prevent colon cancer from occurring.

4. Does colon cancer come with any symptoms?

There are some symptoms which could announce that cancer is installing, but they also appear in other diseases. Some of the symptoms are: seeing blood in your bowels, alternation of diarrhea with constipation, and low abdominal pains.

5. How does the doctor know that I have cancer?

The doctor will perform a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy to examine the insides of the colon. Also x-rays of the colon will be performed. These methods will see if tumors are present inside the colon. In order to stage colon cancer CT and ultrasound will be used.

6. Can colon cancer be treated?

Generally the most indicated procedure in trying to treat colon cancer is surgery. By surgery the doctors will remove the tumor from the colon. If the cancer spread, giving metastasis, the doctors will recommend you chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These are hard bearable due to their side effects like nausea, vomiting, loss of hair, fever, and tiredness.

7. Is the treatment effective or not?

If the colon cancer was diagnosed in its early stages and it has not spread to other organs the treatment will be 90% effective and patients will survive even five years after. If the cancer has given metastasis the treatment will not be so effective any more and half of the diagnosed patients will live less that five years.

For greater resources on colon cancer or especially about colon cancer symptoms please visit this link www.colon-cancer-center.com/colon-cancer-symptoms.htm

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Two Simple Ideas for Preventing Colon Cancer

By Rudy Silva

Colon cancer starts with colon polyps. Polyps are growths in the inner lining of your colon walls. They are formed when the inner lining is irritated or attacked by fecal matter toxins. When you have colon polyps, you dramatically increase your risk of getting colon cancer.

To prevent getting colon cancer you need to prevent getting polyps. If you have polyps then you need to prevent them from becoming cancerous.

Here are some ideas that you can use in preventing colon cancer whether you have or do not have polyps.

Polyps occur when your fecal matter is toxic and becomes stagnant. When your fecal matter stops moving in your colon, then toxic matter in the fecal matter comes in contact with your colon wall. It is this colon area that becomes irritated and over time weakens. As inflammation sets in and irritation continues, toxins are absorbed into the colon wall and a growth occurs. This growth will continue as long as you continue to have toxic fecal matter and constipation.

Here are two things that can help you from creating and irritating polyps.

First eliminate any form of constipation. You have constipation if you don’t have at least two bowel movements daily when you have three meals a day. Determine how long it takes for your food to pass through your body. A good rule of thumb is, it should take about 24 hours for food to travel from your mouth and out your anus.

After you eat breakfast in the morning, drink 6 – 8 oz of any juice with 2 oz of liquid chlorophyll. You can use 2 oz of red beet juice if you prefer. Then check when you start to see either green or red stools. This is your colon transit time. If it takes more than 24 hours then you need to reduce this time.

Preventing colon cancer requires that fecal matter move through your colon without remaining at one spot for too long.

The second thing you can do to prevent colon cancer is to change your fecal matter toxic level. Two things that make your fecal matter more toxic are undigested food and carcinogenic chemicals.

Since, most processed foods such as breads, packaged foods, cooked foods, processed meats, and pasteurized liquids lack digestive enzymes, your body is unable to digest all of the food that you eat. When undigested food reaches the colon, it is decomposed by bad bacteria and becomes highly toxic.

To correct this toxicity, start eating more raw foods such as fruits and vegetables, which are filled with enzymes. Try ten servings a day. It’s a lot isn’t it? But, that what we need to stop colon cancer or other colon irritations.

Next, read food labels and avoid those foods, as much as possible, which contain excessive preservative, coloring, dyes, fillers, and food stabilizers. There are hundreds of chemicals that are added to your food which help to keep the food from falling apart and decaying. Many of these chemicals are not digested in the small intestine and move into the colon where then make the fecal matter more toxic.

These are two steps that you can start applying for preventing colon cancer. If you have polyps, then these steps will help to keep them in check and reduce your risk of getting colon cancer.

Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist. To get more tips and discover more ideas on how to prevent getting colon cancer, go to: www.coloncancerawareness.info

To discover how to eliminate constipation go to: www.remedies-for-constipation.com

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Colon Cancer Information

By Tony Thompson

Colon cancer is more commonly known as bowel cancer, this is where there is a malignant growth in the colon. Early symptoms of colon cancer can include a change in bowel movements either constipation or diahoerria , pain in the lower abdomen, blood mixed in with the faeces. These symptoms are fairly mundane, so often go un-noticed causing the tumor to grow undetected, inperticulally as people still find it hard to discuss there bowel movements with anybody especially there Doctor. Occasionally there are no symptoms until the tumor has got so large that it causes a blockage in the intestine or Could possibly even perforate the intestine. Some forms of colon cancer can be genetic/hereditary however in some cases of colon cancer the precise reason people Contract the disease is unknown. Diet may be cause of colon cancer, eating a lot of meat, too much fatty foods and not enough fiber, fruit and vegetables all add up to a un-healthy diet so increasing the risk of colon cancer.

The tests carried out to diagnose colon cancer include a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy. A sigmoidoscopy is when a camera is inserted into the anus to examine the rectum and the sigmoid colon. A colonoscopy is when a flexible fibre-optic camera Called a colonscope is put into the body via the anus and fed along the colon. Instruments may be fed down the colonscope So this is how a biopsy would be performed. Colon cancer can often occur with other diseases of the colon, for example ulcerative colitis.

The chance of a cure for colon cancer depends on whether you get a early enough diagnosis. Surgery is the best chance of Survival and sometimes radiotherapy and chemotherapy may also be offered, but there would be no guarenties of a very long term future. The surgical procedure involves a general anesthetic and the diseased part of the colon is removed plus a bit extra on both sides to make sure they have it all. The amount of colon that has to be removed varies from person to person but the Majority of people will end up with a colostomy. This is where a small inscision is made in the stomach and the healthy colon Is pulled through it and secured this is called a stoma. The stoma makes it possible for the person to still have there bowels opened by means of a colostomy bag which is attached to the stoma usually by a adhesive. These bags are disposable and Keep all smells etc in [until you change them when the bowel has worked]. The colostomy is sometimes only temporary depending on how much bowel was removed. If it is to be only temporary it could be there for up to six months just to allow the colon to heal without faeces being past through it. If the colostomy is to be permanent than the anus may be sewn up whilst the person is in theatre having there diseased colon removed and the stoma made.

Colon cancer is still a large killer but mostly because people do not get it diagnosed early enough. The survival rate is much better when diagnoses are made early as treatment can begin and may not end up being so evasive. It is a shame to die from embarrassment is it not.

For more information on colon cancer click here

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The Greatest Benefit of Colon Cleansing

By Charles O. Palmerson

One of the stories that has been bantered around after John Waynes death from Cancer was that at his autopsy they removed over 35 pounds of impacted fecal matter from his colon.

It is hard to discern if this is urban legend or fact. However, if this is true you can certainly understand how this waste could have adversely affected his health.

How much undigested food and waste material is being held in your colon?

When we think of cleansing we have to keep in mind that the body has seven channels of elimination. Just like you would clean your entire house you should also undertake a regimen of cleansing all of your channels of elimination. These channels are the liver, lungs, lymphatic system, blood, skin, colon and kidneys. A cleanse which focuses on only one of the channels of elimination is akin to deciding that you are only going to clean the closets in your house.

A constipated colon is one in which the transit time of food is more than 24 hours. Transit time is the length of time it takes for food to enter the mouth and exit the rectum. The basic principle of good digestive health is that you should put food in and wihin 24 hours that food should come out as waste.

The naturopathic perspective is that the longer the transit time of food, the longer these toxins stay in our digestive tract which permits proteins to putrefy, fats to get rancid, and carbohydrates to ferment.

Regardless how you look at it this cannot be healthy for your body. The longer your body is exposed to these toxins in your intestines, the greater the risk of developing disease.

Stop and think about this.

If you have only one bowel movement per day, you will have all of the other meals that you ate over the last 24 hours putrefying in your intestines. This is called intoxification. It is poisoning from within. The inability to purge toxins from our systems.

What we all need to understand is that the reason why constipation is dangerous to our health is that our bodies are designed to absorb whatever is in the digestive tract. If you put good healthy nutrition there the body will absorb it. Likewise, if you put putrefying, toxic waste there the body will absorb that as well.

The best way to start a cleansing program is by cleansing your colon. After you begin your colon cleansing program you might also want to consider maintenance program with colon hydrotherapy.

Talk to your Doctor for guidance and suggestions on things you can do to maintain optimal health.

Charles O. Palmerson is the webmaster for www.eConstipation.com an online Constipation Information Resource created to resolve poor digestive health.

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Colon Cancer – Is It Lurking Inside You?

By Michael Russell

Are you suffering from persistent constipation or diarrhea? Have you noticed a tinge of blood in your stool lately? Are you always tired and feeling fatigued? Are you experiencing weight loss, but have not been dieting or engaging in exercise routine? These and many other symptoms should necessitate a visit to a doctor.

Colon cancer is regarded as the second leading cause of most cancer deaths in the United States. Colon cancer is a long-standing disease, which starts as a polyp or a small non-cancerous growth. This small non-cancerous growth will slowly transforms itself into a malignant tumor over a period of 5 to 10 years. People in their thirties and forties are most often predisposed to colon cancer, amounting to about one-quarter of all colon cancer patients.

Colon cancer doesn’t show any visible symptoms during the early stages. During the later stages however, a person suffering with colon cancer may exhibit any or all of the following symptoms:

1. Diarrhea or constipation that persists for a long time.

2. Unusual abdominal gas, or cramping.

3. Episodes of physical fatigue without known reasons.

4. Apparent loss weight and appetite.

5. Stools that are narrow, almost the diameter of a pencil.

6. Bloody stools.

7. There is pain and tenderness felt in the lower abdomen.

8. Changes in fecal diameter, color and frequency of movement lasting more than two weeks.

Although colon cancer claims to be second among the causes of cancer deaths, the frequency rate can be lowered if only its detection is done early. The polyps and early stage cancer that are discovered before any symptoms are produced most often offer a cure rate as high as 100 percent.

Your doctor should annually test your stool for hidden blood. A procedure called sigmoidoscopy can also be done to diagnose colon cancer. Sigmoidoscopy utilizes a flexible lighted tube with a camera that sits on its tip. This instrument is then inserted into the lower third of the colon. Observations reveal that almost half of all cancers in this area are found in the lower third portion of the colon. Another procedure called colonoscopy is done to check for growths throughout the entire length of the large intestine. An x-ray can also be an alternative diagnostic procedure. A barium enema is given to a patient. An opaque liquid fills the colon, which then becomes visible on X-ray film.

Colon cancer treatments may include chemotherapy and surgery. Those suffering from the advanced form of colon cancer may require chemotherapy. If surgery is the form of treatment, your surgeon will usually remove any polyps found during colonoscopy. If the detection of the tumor is done early, part of the colon affected with the tumor is removed surgically, the colon is restored back to its normal function, and complete healing is expected. However, if the cancer has already reached a wide area including the colon wall, lymph and blood vessels, chemotherapy is thus required. If the cancer involves a large tumor, temporary or permanent colostomy may be required. Re-routing the colon through an opening in the abdomen does this. The wastes pass through the opening and into a pouch outside the patient’s body.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Colon Cancer

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Infusion Clinic Opening Here In Winnipeg In January 2007

There is an article in today’s Winnipeg Free Press by Jen Skerrit ..

Source: Winnipeg Free Press – Cancer Meds For Those Who Have The Cash

Alternate Source: Therapeutics Daily – Cancer meds for those who have the cash

Both of the above links might be limited by subscription only …

Sun Dec 17 2006

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A private infusion clinic scheduled to open in Winnipeg this January will allow patients to pay out of their own pockets for pricey specialty cancer drugs not covered by CancerCare Manitoba.
This marks the first time patients will be able to access the latest intravenous cancer treatments, from Herceptin to Avastin, within the province on their own dime.

Pharmaceutical giant Roche Canada is teaming up with Bayshore Infusion Clinics Inc. and McKesson Canada, a pharmaceutical distributor, to offer the costly meds, which range in price from $20,000 to $40,000 for one year of treatment. Patients need a prescription for the medication from their oncologist before they are referred to the infusion clinic.

The clinic will be staffed by medical professionals. It is called an infusion clinic because it only administers IV drugs for patients.

Sabrina Paiva, spokeswoman for Roche Canada, was unable to say where in Winnipeg the clinic might be located.

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Basically .. drugs that are offered at these clinics are:

* RITUVAN – For lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis – Selectively depletes certain cells and their role in cancer and automimmune diseases like arthritis

* AVASTIN – For colon cancer – Health Canada approved the drug last year after it was shown to limit blood flow to tumours

* TARCEVA – For lung cancer – Used to treat advanced non-small-cell lung cancer after at least one failed chemotherapy treatment

* HERCEPTIN – For breast cancer – May block tumour growth in early breast cancer stages where patient has HER2 protein. Is covered for patients who meet criteria set by doctors.

Infusion clinics are already operating in 18 Canadian cities, and nine more are set to open in cities across Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and British Columbia next month.

It’s a two-tiered system … Alan Katz, a researcher with the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy says .. The province can’t afford to pay for these drug treatments that could extend the lives of certain patients, and patients are frustrated they can’t access them.

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca
© 2006 Winnipeg Free Press. All Rights Reserved

Singer Eartha Kitt has cancer

SINGING legend Eartha Kitt has revealed she has had colon cancer.
The 79-year-old said she was now fine after surgery in April, when the disease was discovered, according to the New York Post.

She found out she had the disease after going to the doctor because her hand was hurting from carpal tunnel syndrome.

First it was found that she was also anaemic, and then further tests discovered the cancer.

“They operated right away, and I’m fine,” the newspaper quoted her as saying.

“I never expect anything to happen to me. “I’m the healthiest person in the world.”

She also advised everyone to get a colonoscopy, and said she was happy still to be working.

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Source: Singer Eartha Kitt has cancer | | The Australian