Squamous-Cell Skin Cancer Poses Serious Risk of Spreading

Skin cancer is a serious risk for people who like to bask in the sun. Of the 3 main types of skin cancer, melanoma is the most deadly, basal the most common, with squamous-cell falling in between. Three times more deadly than melanoma but not as common as basal, squamous-cell cancer is more serious because it is the most likely to spread.

Early treatment boasts a 90% cure rate, but matastases occur in 5% of cases. Once metastasized, squamous-cell cancer is extremely difficult to treat, according to a recent Harvard Health Letter.

"Squamous-means scaly; in 60% to 80% of cases, the lesions emerge on or near scaly patches called actinic keratoses that develop from sun-damaged skin. Such lesions are typically hard, well-defined, and occasionally crusty. You might mistake one for a wart, only flatter. Others are soft and fleshy."

Early diagnosis and treatment are the keys to preventing squamous-cell cancer from spreading. Noted alternative medicine authority Dr. Burton Goldberg recommends a multimodal approach to prevention and cure of skin cancers. In his information-dense video Cancer Conquest, Dr. Goldberg explains the latest technological and therapeutic advances in treatments for cancers of all types. Click the post title to visit Dr. Goldberg's website and learn more about his multimodal approach that combines alternative medicine therapies with conventional protocols to attack cancer on multiple levels.

Drinking Water Contaminant Causes Cancer

The most widespread industrial contaminant in drinking water can cause cancer in people, the National Academy of Sciences reported this week (click the post title to read the Associated Press article). Trichloroethylene is a solvent used in adhesives, paint and spot removers and is widely used to remove grease from metal parts in airplanes and to clean fuel lines at missile sites. The easily evaporated, colorless liquid is one of the most common pollutants found in the air, soil, and water at U.S. military bases.

The Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the NAS report and could rule for stricter regulations. Currently the EPA requires limiting tricholoroethylene to no more than 5 parts per billion of drinking water. Stricter regulations could force the government to require more thorough clean-ups at military and other sites. The chemical is a possible cause of kidney cancer, reproductive and developmental damage, impaired neurological function, and autoimmune disease.

Here is the most frightening part of this story. According to the AP article, "In 2001, the EPA issued a draft document saying the risks of the pollutant causing cancer in humans were higher than previously thought. But that pronouncement was dropped after other federal agencies accused the EPA of inflating the risks." Now, barely 5 years later, the NAS report states, "The committee found that the evidence on carcinogenic risk and other health hazards from exposure to tricholoroethylene has strengthened since 2001. Hundreds of waste sites are contaminated with tricholoroethylene and it is well documented that individuals in many communities are exposed to the chemical, with associated health risks." In the last 5 years, instead of working to decrease this serious health risk that now infects everyone's drinking water, the EPA has sat on its hands while the risk has escalated to alarming proportions.

The alternative medical community has long cautioned about the cancer risks of industrial toxins, risks being proved daily in research studies by conventional medicine authorities. Alternative medicine advocates as standard therapy cleansing the body of these toxins and limiting exposure to additional toxicity in the environment. Reducing toxins in the body allows it to more effectively regenerate itself and bolster the immune system so it can fight off cancer.

"People on a typical American diet are loaded with toxins," says Dr. Lawrence Taylor, M.D., noted cancer researcher. "Those same toxins probably contributed in a direct way to the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer. These factors also contribute indirectly by weakening the immune system." Given that exposure to toxic substances is a key factor in the development of malignancy, identifying and eliminating toxins is a standard procedure in Dr. Taylor's treatment.

The dangers of industrial toxins and what you can do to eliminate them from your body and limit your future exposure is discussed in detail in Dr. Burton Goldberg's best selling book An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer. Dr. Goldberg pursues the latest technology and chronicles the newest treatment therapies in both alternative and conventional medicine, interviewing today's experts in his remarkable video Cancer Conquest (click the link to view a preview). Visit Dr. Goldberg's website for more information on this remarkable leader of the alternative medicine community. Dr. Goldberg believes in a multimodal approach to fighting cancer. He advocates combining alternative medicine therapies with conventional protocols to give his patients the best chance of avoiding and conquering cancer.

Heat May Help Arrest Testicular Cancer

A new theory attributes cyclist Lance Armstrong's astounding victory over testicular cancer to plain old body heat, reports the Associated Press (click the post title to read the article). While disputed by Armstrong's physician, the theory attempts to explain the unusually high cure rate for testicular cancer, even after it has spread to other parts of the body. The 5-year survival rate from testicular cancer is more than 95%, even when it has spread to nearby lymph nodes, and 72% when it has spread to other body parts.

In an article just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Johns Hopkins University researchers say that because the temperature of the testicles is a few degrees cooler than in the rest of the body (to enhance sperm development), cancer developing there may be more sensitive to heat. They postulate that when testicular cancer spreads to warmer parts of the body, the high temperatures may damage the cells making them more vulnerable to treatment. The researchers hope that what they dub "the Lance Armstrong effect" can be used to make other cancers more treatable.

For years the alternative medicine community has been at the forefront of cancer treatment therapies only now being embraced by conventional medicine. Alternative medicine authority Burton Goldberg strongly believes that a combination of alternative and conventional medical treatments is needed to fight cancer on the multiple fronts through which it attacks the body. Heat therapy, hydrotherapy, light beam therapy, detoxification, nutrition, exercise, therapeutic massage -- there are many alternative therapies that are included in accepted cancer treatment in other countries but that are only now gaining credence in the United States. Alternative treatments offer relief and new hope for cancer patients. Dr. Goldberg's instructive video Cancer Conquest details the latest alternative and conventional treatments, including in-depth interviews with today's experts (click the link to view a preview). This video is an essential addition to your home medical library and a resource to which you will repeatedly turn.

Dr. Goldberg is available for consultation and through his extensive contacts can help you connect with the specialists best qualified to treat your cancer. Visit Dr. Goldberg's website today to learn more about alternative medicine treatments for conquering cancer.

Hormone Pills Increase Breast Cancer Risk

The risk of breast cancer more than doubles in older women who take hormone pills that combine estrogen and testosterone according to a recently published long-term study, reports the Associated Press (click the post title to read the article).

Over the course of the 24-year study of more than 70,000 nurses, the use of hormone supplements that combine estrogen and testosterone increased as evidence linked the hormone combination to better bone density, improved mood and greater sexual enjoyment. Women who took the estrogen-testosterone combination after menopause had a 2.5 times higher risk of developing breast cancer than women who never took hormones.

"This type of hormone therapy may help with mood, libido and bone-mineral density, but the possible risk of breast cancer may outweigh these benefits," notes study co-author Rulla Tamimi of Harvard Medical School.

Practitioners of alternative medicine have been warning of the dangers of hormone replacement therapy for years. Significant benefits can be achieved through simple life-style changes and non-invasive therapies, including dietary antioxidants, nutritional supplements, and exercise.

In his outstanding documentary video Cancer Conquest, Dr. Burton Goldberg, a recognized authority on alternative medicine, thoroughly discusses the risks of hormone replacement therapy and the cutting edge options available both in conventional and alternative medicine. Visit Dr. Goldberg's website to learn more about alternative medicine treatments for cancer that can augment, enhance or even replace conventional therapies.

Multimodal Approach to Fighting Cancer Offers New Hope

After more than 30 years of cancer research, the best the conventional cancer establishment can say is "we're making headway." In 1996, Scientific American devoted an entire issue to cancer. At the time, editors John Rennie and Ricki Rusting said, "There is no way to skirt the fact that the combined death rate for all cancers has yet to come down."

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Ten years later, the conventional cancer establishment is still searching for the mythical silver bullet, a single cure to kill tumors. As they have for decades, conventional medical protocols still focus on containment, but you don't have to settle for such a limited approach to treatment. Alternative medicine therapies offer new hope and proven success in treating and even conquering cancer.

The alternative medicine community believes cancer must be fought on the multiple fronts on which it attacks the body. The body is a complicated biological system in which each component affects the others. In fact, 33 individual factors can contribute to cancer, including sunlight, diet, nutritional deficiencies, exercise, chronic stress, hormones, polluted water, irradiated foods, food additives, viruses, free radicals, genetic predisposition -- the list is extensive and the factors are interrelated. Only the multimodal approach I espouse addresses the interrelation of these many factors in formulating a treatment protocol to attack cancer on every front.

In my information-dense video Cancer Conquest, I thoroughly discuss my multimodal approach to cancer treatment and interview experts in the field. Visit my website (click the post title) to find out more about my successful multimodal approach to conquering cancer.

Boost Immune System to Fight Cancer

Boosting the immune system will increase the effectiveness of a powerful anti-cancer drug used to fight breast cancer, according to Ohio State University scientists writing in the July issue of Journal of Immunology. In laboratory experiments, interleukin-21, which is produced naturally in the body, made the anti-cancer drug Herceptin more effective. Human trials should start in 6 months said cancer specialist Dr. William Carson. (To learn more, click the post title to read the whole article in The Columbus Dispatch.)

Alternative medicine has been stressing the importance of a healthy immune system in fighting cancer for years, says Dr. Burton Goldberg, a noted authority. The human immune system itself, naturally charged with the defense of the body against all foreign, harmful substances, may be enlisted as a therapeutic agent against cancer. Using the principle of vaccines but with nontoxic substances, innovative physicians can provoke stronger than usual immune responses which in turn can help reverse the cancer process.

Burton Goldberg has been advocating such a multimodal approach to fighting cancer for years. Cancer attacks the body on many fronts and must be fought on each front with a variety of conventional and alternative medical treatments working in concert. Dr. Goldberg provides a thorough explanation and specifics of various treatment programs used to boost the immune system on his video Cancer Conquest and in his book An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer. In your fight against cancer, you must give yourself every possible advantage. Visit Dr. Goldberg's website and add his ground-breaking video to your home medical library today.

Psychotherapy Reinforces Cancer Recovery

Mind/body medicine can greatly reinforce the cancer patient's process of recovery says noted alternative medicine expert Burton Goldberg. The intense fear and anxiety evoked by the diagnosis of cancer can adversely affect both body and mind. Uncertainty about the future and not knowing what may be happening inside one's body tend to ignite and magnify such fears. In some cases, people become fixated on past behaviors, believing they may have contributed to the cancer, and this leads to feelings of guilt or self-blame.

"Psychotherapy and meditation can diminish these negative emotions or render them less toxic to the individual," says Dr. Etienne Callebout, M.D.

Burton Goldberg discusses Dr. Callebout's model for cancer treatment and the value of psychotherapy and psychosocial support in his acclaimed video Cancer Conquest. Click the post title to view a sample of this amazing 2-hour documentary.

Burton Goldberg is a well-known speaker and author of 18 books on alternative medicines. In his information-dense video, Dr. Goldberg shows you the newest medical techniques being used in the US and Germany. Dr. Goldberg advocates a multimodal approach to fighting cancer that combines conventional medicine and alternative treatments to fight the disease on multiple fronts. In Cancer Conquest, Dr. Goldberg chronicles the break-throughs that provide real hope for cancer patients, even those in late stages of the disease. Visit Burton Goldberg's website for complete information on his best-selling books, informative documentary videos, and personalized consultant services.

Scorpion Venom Used to Treat Brain Cancer

An experimental brain-cancer treatment using radioactive scorpion venom shows promise for treating brain tumors. Scientists at Transmolecular Corp. reported early results of the first human trials at a meeting of the Health Physics Society in Providence, Rhode Island.

The venom of the yellow Israeli scorpion preferentially attaches to the cells of a type of essentially incurable brain cancers known as gliomas. Transmolecular Corp. scientists have created a synthetic radioactive version of this venom called TM-601 or chlorotoxin. The compound can be injected directly into the brain or given intravenously. The venom protein attaches to the glioma cells and the radiation kills them, explains an article posted on Live Science.com. Nearly 17,000 people in the U.S. suffer from glioma-type brain cancer which is generally fatal.

Trials are being conducted by the Henry Ford Health System in Michigan and other institutions and have only involved a few dozen people to date. A similar clinical trail is being conducted by Richard Bucholz at the St. Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. Bucholz uses catheters to insert the drugs directly to the tumor site to avoid possible side effects.

"Malignant gliomas cannot be wholly eradicated through surgery or other currently available therapies," Bucholz said. "A safe, effective treatment for malignant gliomas has the potential to increase the life expectancy of thousands of Americans suffering from this terrible disease."

Dr. Burton Goldberg's authoritative video Cancer Conquest discusses the causes of brain cancer and the newest techniques being used to treat this generally fatal disease. A leader in the field of alternative medicine, Burton Goldberg advocates a multimodal approach that combines both conventional protocols with alternative medicine therapies to fight cancer. Visit Dr. Goldberg's website to learn more about what you can do to protect yourself from cancer.

What Causes Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer (cancers of either the colon or rectum) is the second most common cancer in the U.S. and one of the deadliest. One in five colorectal patients will probably die because most cases are not diagnosed until a late stage of the disease.

Detected early, progression of colorectal cancer is entirely preventable. Early symptoms include blood on the surface of or mixed in feces. Occasionally pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen are noticed, but generally there are no feelings of discomfort until the tumor grows so big that it causes obstruction or rupture of the intestine, making surgery and aggressive treatment mandatory. For this reason, doctors now recommend annual hemoccult tests and a colonoscopy every 3 to 5 years for patients over 50. These tests can detect 2 out of 3 cases of colorectal cancer in its earliest stages.

To lower your risk of colorectal cancer, patients with a poor diet or heavy meat-eating background should consider switching to a low-fat, high-fiber diet with an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, fish and white meat. Consumption of red meat is the number one risk factor connected to colorectal cancer. Foods containing refined sugar or white flour should also be avoided. Dietary antioxidants (notably vitamin E), calcium, vitamin D, and the B-vitamin folic acid may also reduce your risk of contracting colorectal cancer and even aid in reversing early stages of this cancer.

To learn more about other causes of colorectal cancer and preventive measures you can take, click our post title for a preview of Dr. Burton Goldberg's information-dense documentary video Cancer Conquest. A highly respected authority on alternative medicine practices, Dr. Goldberg discusses colorectal and other cancers in the video, interviewing recognized experts, detailing preventive measures, and focusing on cutting-edge treatments. This highly informative reference is a must have addition to your medical library. Visit our website today to review more information on these important topics.

Preventing Breast Cancer

There are many steps you can take to decrease your risk of contracting breast cancer, according to Dr. Burton Goldberg, noted alternative medicine authority, in his ground-breaking documentary video Cancer Conquest (click our post title to view a preview).

• Avoid high-fat, high-calorie diets which increase your cancer risk dramatically. Fat is a source of estrogens, free radicals, and pesticides, all of which can promote breast cancer. The ideal fat content is 10-20% of your diet's total calories, the balance achieved in a predominantly vegan diet.
• Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT), often recommended for postmenopausal women, can significantly increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The use of estriol, a relatively harmless form of estrogen, and natural progesterone can help relieve symptoms without exposing women to the increased cancer risks of ERT.
• Buy organic foods, available these days in most local grocery stores. Chronic low-level exposure to pesticides and other organohalogen compounds is prevalent in the general population. High concentrations of PCBs , DDE and DDT in the breast tissue of some cancer patients has been traced to food. Pesticide use represents a hidden killer because these chemicals not only directly promote tumor growth, but can suppress the immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to disease.
• Minimize exposure to low-level ionizing radiation.
• Increase intake of dietary antioxidants (from fruits, vegetables, and vitamin supplements).
• Exercise regularly but in moderation. Engage in regular aerobic exercise that strengthens the heart and burns fat.
• Have a baby (pregnancy reduces a woman's lifetime estrogen exposure).
• Breastfeed your baby (lactation helps discharge pesticides and other toxins from the breast.
• Avoid magnetic fields from power lines, electrical appliances, computers, and geopathic lines as these electromagnetic fields may alter the brain's ability to heal and repair, as well as hampering protein synthesis and melatonin production. Melatonin appears to help prevent against breast cancer.

Much more information on what causes of cancer, how to decrease your risk, and how to combat cancer are covered in Burton Goldberg's information dense, highly acclaimed video, Cancer Conquest. Visit Dr. Goldberg's website to find out more about what you can do to prevent breast cancer.

How to Detect Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women, and for women diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 54, it is the most common cause of cancer-related death. In the United States, every 15 minutes 5 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed and at least 1 woman dies of the disease. Given the right combination of alternative medicine therapy and prevention, far more women can survive breast cancer and live long, productive lives than conventional cancer experts would ever deem possible, says Burton Goldberg in his ground-breaking book, An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer.

The most basic way to detect breast cancer early is through self-examination. Many women do not self-examine due to the anxiety associated with breast cancer. Women need to realize that most breast lumps are benign, Dr. Goldberg emphasizes. It is easiest to reverse breast cancer when it is detected in its earliest stages, which makes self-examination a woman's first and most important defense against breast cancer.

If a tumor is pea-sized and located deep within the breast tissues, it may go undetected no matter how diligent a woman is with her self-examinations. For this reason, conventional doctors encourage women to undergo mammograms on a regular basis. While 90% of breast cancers can be detected by mammograms, the remaining 10% are obscured by dense surrounding breast tissue. In fact, the high density of the breast tissue in young women makes mammograms of limited value before the age of 40-50. Additionally, long-term radiation exposure carries the risk of stimulating tumor growth and the development of breast cancer in high-risk women (those with a family history of breast cancer). Mammograms often result in false positives. On biopsy, 70-80% of all positive mammograms do not show any presence of breast cancer.

"Mammography is only leading physicians to diagnose an ever-larger number of harmless tumors. Patients who otherwise would never have known they have a tumor may needlessly suffer through the unique pain, anxiety, disfigurement, and expense associated with modern medicine and cancer," warns David Plotkin, M.D., a 35-year clinical practitioner.

To detect breast cancer, Dr. Plotkin advocates the use of monthly breast self-examination and an annual Anti-Malignin Antibody Screen (AMAS) for women over 49. Unlike mammography, which does not distinguish between benign and malignant breast tumors, AMAS detects only malignant growth and has far greater sensitivity and specificity than mammography. Developed by biochemist and physician Dr. Sam Bogoch over 20 years of research, AMAS analyzes a blood sample to reveal whether cancer antibodies are present. AMAS is 95% effective on the first test and 99% effective when repeated. This blood test can detect breast cancer up to 19 months before conventional medical tests can find it, helping patients avoid unnecessary anxiety and unneeded medical treatment.

Dr. Burton Goldberg presents a thorough discussion of breast cancer and detection procedures in his highly acclaimed documentary video Cancer Conquest. A recognized expert in the field of alternative medicine, Dr. Goldberg advocates a multimodal approach to prevent and fight breast cancer. Next week we'll discuss what you can do to prevent breast cancer. Visit Burton Goldberg's website (just click the post title) to learn more about Dr. Goldberg and alternative medicine therapies that work against breast cancer.

What Causes Cervical Cancer?

The appearance of cervical cancer is most often preceded by precancerous disturbances of the cervix. Using a precise program of herbs, nutrition, dietary change, and special nontoxic suppositories, naturopathic treatment can often prevent these changes from becoming cancerous, says Dr. Tori Hudson, N.D., a naturopathic physician specializing in women's health issues.

"Each year there are over 62,000 cases of cervical cancer, with at least 9,000 women dying from the disease," Dr. Hudson says. "Naturopathic treatment could help lower the death toll considerably, as long as early treatment is emphasized."

Often referred to as the silent killer, many women in the early stages of cervical cancer do not experience any symptoms. However, if you experience unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge, see your doctor immediately. Caught in the early stages, cervical cancer is highly treatable with an excellent prognosis for complete recovery. An annual Pap test, generally starting between ages 16-18 (or at the onset of sexual activity), is important in detecting cancerous cells before they progress. Later this year a vaccine should be available for cervical cancer, though it's long-term effects, and any potential side effects, on the young girls for which it is targeted -- 10- to 12-year-olds -- will not be known for some years.

The most common cause of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus (HPV) which is spread through sexual contact. Multiple sex partners and first intercourse at an early age increase your risk exponentially. Dr. Hudson points out that numerous cofactors can contribute to a particular individual's risk of contracting cervical cancer, including smoking, poor diet, folic acid deficiency, oral contraceptive use, immune suppression, and, perhaps, exposure to environmental carcinogens.

My authoritative documentary video, Cancer Conquest, provides an in-depth explanation of the causes of cancer. In it I focus on the latest cancer treatments and medical technology, interviewing the most respected experts in the field. Click my post title to view a preview on my website. Cervical cancer does not have to be a death sentence. I have found that a multimodal approach combining the best alternative medicine treatments in concert with conventional protocols offers the best hope for successfully conquering cervical cancer.

What Causes Lung Cancer?

Tobacco smoke causes 30% of the cancer deaths in the United States. Cancer caused by second-hand smoke results in several thousand more lung cancer deaths every year, according to Dimitrios Trichopoulos, M.D., director of the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention.

As early as 1915 the role of inhalants as a carcinogen was demonstrated in Tokyo. Between 1949 and 1953 Ernest Wynder of the Sloan Kettering Institute in New York City replicated those early experiments, proving not only that both condensed coal tar and tobacco smoke condensate created lung cancer, but that the risk of lung cancer rose directly in proportion to the number of cigarettes smoked and that smokers had a lung cancer risk 40 times greater than nonsmokers. While there can be other causes of lung cancer, including asbestos, radiation, radon and toxic exposure, the number of lung cancer deaths linked to these pathogens is considered minute when compared to those caused by cigarette smoke.

If you have a persistent cough or are coughing blood, particularly if you are or have been a smoker, you should see a physician. Chronic coughing can be a sign that a lung cancer tumor is obstructing or irritating the airways or lungs, even causing them to bleed. The multimodal approach I recommend -- one using alternative medicine therapies in conjunction with conventional protocols -- offers the best prognosis for controlling lung cancer. As I discuss in my video Cancer Conquest, chemotherapy and radiation can weaken the immune system, creating additional problems. Supplementing these lung cancer treatments with aggressive alternative strategies can strengthen your immune system and help your body better fight the disease. Click the blog title to visit my website and learn more about the alternative medicine therapies that have helped others fight lung cancer.