|
There are 11,440
words on this page.
Find this page
fast. Type in 33revil a searchbox
. (that's liver33 spelled backwards) OR...
 In many cases it's not possible to prevent
the spread of cancer from another site to the liver. And
it may not always be possible to prevent primary liver cancer. But
you can greatly reduce your risk by taking steps to protect yourself from
hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis and other liver diseases.
The single most effective
way to prevent hepatitis B is to receive the hepatitis B vaccine, which provides
more than 90 percent protection for both adults and children. Protection lasts
years and may even be lifelong.
The vaccine can
be given to almost anyone, including infants, older adults
and those with compromised immune systems. Infants often receive
the vaccine in the first year of life - typically at 2, 4, and 9
months of age.
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
Because no vaccine for hepatitis
C exists, the following measures also can play a key role in protecting your
health:
• Educate yourself and others.
Make sure you understand
what viral hepatitis is and how it's transmitted.
• Know the health status of any sexual partner.
Don't
engage in unprotected sex unless you're absolutely certain your partner isn't
infected with HBV, HCV or any other sexually transmitted disease.
If you don't
know the health status of your partner, use a new latex condom every time
you have vaginal or anal sex. If you don't have a
male condom, use a female condom.
 • Use a clean needle if you inject
drugs.
The best way to protect
yourself from HCV is not to inject drugs. But
if that isn't an option for you, make sure any needle you use is sterile,
and don't share it.
Contaminated drug paraphernalia
is responsible for about half of all new hepatitis C cases. Take advantage
of needle exchange programs in your community and consider seeking help for
your drug use.
 • Avoid body piercing and tattooing
•Needles that may
not be properly sterilized can spread the virus.
• Be cautious about blood products in certain countries.
•Most Americans with HCV
became infected through blood transfusions received
before 1992 - the year improved blood-screening tests became available.
Although the blood supply
is now well screened in the United States, this isn't
always the case in other countries. If an emergency requires that you receive
blood or blood products in another country, get tested for HCV and HBV as
soon as you return home.
 •
Avoid or limit alcohol.
Alcohol speeds the progression
of any liver disease you may have and is the leading cause of cirrhosis -
a key factor in primary liver cancer.
Your doctor can advise you
about these medications, which may include over-the-counter medications
as well as prescription drugs. Avoid mixing alcohol and acetaminophen
(Tylenol, others) - a combination known to cause liver damage.
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
Your liver filters every
substance you ingest, inhale or apply to your skin. For
that reason, as much as possible avoid exposure to toxic substances, including
pesticides on foods and suspected carcinogens in shampoos and cosmetics.
How Is Liver Cancer Found?
Because liver cancer usually
does not cause symptoms until the cancer is in its later stages, it is
seldom found early. Also, there are no screening
tests for liver cancer, and small tumors are hard to find by physical exams.
Liver cancers can
sometimes be found using a blood test for a protein called AFP (alpha-fetoprotein).
It is normal for AFP to be found in the blood of fetuses, but it disappears shortly
after birth. If it is found in the blood of adults
it suggests they may have a liver cancer.
 Tests for AFP have
been used to look for early tumors in people at high risk for liver
cancer. Some tumors, though, do not produce much of this protein. So by the time the AFP is high enough to be found, the tumor
is too large to be removed or it has spread outside the liver. Some non-cancerous
liver diseases can also raise AFP levels
Many patients who develop
liver cancer have had cirrhosis for a long time. If a patient with cirrhosis
gets worse for no apparent reason, liver cancer may be the cause. The doctor
would then look at testing for it.
Ultrasound is a test that
uses sound waves to create pictures of internal organs such as the liver.
For an ultrasound exam, you simply lie on a table while a wand is moved over the part of the body being looked at. Ultrasound
may be done before a biopsy to see if the lump is a cyst (most likely benign)
or a solid tumor.
Who should be tested
for liver cancer?
There are widely accepted
rules. People who have hepatitis B or C and who have
cirrhosis is one group. Usually testing will begin at between the ages of
40 and 50. If a person has HIV infection, along with hepatitis B or C, the
risk of cancer is higher and he or she should be tested.
Another group is people with cirrhosis from other causes.
In particular, if a person’s
cirrhosis is so severe that he or she is waiting to receive a liver
transplant he or she should be screened.
Otherwise a cancer may start during the wait and become so advanced
that it can’t be cured. Having liver cancer will also move the person
up on the transplant waiting list.
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
Most of the time liver cancer
does not cause symptoms in the early stages. The symptoms below could
be caused by liver cancer. But they can also be caused by other cancers or conditions.
Still, if you have any of the following problems, see a doctor right away.
° weight
loss (for no known reason and without your trying to lose weight)
° on-going lack
of appetite
° feeling very
full after a small meal
° liver
swelling or a mass that can be felt in the area of the liver
° ongoing
stomach pain
° swelling
in the area of the stomach
° yellow-green
color to the skin and eyes (jaundice)
° becoming sicker
if you have chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis
If you have any of these
symptoms or if there is any reason to suspect liver cancer, your doctor will
use one or more methods to find out if the disease is really present.
 Tests for Liver Cancer
This page tells you about
tests you may have if your doctor suspects you may have liver cancer. You
can scroll down the page to read all the information here. Or you can use these links to go straight to sections on
• At the GP
• At the hospital, including
information on
• Blood tests
• Ultrasound scan
• CT scan
• MRI scan
• Biopsy
• Laparoscopy
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
At the GP
If you are concerned about
your health, you are most likely to start by seeing your family doctor, who
will examine you and ask about your general health. Your doctor will ask you
about your symptoms. This will include what they are and how long you have
had them.
 Your doctor may also ask when you
get them and whether anything you do makes them better or worse. If your doctor
feels that further tests are needed, you will be
referred to a specialist at your local hospital.
If you have established liver
disease (cirrhosis) you will already have a liver
specialist and may go straight to them.
At the hospital
If you see a specialist,
you will be asked again about your medical history
and symptoms. The specialist will then examine you and feel your tummy (abdomen).
The doctor will want to
find out if your symptoms are associated with primary liver cancer or a cancer
that has started elsewhere in the body and spread to the liver as a secondary
cancer.
 Blood
tests
You may have blood tests
called liver function tests (LFT). These show if the liver is working properly.
It is important to remember that the normal working of the liver can
be affected by many conditions other than cancer. LFTs are also useful
as an indicator of how well the liver works before, during and after treatment.
One of the blood tests you
may have detects the level of a chemical called alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in
your blood. In many people with hepatocellular cancer the level of AFP is higher than normal.
It is useful for doctors
to measure the level of AFP before and after treatment for primary liver cancer
as this may give them an idea about how successful treatment has been.
You may also be asked to have one or more of the following tests
• Ultrasound scan
• CT scan
• MRI scan
• Biopsy
• Laparoscopy
  Ultrasound scan
This test uses high frequency
sound waves to create a picture of a part of the body. The scan is
used to show up any abnormal growths in your liver. You may
be asked not to eat for 4 hours before the scan. There is information
about having an ultrasound in the about cancer tests section
of CancerHelp UK.
  A CT scan may be used
to look for signs of cancer in your liver and elsewhere in your body. The
scan can help to show if you have a cancer anywhere else
that might have spread to the liver. There is information about having a
CT scan in the about cancer tests section of CancerHelp UK.
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
MRI scan may also be used to look for signs of cancer in the liver or
elsewhere in your body. There is information about having an MRI scan in
the about cancer tests section of CancerHelp UK.
 The only clear way to distinguish between a malignant or benign growth
is to examine it. A biopsy can also show whether cancer in your liver is
a primary liver cancer, or whether it is a secondary cancer
that has spread to your liver from somewhere else in your body.
 A biopsy means removing a sample of tissue and looking at it under
a microscope. Before a biopsy is done, doctors will assess the condition of your liver to
make sure it is safe to do the biopsy.
If there is any possibility
that your surgeon thinks your tumour could be removed, or that you might benefit
from a liver transplant, you probably won't have
a biopsy.
There is a small but definite
risk that a liver biopsy could spread the cancer along the pathway of the
biopsy needle. If your cancer hasn't already spread, it is important to avoid this risk
 If you are going to have a biopsy,
you may have it at the same time as an ultrasound or CT scan. This allows
the doctor to see where the abnormal part or parts of the liver are located.
The doctor can use the information from the scan to guide the needle into
the right place.
The needle goes through
the skin and into the liver so that some tissue from the liver can
be removed. The doctor will take tissue samples from the abnormal
part of the liver.
Or you
may have a biopsy during a laparoscopy, when the surgeon can see the liver
directly through the laparoscope.
Following a liver biopsy,
you will have to stay in hospital for a few hours or overnight. The liver
has a very rich blood supply and there is a risk of bleeding afterwards.
You will not get the results
of your biopsy straight away. The specialist will send the liver tissue samples
to a laboratory in the hospital for a pathologist to look at.
It is a good idea to check
with your doctor when the results will be due back and about how you will
be contacted and told the result.
 Laparoscopy
This is a small operation
using an instrument called a laparoscope. The surgeon puts this tube, with
a camera and a light, into your abdomen through a small cut. Your surgeon
can look inside to see whether there are any signs of cancer. The laparoscope
allows the surgeon to look directly at your liver.
 You will have this test under general anaesthetic, so you will have to
stay in hospital overnight. You will have a small wound with a couple of
stitches. Sometimes, the camera is put in through
more than one cut, so you may have more than one wound.
Treatments for primary liver
cancer depend on the extent (stage) of the disease as well as your age, overall
health, feelings and personal preferences. Discuss all of your options carefully
with your treatment team. Choosing a treatment plan is a major decision, and
it's important to take time to weigh your choices.
You may also want to seek
a second opinion, especially with doctors experienced in treating liver cancer.
A second opinion can provide additional information and help you feel more
certain about the options you're considering.
The goal of any treatment
is to eliminate the cancer completely. When that
isn't possible, the focus may be on preventing the
tumor from growing or spreading. In some cases palliative
care only is appropriate. Palliative care refers to treatment aimed not at
removing or slowing the disease but at helping relieve symptoms and making
you as comfortable as possible.
Treatments for primary liver
cancer in adults
Standard therapies for adult
liver cancer primarily include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Your doctor may also use other treatments — including alcohol injections,
electric current therapy or surgery to freeze the tumor (cryosurgery).
Surgery.
 The best treatment for localized resectable cancer is usually an operation
known as surgical resection. In some cases, the area of the liver where the
cancer is found can be completely removed. Surgical
resection may also be an option if you have localized unresectable cancer.
You aren't a candidate for surgical removal of liver tumors if
you have cirrhosis or only a small amount of healthy liver tissue. And even when resections are successful, cancer can recur elsewhere
in the liver within a few years.
 Radiation
therapy.
This treatment uses high-dose
X-rays to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from
a machine outside your body or from radiation-containing materials inserted
into your liver.
 In an experimental technique, radiation
is delivered to specific liver cells by attaching radioactive substances to
antibodies — molecules produced by your immune system in response to invading
organisms. Radiation may be used on its own to treat
localized unresectable cancer.
Or
you may have radiation therapy following surgical removal of a tumor to help
destroy any remaining malignant cells. Radiation can affect healthy tissue
as well as tumors and may cause side effects such as tiredness, nausea and
vomiting.
Chemotherapy.
 This treatment uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy
may be systemic — meaning it travels throughout your body in your bloodstream
— or regional. Systemic chemotherapy is generally not effective in treating
liver cancer, but another type of chemotherapy — known as chemoembolization
— is an important part of treatment for HCC.
Chemoembolization isn't
curative, but it can shrink tumors in a certain percentage of people,
which may provide symptom relief and improve survival. During the
procedure, the hepatic artery — the artery from which HCC tumors
derive their blood supply — is blocked, and chemotherapy drugs are
injected between the blockage and the liver.
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
 The idea is that by targeting the tumor directly, doctors can use potent
doses of drugs without creating as many side effects as occur with systemic
chemotherapy. But the fact is that chemoembolization
causes many of the same side effects as other forms of chemotherapy, including
abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
A new class of anti-nausea
medications can reduce the most severe intestinal symptoms, and acupuncture
and relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery, meditation and deep breathing,
also can help reduce nausea and vomiting. Ask your treatment team about
the side effects of any treatment you're considering
and the best ways to minimize those effects.
Alcohol
injection.
 In this procedure, pure alcohol is injected directly into tumors, either through the skin or
during an operation. Alcohol dries out the cells of the tumor and eventually
the cells die. Each treatment consists of one injection, although you may
need a series of injections for the best results.
Alcohol injection has
been shown to improve survival in people with small hepatocellular
tumors. It may also be used to help reduce symptoms
in cases of metastatic liver cancer. The most common side effect is leaking
of alcohol onto the liver or into the abdominal cavity.
Radio frequency ablation.
  In this procedure, electric current in the radio frequency range is
used to destroy malignant cells. Using an ultrasound or CT scan as
a guide, your surgeon inserts several thin needles into small incisions in
your abdomen. When the needles reach the tumor, they're
heated with an electric current, destroying the malignant cells.
Radio frequency ablation
is an option for people with small, nonresectable hepatocellular tumors and
for some types of metastatic liver cancers. Although the procedure has a somewhat
higher risk of serious complications than alcohol injection does, it appears
to provide better outcomes.
Cryosurgery (cryotherapy).
This treatment uses extreme
cold to destroy cancer cells. Traditionally used to treat early-stage
skin cancers, cryosurgery may now be an option for people with inoperable
primary and metastatic liver cancers. It may also
be used in addition to surgery, chemotherapy or other standard
treatments. During the procedure, your doctor places an
instrument (cryoprobe) containing liquid nitrogen directly
onto liver tumors.
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
Liquid nitrogen has a temperature
of minus 320 F. Ultrasound images are used to guide
the cryoprobe and monitor the freezing of the cells. Cryosurgery is less invasive
than regular surgery and requires only a small incision. As a result
you're likely to heal more quickly and have fewer complications.
Side effects —
which tend to be less severe than those associated with surgery, chemotherapy
or radiation — include damage to the bile ducts and major blood vessels, leading
to bleeding or infection. But the major drawback of cryosurgery is uncertainty about
its long-term effectiveness.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/liver-cancer/DS00399/DSECTION=7
Alternative Treatment for Liver Cancer
1.Liver
Transplantation
 Liver transplantation is offered in many institutions for patients with hepatocellular
carcinomas of limited extent. These tumors have to be either a solitary lesion
of less than five centimeters or up to three lesions of three centimeters
or less. Patients with tumors over this size or number have historically been thought to fare poorly with rapid tumor
occurrence in most organ recipients.
The most recent meeting
of the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association included a significant
discussion among surgeons who felt that liver transplantation may
have a place with even larger tumors. As with many questions in medicine,
this question will be answered in time.
 Transplantation Donors Are Limited
Liver transplantation as
a technique also suffers also from the limited number of cadaveric
organ donors. As a practical matter, however, a change last year
in the national system which governs which patients
are transplanted has placed HCC patients with small tumors
high up on the transplantation list. The patient with a small hepatocellular
carcinoma may have the choice between three options: resection,
ablation, and liver transplantation
2. Chinese Anti-cancer
medicine
Most primary liver cancers
begin in hepatocytes (liver cells). This type of cancer is called hepatocellular carcinoma or malignant hepatoma.
Liver cancer is difficult
to control. It can be cured only when found at an early stage (before it has
spread) and only if the patient is healthy enough to have an operation. Unfortunately,
liver cancer is a silent disease and always to be found in a terminal stage.
Most patient died one year after diagnosis. Only
5% cases live above 5 years.
Orthodox liver cancer treatment
(surgery, radiation & chemotherapy) has showed, in some cases, potential
in relieving symptoms and improving the patient's quality of life. But
in most other cases, the death rate of surgery, the side effects of radiation
and chemotherapy are always beyond that patients can tolerate.
Canelim Capsules, the medicine
we recommended here, is the only Chinese anti-cancer medicine listed in Class
A of the National Basic Insurance Catalog, China. It is of high efficiency in killing
cancer cells, boosting immunity and thus reducing cancer body, inhibiting
cancer growth and metastasis, alleviating clinical symptoms and pain, prolonging
life expectancy and improving life quality. It fits for all stages of lung
cancer, either be applied alone or in combination
with standard treatments:
• as
forerunner of surgery to shrink the cancer, so that it is easier to be removed.
• To be applied together
with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
• as
maintenance in the inermission of treatment or after surgery, or
• as
the main treatment when the cancer comes to a terminal stage that none of
conventional treatments is applicable.
For anyone who has radiation
or chemotherapy or both, additional A-L Tonic Capsules is recommende
Canelim Capsules
Permission No. Z61021330
Description Capsule
Main Ingredients Radix Curcume, Herba Agrimonia, Fructus Aurantii etc
1. Kill the cancer cells
and inhibit the growth of tumor, has significant therapeutic effect on common
solid carcinoma
2. Strengthening body resistance,
raising body immunologic function
3. Ideal complex effects:a.
specially enhance sensitivity of anoxic cells to chemical medicine and radiotherapy.
b. rapidly release the side effects of radiotherapy
and chemotherapy.
4. Raising patient's living
quality and prolonging patient's life
1. Liver Cancer, lung cancer,
esophagus cancer etc
 2. Liver cancer includs hepatocarcinoma, primary liver
cancer, secondary liver cancer, malignant hepatoma, hepatocellular carcinoma,
hepatoblastoma etc.
Administration & Dosage
take orally, 6cap*3 times/day, 33days/course
generally,
a total of 3 courses needed, long term useage encouraged.
1. No toxicity and side effect,
can be used in a long term.
2. Slight stomach upset occasionally
seen. No need to stop.
Stands on TCM Theory 1. Resolve mass and swelling
2. Remove the phlegm and
detoxicate
3. Promote blood circulation
to stop pain
4. Exert tonic effect on
the heart and strengthen the body
1. Tumor inhibition--S180
tumor
2. Life extension--H22 tumor
3. Immune enhancement--S180
tumor
4. Pain relief
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
A. A statistical data of
24771 patients with different types of cancers show that total effective rate
varies from 53.2% to 89% respectively.
B. Review--therapeutic effects
of Canelim Capsules on malignant tumors
C. To treat advanced stage
liver cancer with Canelim Capsules combined with hepatic transcatheter
artery chemoembolization (TAE)
 Completing treatment can be both
stressful and exciting. You will be relieved to finish treatment, yet it is
hard not to worry about cancer coming back. (When cancer returns, it is
called recurrence.) This is a very common concern among those who have
had cancer.
It may take a while before
your confidence in your own recovery begins to feel real and your fears are
somewhat relieved.
After your treatment is over,
it is very important to keep all follow-up appointments. During these visits,
your doctors will ask about symptoms, do physical exams, and order blood tests
or imaging studies such as CT scans or x-rays. Follow-up is
needed to check for cancer recurrence or spread, as well as possible
side effects of certain treatments. This is the time for you to ask your health care team any questions
you need answered and to discuss any concerns you might have.
Almost any cancer treatment
can have side effects. Some may last for a few weeks to several months, but
others can be permanent. Don’t hesitate to tell your
cancer care team about any symptoms or side effects that bother you so they
can help you manage them.
Anti-Viral Treatment: If
you had hepatitis B or C as the main risk factor for the liver cancer, there
is a good chance that you can be reinfected. Your
doctors may want to put you on drugs to prevent this.
It is also important to keep
medical insurance. Even though no one wants to think of their cancer coming back, it is always a possibility. If it
happens, the last thing you want is to have to worry about paying for treatment.
At some point after your
cancer diagnosis and treatment, you may find yourself in the office of a new
doctor. Your original doctor may have moved or retired, or you may have moved
or changed doctors for some reason. It is important that you be able to give
your new doctor the exact details of your diagnosis and treatment. Make sure
you have the following information handy:
° a
copy of your pathology report from any biopsy or surgery
° if
you had surgery, a copy of your operative report
° if
you were hospitalized, a copy of the discharge summary that every doctor must
prepare when patients are sent home from the hospital
° finally,
since some cancer-treatment drugs can have long-term side effects, a list
of your drugs, drug doses, and when you took them
Lifestyle Changes to Consider
During and After Treatment
Having cancer and dealing
with treatment can be time-consuming and emotionally draining, but it can
also be a time to look at your life in new ways. Maybe you are thinking
about how to improve your health over the long term.
Think about your life before
you learned you had cancer. Were there things you did that might have made
you less healthy? Maybe you drank too much alcohol, or ate more than you needed,
or smoked, or didn’t exercise very often.
Now is not the time to feel
guilty or to blame yourself. However, you can start
making changes today that can have positive effects for the rest of your life.
Not only will you feel better but you will also be healthier.
 You can start by working on those things that you feel most concerned
about. Get help with those that are harder for you. For instance, if you are
thinking about quitting smoking and need help, call our Quitline at 1-800-ACS-2345.
Eating right can be a challenge
for anyone, but it can get even tougher during and after cancer treatment.
If you are still in treatment and are having eating problems related to your
treatment, please ask for a copy of our Nutrition for the Person with Cancer.
One of the best things you
can do after treatment is to put healthy eating habits into place. You will
be surprised at the long-term benefits of some simple changes, like increasing
the variety of healthy foods you eat. Try to eat 5 or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day.
Choose whole grain foods
instead of white flour and sugars. Try to limit meats that are high in fat.
Cut back on processed meats like hot dogs, bologna, and bacon. If you drink
alcohol, limit yourself to 1 or 2 drinks a day at
the most. And don't forget to get some type of regular
exercise. The combination of a good diet and regular exercise will help you
maintain a healthy weight and keep you feeling more energetic.
Fatigue is a very common
symptom in people being treated for cancer. This
is often not an ordinary type of tiredness but a “bone-weary” exhaustion that
doesn’t get better with rest. For some, this fatigue
lasts a long time after treatment, and can discourage them from physical activity.
However, exercise can actually help you reduce fatigue.
If you are ill and need to
be on bed rest during treatment, it is normal to expect your fitness, endurance,
and muscle strength to decline some. Physical therapy can help you maintain
strength and range of motion in your muscles, which can help fight fatigue
and the sense of depression that sometimes comes with feeling so tired.
Any program of physical activity
should fit your own situation. Talk with your health care team before starting,
and get their opinion about your exercise plans. Then, try to get an exercise
buddy so that you’re not doing it alone.
If you are very tired, though,
you will need to balance activity with rest. It is okay to rest when you need
to. (For more information about fatigue, please see the publication, "Cancer
Related Fatigue and Anemia Treatment Guidelines for Patients.")
°Exercise can
improve your physical and emotional health.
° It
improves your cardiovascular (heart and circulation) fitness.
° It
strengthens your muscles.
° It
reduces fatigue.
° It
lowers anxiety and depression.
° It
makes you feel generally happier.
° It
helps you feel better about yourself.
And
long term, we know that exercise plays a role in preventing some cancers.
The American Cancer Society recommends that adults take part in at least 1 physical activity for 30 minutes or more on 5 days or more
of the week. Children and teens are encouraged to try for
at least 60 minutes a day of energetic physical activity on at least 5 days
a week.
 How About Your Emotional Health?
Once your treatment ends,
you may find yourself overwhelmed by emotions. This happens to a
lot of people. You may find that you think about the effect of your
cancer on your family, friends, and career. You may also begin to re-evaluate
your relationship with your spouse or partner. Unexpected issues may also
cause concern -- for instance, as you become healthier and have fewer doctor
visits, you will see your health care team less often. That can be a source
of anxiety for some.
This is an ideal time to seek out
emotional and social support. You need people you can turn to for strength
and comfort. Support can come in many forms: family, friends, cancer support
groups, church or spiritual groups, online support communities, or individual
counselors.
The cancer journey can feel
very lonely. It is not necessary or realistic to go it all by yourself.
And your friends and family may feel shut out if
you decide not include them. Let them in -- and let in anyone else who you
feel may help. If you aren’t sure who can help, call
your American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 and we can put you in touch
with an appropriate group or resource.
You can’t change the fact that you have had cancer. What you can
change is how you live the rest of your life -- making healthy choices and
feeling as well as possible, physically and emotionally.
What is a Clinical Trial?
Medical research studies
involving people are called clinical trials. Clinical
trials can also be known as drug trials, clinical
research, clinical research trials, medical research trials, medical trials,
clinical studies, healthy volunteer studies, medical research studies, and
studies.
• Preventing disease - using
drugs, vitamins, foods to reduce risk
• Treatments - new drugs
or combinations of drugs; new ways of giving treatment, new types of treatment
• Diagnosing disease - new
tests or scans
 • Controlling symptoms - new drugs or complementary therapies
• Is safe
• Has side effects
• Works better than the currently
used treatment
• Helps you feel better
New treatments have to be
thoroughly tested. A new drug, for example is investigated first in the laboratory. If it looks promising,
it is carefully studied in people.
There are three different
types of clinical trials. These are called phase 1, 2 and 3.
These are the earliest trials
in the life of a new drug or treatment. They are usually small trials,
recruiting anything up to 30 patients (often a lot less). The trial
may be open to people with any type of disease.
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
When laboratory testing shows a new treatment might help treat a
particular disease, phase 1 trials are done to find out
• The safe dose range
• The side effects
• How the body copes with
the drug
• If the treatment treats
the disease
The first patient to take
part will be given a very small dose of the drug.
If all goes well, the next person will get a slightly higher dose. With each
patient taking part, the dose will gradually be increased
and the effect that has will be monitored.
Any side effects will
be recorded. In a phase 1 trial, you may have lots
of blood tests, as the researchers look at how the drug is affecting
you. And at how your body copes with, and gets rid
of the drug.
People entering phase 1 trials
are often healthy individuals. The aim of the trial is to look at doses and
side effects as well as the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the drug
(how the body metabolizes the drug and how the drug affects the body).
This work has to be
done first, before we can test the potential new treatment to see if
it works. Phase 1 trials are important because they are the first step in
finding new treatments for the future.
 About 70 out of every 100 new treatments tested at phase 1 make it to
phase 2 trials. These trials may
be done on people who all have same type of disease, or with several
different types of a particular disease. Phase 2 trials are
done to find out
• If the new treatment works
well enough to test in phase 3
• Which types of disease
it is effective against
• More about side effects and how to manage them
• More about the most effective
dose to use
Although these treatments
have been tested at phase 1, you may still have side
effects that are not known about. Drugs can affect people in different ways.
Phase 2 trials are often
larger than phase 1. There may be up to 50 people taking part. If the results
of phase 2 trials show that a new treatment may be as good as existing treatment, or better, it then moves to
phase 3.
These trials compare new
treatments with the best currently available treatment (the standard treatment).
They may compare
• A completely new treatment
with the standard treatment
• Different doses or ways
of giving a standard treatment
• A new radiotherapy schedule
with the standard one
Phase 3 trials are usually
much larger than phase 1 or 2. This is because differences in success rates
may be small. So, you would need very many results
to show the difference.
Sometimes phase 3 trials
involve thousands of patients in many different hospitals and even different
countries.
Phase 3 trials are
usually randomized. This means the researchers put the people taking
part into 2 groups at random. One group gets the
new treatment and the other the standard treatment. There is more about randomization
and types of trials on the next page in this section.
 How
do I know it's safe?
Treatments have
been thoroughly tested in laboratory trials before they are ever tested
with groups of patients. Then, treatments must get through patient trials
at phase 1 and 2 before they can be used in phase
3 trials. Clinical trials are research as they aim to answer a question regarding
an experimental drug, and are not considered treatments.
There are many other safeguards
for patients taking part in trials
• The trial plan (protocol)
is inspected and must be approved by an ethics committee
• The running of the trial
is supervised by a data monitoring committee (During
the Trial)
• Insurance for patients
must have been arranged
• Your privacy is
protected
• You must be told all about the benefits and risks before you agree
to take part
This is indemnity insurance.
It pays out compensation to you if any harm should come to you because of
the trial. The organization or drug company funding
the trial has to take out the insurance. If they do not, the ethics committee
may not approve the trial.
If a trial is investigating
drugs already licensed for treating cancer, there may not be extra insurance.
The drugs have already been tested and found safe to use, so extra insurance
is not thought necessary. You would be covered by the insurance held by the doctor and hospital
where you are treated. You can ask your doctor or research nurse about trial
insurance if you are worried.
The researchers and organizations
funding the trial do not want any harm to come to the people taking part.
They want better treatment for people with diseases. If something goes wrong,
their reputations would suffer which would make their future projects much
harder to carry out.
When deciding whether to
participate in a clinical trial it is vital to evaluate both the risks and
benefits.
The main advantages (benefits)
of being in a trial are
• You may get a new treatment
that works, that you could not get outside the trial
• You could be helping to
improve treatment for future patients
• You will get closer monitoring
• You may receive compensation
for your participation in the trial.
Throughout the trial, you
will have check-ups more often than usual. You may have more blood tests or
CT scans. Many people find this reassuring. Some people find it makes them
more nervous and preoccupied with disease. Only you know how you feel about
this. The tests and check ups you need to have will be explained
to you before you decide to enter the trial.
With an experimental treatment,
there will be some risk. Not a great deal will be known about the treatment. You will
be closely monitored and treatment will be stopped if anybody thinks
there is a risk for you.
Remember - even in phase
1 or 2 trials, the treatment has been carefully researched
in the laboratory before it is given to patients.
With phase 3 trials, more
is known about the new treatment so there
is less risk that there could be a harmful side effect.
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
There are other drawbacks.
You may
• Have to make more trips
to hospital
• Have unexpected side effects
• Have to do some paperwork
If you need more check ups
and tests, you will spend more time at the clinic. This will cost you time
and money. If you are one of those people who really don’t like seeing a doctor, you need to think about this.
For some people, more check
ups means more reassurance. For others, it means more worry. Only you know
how these appointments are likely to affect you.
There is a chance you will
get side effects you (and your doctor) were not expecting. If you are in a
phase 1 trial, the researchers may not be able to tell you much about side
effects. You will be told everything they do know
before you agree to take part in the trial.
Remember - you can withdraw
from a trial at any point. You do not have to give a reason. Withdrawing from
a trial will not be held against you in any way.
You will be asked to report all your side effects to your doctor
or nurse. You may be asked to keep a diary at home
or fill in questionnaires about feeling sick or tiredness.
Trials go on for several
years after you have stopped having treatment. The researchers need to know
what happens to you so that they can monitor the long term effects of the treatment they have given you.
Your doctor will send reports
of your check ups to the trial centre. This is unlikely to make any difference
to you. But you should understand that the results
of your trial could take years to come out.
• Can you tell me why this
trial is being done?
• What are the advantages
and risks of taking part?
• What are the treatment
choices in the trial?
• What are the likely side
effects?
• Would I be allocated a treatment by computer or do you and I have any choice?
• How many patients are
being studied?
• How long will the study
last?
• Will I be told about the results if I take part?
• Who will be allowed to see my medical records?
• What information about
me will be on the computer?
• Who will be told I am in a trial?
• Will my General Practioner
know?
• What treatment will I get
if I decide not to enter the trial?
• Can I leave the trial if
I want to?
• What will I have to do
if I take part?
• What will happen if I get
side effects?
• Who
can I contact in an emergency?
• Who makes sure the trial
is safe and properly run?
• Will I have to spend more
time in hospital or having tests?
• What about my expenses, such as travelling costs?
• Am I covered by insurance if things go wrong?
• Is there anything I am
not allowed to do while I am in the trial?
• Are there any drugs or
medicines I shouldn't take while I am in the trial?
1. Pre-clinical (animal) testing.
2. An investigational new
drug application (IND) outlines what the sponsor of a
new drug proposes for human testing in clinical trials.
 3. Phase 1 studies (typically involve 20 to 80 people).
4. Phase 2 studies (typically
involve a few dozen to about 300 people).
5. Phase 3 studies (typically
involve several hundred to about 3,000 people).
6. The pre-NDA period, just
before a new drug application (NDA) is submitted.
A common time for the FDA and drug sponsors to meet.
7. Submission of a new drug
application is the formal step asking the FDA to consider a drug for marketing
approval.
8. After an NDA is
received, the FDA has 60 days to decide whether to file it so it can
be reviewed.
9. If the FDA files the NDA,
an FDA review team is assigned to evaluate the sponsor's
research on the drug's safety and effectiveness.
10. The FDA reviews information
that goes on a drug's professional labeling, guidance on how to use the drug.
11. The FDA inspects the
facilities where the drug will be manufactured as
part of the approval process.
12. FDA reviewers will approve
the drug or find it either "approvable" or "not approvable."
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/402_drug.html
for more information
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
-The Common Rule was created
by the Department of Health and Human Services as a Federal policy to protect
the confidentiality and rights of human trial subjects (45 CFR part
46).
-Good Clinical Practice is
the standard that has been created for the design,
conduct, monitoring, auditing, recording, analysis of results, and reporting
of clinical trials. GCP guidelines are to be complied with in order to provide
assurance that the final results that are reported
are accurate and credible and that the confidentiality and rights of trial
participants are protected (ICH guideline 1.24).
 The Informed Consent
Process:
Before beginning participating in any clinical trial the subject must
undergo the Informed Consent process during which the study synopsis as well
as benefits and risks are outlined. Subject is also instructed
that they may cease participation in the clinical trial at any time before
or during the trial period.
Role of IRB’s in protecting study subjects:
The role of IRBs is to ensure
that human subjects used in any research projects are protected against undue risk and give informed consent
to the research, as well as to ensure that research subjects' safety, rights,
privileges, and privacy are protected.
It is important to always
consider alternatives to clinical trials, such as seeking a treatment that
is already deemed safe and approved by the FDA, or seeking a treatment that
does not involve medication at all.
Additional information can
be found on the US Government’s clinical trials registry
website at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/info/resources
| NOTE: If you want
your liver clear and your liver health to be maximized, why
not consider liver cleansing? It beats a liver transplant! A
liver detoxifier is synonomous with liver cleanser, as it is
a means of liver care and liver support. Liver damage treatment
relies heavily on liver nutrition. However, this does not preclude
liver cleaners in order to attain healthy liver function. As
for liver spot treatments, the ultimate liver purifier may be
a simple liver cleanse. |
|
