CANCER

Understanding Cancer -- Diagnosis and Treatment

The earlier cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the chance of its being cured. Some types of cancer -- such as those of the skin, breast, mouth, testicles, prostate, and rectum -- may be detected by routine self-exam or other screening measures before the symptoms become serious. Most cases of cancer are detected and diagnosed after a tumor can be felt or when other symptoms develop. In a few cases, cancer is diagnosed incidentally as a result of evaluating or treating other medical conditions.
Cancer diagnosis begins with a thorough physical exam and a complete medical history. Lab studies of blood, urine, and stool can detect abnormalities that may indicate cancer. When a tumor is suspected, imaging tests such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and fiberoptic scope exams help doctors determine the cancer's location and size. To confirm the cancer diagnosis, a biopsy is performed: A tissue sample is surgically removed from the suspected malignancy and studied under a microscope to check for cancer cells.

STEPS INVOLVED IN QUITTING SMOKING

Sip Cold Water and Eat Small Meals

Sipping cold water can help replace the act of sucking on a cigarette. New research shows that sipping cold water through a straw releases dopamine, a feel-good brain chemical that can help ease negative moods.
Eating small meals can also help you get past the urge the smoke. Choose lean, healthy foods to avoid any possible weight gain.

Recognize Instant Rewards

You don't have to wait long to begin enjoying the benefits of a smoke-free life. Keep a written list of the benefits as you begin to experience them. These may include feeling in control, saving money, smelling better, tasting food more vividly, and feeling more energetic. When the urge to smoke strikes, look at the benefits you're already experiencing.

Brush Your Teeth Frequently

One of the immediate benefits of quitting is that your mouth tastes better and your breath smells better. Brush your teeth frequently. That way, you’ll be less inclined to light up a cigarette and foul that clean, fresh mouth.

Avoid Alcohol

Drinking alcohol is one of the most common reasons people go back to smoking. There are several reasons why. By breaking down inhibitions, the effect of alcohol can erode your commitment to quitting. The act of drinking alcohol is also associated with smoking for many people, so it may serve as a trigger.

Find Your Own No-Smoking Zones

When the urge to smoke strikes, go somewhere where you can't light up -- a movie, the library, or a store for example. The more distracting the location is, the easier it will be to ride out cravings.

Remember Your Reasons for Quitting

Write down a list of all your reasons for quitting. Make copies and post them wherever you spend time -- in the kitchen, at the office, beside the bathroom mirror. Be sure they are prominently displayed so that you are reminded wherever you go. Some ex-smokers say they found it useful to put photographs of family and loved ones alongside their reasons.

Be Active Every Day

Physical activity offers a powerful distraction from cravings. When your body is active, it sends out natural chemicals that help your mood and reduce your stress. Walking is one of the easiest exercises for most people, but choosing a variety of activities may help you stay motivated. Especially during the first few weeks after quitting, set aside time to be physically active every day.

Fill Your Calendar

During the first few weeks of quitting, make sure your days are filled with things you want or need to do. Make plans to eat meals with family or friends. Try to steer clear of smoking temptations. Also include activities that you enjoy. The busier you are, the more distracted you’ll be from the urge to smoke.

Put Something Else in Your Mouth

Part of the urge to smoke is having something in your mouth. In place of a cigarette, pop chewing gum, hard candy, or a healthy snack in your mouth when the urge strikes. Be sure to have something with you at all times. If you’re concerned about gaining weight, stick with sugar-free alternatives.

Secure a Lifeline

Ask someone to be there for you when you need support. The best choice is a friend who is also a former smoker who has kicked the habit. But anyone who cares for you and wants you to quit smoking can help when times get tough.

Limit Caffeine

Caffeine helps some people get going in the morning and stay alert when they're tired. But caffeine can make some people feel tense, jittery, and stressed. These effects can be amplified when you’re in the process of breaking nicotine addiction. If caffeine negatively affects you, try cutting back to see if it helps reduce your anxiety.

Be Alert to Bad Moods

Negative emotions -- depression, anger, frustration -- are another common reason people go back to smoking. Bad moods happen to everyone. And chances are you'll experience more than your fair share of negative emotions during the first few weeks of quitting. Find ways to distract yourself. Useful strategies include getting together with friends or doing something you really enjoy.

Avoid Troublemakers

Although friends and family should be supportive, they aren't always. Some people may be threatened by your decision to quit. They may even try to undermine your best efforts. If you sense that there are people like this in your life, avoid them. If that isn't possible, sit down and explain to them why quitting is so important to you. Ask for their support.

Be Patient and Stay on Track

Once you make it through the first two weeks, you're on your way to a lifetime free of nicotine addiction. But be prepared in case you falter. Remember: one lapse does not signal a collapse. Analyze what went wrong. Then brainstorm strategies to prevent the same problem from happening again.

New Clues on Killer Pneumonia Outbreak

Mysterious Illness Called SARS Continues to Spread, Potential Virus Identified

March 19, 2003 -- The number of people sickened by a mysterious deadly pneumonia called SARS continues to grow as researchers zero in on a potential cause.

The World Health Organization now estimates that 264 people have been diagnosed with SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), including nine deaths. Although no cases have been confirmed in the U.S., the CDC announced today that they are investigating 11 possible cases in people who recently returned from travel in the affected areas of Southeast Asia.

"The 11 cases we are reporting today have the travel history, fever, and respiratory symptoms that fall into the definition of a suspect case," says CDC Director Julie Gerberding, MD, in a briefing today. "We may find a completely unrelated cause for their illness, but for now they are on the suspect list."

WHO officials say SARS continues to spread to new countries, and cases have been reported in Canada, China, Taiwan, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Slovenia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom. The vast majority of the cases of the pneumonia are concentrated in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Vietnam, and Singapore. All other reported cases have been linked to travel within the past 10 days to one of these affected areas.

Investigators also announced a potential break in efforts to identify a cause of the deadly pneumonia. Three separate laboratories in Germany and Hong Kong identified a strain of microbes that resemble the paramyxovirus, a family viruses that causes measles, mumps, and canine distemper, in samples from nasal swabs of two SARS patients.

But experts stress that this finding is preliminary and based on only a small number of the more than 200 cases reported. In addition, even if the presence of this virus is confirmed, it is still not clear at this point whether the virus is the cause of SARS or just a coincidental finding.

"Seeing something in a nasal swab is not the same thing as finding a causal relationship," says Gerberding. "A great deal more work needs to be done to determine if it is the cause of the infection."

Gerberding says it's not uncommon to find various forms of the paramyxovirus in nasal secretions during flu season, but it is promising that this type of virus was found in more than one location by more than one laboratory at this stage of the SARS investigation.

In addition, public health officials in Hong Kong announced today that seven of the initial SARS patients had been residents on the same floor of a Hong Kong hotel in February. At least two of those people were known to have had close contact with each other and this contact may have been one of the initial modes of transmission of the disease.

Officials have closed off the affected section of the hotel and are continuing their investigation to trace the source of the outbreak.

Experts say the illness seems to be spread only through direct, face-to-face contact, and there is no evidence to suggest that the disease may be spread through casual contact. The symptoms of SARS appear to develop within two to seven days of exposure.

The WHO broadly defines a case of SARS as someone with:

• A fever of greater than 100.4 degrees;
• One or more of the following respiratory symptoms: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing;
• And either close contact with a known SARS case or a history of travel to one of the affected areas within the last 10 days before the emergence of symptoms.

Since the exact cause of the SARS has not been identified, the CDC recommends that doctors treat the condition as they would any other unexplained pneumonia case, including treatment with antibiotics.

The WHO says most of the cases have occurred in people who have had very close contact with other known cases, and more than 90% of those who have become ill with the condition are health care workers.

A CDC health alert advises travelers to Southeast Asia to contact their doctor immediately if they become ill with a fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, within seven days of travel to affected areas. A related travel advisory also states that U.S. citizens planning nonessential travel to the regions affected by the outbreak may wish to postpone their trips until further notice.

Officials say at this time there is no evidence to suggest that this mysterious pneumonia might have unnatural causes or is an example of bioterrorism. The pattern of disease outbreak is what would normally be expected from a contagious respiratory or flu-like illness, but the CDC says they are keeping an open mind about the issue.