Mirror Athlete Blog Articles

November 24, 2009

Pancreatic Cancer Statistics and Recommendations

Filed under: Cancer, Depression, Diet, Pancrease, Prevention, celebrity deaths, disease, mortality — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 20:01
Oregon Coast

Oregon Coast

The pancreas is a long flat gland behind the abdomen and stomach.  Its function is to aid in digestion and blood sugar (glucose) regulation through enzyme and hormone production.   Once your body is diagnosed, or riddled with pancreatic cancer, the 5-Year survival life expectancy is dismal.  But hope in response to cancer treatment can give a possibility of a longer life.  This hope is greatly dependent on if the tumor can be reduced enough after chemo to surgically remove it.  I recently wrote an article comparing the pancreatic cancer deaths between Patrick Swayze and Michael Landon.  The one commonality between the two was that they both drank and smoked excessively for long periods of time.  Pancreatic cancer rates are 2 times higher for smokers than nonsmokers.  There is also a higher rate of pancreatic cancer cases in countries with high fat diets.  Cancer as a whole regardless of cancer type appears to be on the rise in the US.  The statistics below show all cancer diagnosis from 2000 to 2008 dominating in 4 states.  Pancreatic Cancer estimates in 2009 prove to be the 4th deadliest cancer in the US.  For the full Pancreatic Statistics & Recommendations including all other forms of cancer, click on cancer.org link below for Free American Cancer Society reports.”

  • States with highest cancer diagnosis during year 2000 – Geographically (California 113,200), Florida (88,100), Texas (76,100), NY (81,500), US diagnosed “All” Cancer Totals – 1,220,100
  • States with highest cancer diagnosis during year 2008 – Geography (California 156,530), Florida (101,920), Texas (96,320), NY (97,130), US diagnosed “All” Cancer Totals – 1,437,180.
  • Pancreatic Cancer estimates in 2009 ~42,700 people will be diagnosed resulting in ~35,420 deaths will result making it the fourth deadliest cancer (American Cancer Society).

Jennifer Landon “There are many studies that show low-fat, plant-based diets have low cancer rates.  Large studies in Europe shows 40% of vegetarians… Less likely to develop cancer over meat eaters” (Cancer Project is an affiliate of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine). 

Preventative Measures:  Those that add sugar to coffee, tea; drink diet sodas and eat deserts daily increase pancreatic risk up to 50-90%.  Risk factors:  Tobacco, alcohol, poor diet, obesity, diabetes; 10-15% diagnosed – poor genetics.  Recommendation: There is no screening test or symptoms prior to the spread of pancreatic cancer.  If you experience abdomen pain, darkening of urine, or if cancer runs in your family see a doctor. Request a CT scan.  Have blood drawn to see if cancer antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) results in increased levels indicative of pancreas cancer. Reduction of tumor size to surgically remove it is the patient’s 5-year or better survival hope before it spreads to lymph, or liver.

References:  World Wide Web,

http://www.cancerproject.org/media/news/090120.php

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/STT/content/STT_1x_Cancer_Facts__Figures_2009.asp

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=87670

http://channels.isp.netscape.com/whatsnew/package.jsp?name=fte/sugarandcancer/sugarandcancer&floc=wn-nx

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=87669

http://www.canada.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Facts+about+actor+Patrick+Swayze/1993617/story.html

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com,  Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

October 24, 2009

Is Pancreatic Cancer on the Rise?

Filed under: Cancer, Chronic Pain, Depression, Diet, Men's Health, Pancrease, Prevention, Product Toxins, Women's Health, celebrity deaths, disease, immune system, mortality, pancreatic — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 16:53

                                MAE VIDEO – Marc Compares Swayze & Landon\’s Pancreatic Disease Deaths      Marc MAE Fitness & Pain Management Consultant               

 I  was motivated to know more about Pancreatic Cancer after the death of Patrick Swazye.  But I was most impacted in 1991 by Michael Landon’s death.  However at that point, I was in a different time and place with my life.  Instead of realizing the seriousness of this insidious death sentence, I thought “how unfair and what a loss to all that admired his work “and the person.”  I figured this was an isolated and unfortunate rare occurrence. Then the news of Patrick Swazye’s pancreatic cancer story came and went some 18 years later.  He too was someone I admired like many of you out there.  This left me to ponder… Is pancreatic cancer or cancer in general on the rise?  Is it a geographical thing?  After all, both of these actors lived in Southern California.  Is there any way to prevent, or remove this cancer from the body once it takes hold?  I had so many unanswered questions in my head at this point in time.  These two people I greatly admired for their work.  This drew upon my curiosity as a health conscious individual to know more about their lifestyles and could they have done anything differently to change their outcome?  I decided to write this piece as a two part article.  First, let’s look at these two individual’s to see if we can determine some commonalities.  In the second piece (part2), we’ll review the statistical cancer information to draw on some presumptive conclusions in answering these questions.

 Like most of you I was an avid follower of Michael Landon.  My favorite shows as a kid were Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven series.  Michael Landon was diagnosed with Aden Carcinoma at the age of 54 on 5 April 1991 and immediately underwent chemo therapy.  His cancer had spread to his liver at first causing stomach cramps receiving his diagnosis 7 weeks later.  The cancer became inoperable due to the cancer spreading to the liver and lymph node system.  Only 1% of patients with this combination survive the full five year period.  He died in Malibu, CA on 1 July 1991.  Potential cause of cancer for this patient, heavy alcohol consumption and a four pack per day smoking habit.   I also followed many Hollywood movies that Patrick Swazye appeared in.  Three of his movies I can think of immediately, “Dirty Dancing, Next of Kin and Roadhouse.”   Swayze was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in March 2008 and underwent chemo therapy with new experimental drugs (vatalanib/gemcitabine) to shrink the tumor by preventing the development of new blood vessels that would otherwise nourish it.   After more than a year of cancer, Swazye completed 13 episodes of the beast without pain medication.  Swayze Died, 14 Sept 2009 at the age of 57.  Since the cancer spread to his liver surgery would help him.  His life expectancy after diagnosis was 5 months.  He lived 20 months after diagnosis.  He’s a strong guy, and he’s got a great attitude,” says Ron Wise, a Cedars-Sinai spokesman, “in my experience, that has a lot to do with how things go.”  Patrick Swayze’s biggest regret was his smoking which he continued to do until his death.  Doctor’s agreed, even if he quit at the time of diagnosis would have no bearing on his outcome after diagnosis.  See part two of this article continuation, “Pancreatic Cancer Statistics and Recommendations.”

 World Wide Web References:

  1. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PatrickSwayze/patrick-swayzes-death-shows-tough-pancreatic-cancer/story?id=8583819
  2. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20114945,00.html)
  3. http://www.hollywoodusa.co.uk/HillsideObituaries/michaellandon.htm
  4. http://www.webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/news/20090915/patrick-swayze-dies-of-pancreatic-cancer
  5. http://www.aol.com.au/lifestyle/story/Patrick-Swayze-Admits-His-Biggest-Regret/2042631/index.html

 Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com,  Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

February 23, 2009

COPD Is Serious and Will Kill You!

Filed under: Cancer, Chronic Pain, Environmental Toxins, Men's Health, Prevention, Product Toxins, Women's Health, addiction, disease, infection, mortality, pain — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 17:49

CODP (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a disease by which breathing becomes very difficult without assistance from an oxygen tank once the disease has progressed and will eventually kill you!  It is well know that smoking is a major culprit behind COPD.  The smoke causes and creates permanent damage to the lungs air-sacs.  There are other inhaled elements that can put you at risk.  1) Chemical Fumes.  2)  Dust 3) Air Pollution 4) Second hand smoke.  After years of one or more element exposures, it can take years for this disease to present itself.   COPD is most commonly found in people 60 and over, those that have had lung infections as a child, those that got emphysema in their 30-40’s, or families where this disease manifested itself.  Symptoms – Chronic cough and/or mucus when coughing, shortness of breath, especially during exercise, weight loss and weakness.  As the disease progresses exacerbation flare ups can be mild to life threatening by suffocation, or drowning in your own mucus fluids.

Smoking is a leading cause of preventable CODP.  What chemicals in cigarettes are responsible for causing CODP?  This is a good question, The National Cancer Institute states there are over 4,000 chemicals released from tobacco smoke.  The tar residues by-product that enters your body includes such poisons as arsenic and cyanide!  The American Lung Association shows each year 400,000 Americans die from lung disease.  There are 35 million more Americans in any given year that are now living with chronic lung disease!  Even with these unbelievable statistics American smoking consumption is as strong as ever, “Nicotine has the addictive power of heroin and cocaine.” (Dr. C. Everett Koop, Surgeon General).

It is also known that second hand smoke gravely impacts others around them.  Many smokers do not believe their habits impact anyone else but themselves.  The American Heart Association secondhand mortality statistics:  Secondhand smoke is directly responsible for 37,000-40,000 cardiovascular and 3,400 fatal lung cancer victims per year. And according to the American Cancer Society, secondhand smoke is responsible for over 150,000 lung infections and 750,000 middle ear infections within our children each year.  There are basically two diseases associated with COPD.  1)  Chronic Bronchitis – When airways that carry oxygen from the lungs to the body get inflamed producing mucus, this makes it hard to breath.  2)  Emphysema – This is where the lungs air sacs become inefficient at intake and pushing air.  Once these air sacs become damaged the body begins to starve and die due to lack of oxygen-enriched blood.  At this point the patient always feels short of breath with a constant feeling of suffocation.  Over time COPD gets worse.  The damage to your lungs at this point is permanent.  However, you can take steps to stop further damage to your lungs and body.

Recommendations 

-See a physician if you smoke, or a cough that will not go away, or mucus when coughing.
-Medication will boost your chance 50% to quit smoking for good (American Cancer Society).
-Ask a physician for other tests if you suspect exposure to other things in your past.
-Request a doctor to listen to your lungs and a spirometry breathing test.
-Request chest X-rays to rule out other potential problems, or pathologies.
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Next Issue:  “Prevention & Treatment of Uterine Cancer” Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com, Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

December 23, 2008

What Is Dementia, Can Anything Be Done?

Filed under: Anti-Aging, Cancer, Mental Health, Natural Chemicals, Prevention, Treatment, disease, manage depression, mind, mortality, tips — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 17:07

Our family has been blessed as we’ve not know dementia.  I’ll make a slight correction to this statement.  My grandmother before she passed at 92 years of age appeared to have had signatures of some form of dementia beginning in her eighties.  Dementia is defined as a cognitive function decline beyond what might be expected as normal aging.  It is a disease that destroys brain function within various centers of the brain by way of many possibilities. Cognitive memory & brain function loss is not solely a cause and effect of Alzheimer’s disease.  Alzheimer’s is the most common and familiar form of cognitive brain function degradation loss.  This disease becomes more of a risk for those after age 60.   I wrote an earlier article on Alzheimer’s disease with strong ties to aluminum as one of the cause pathologies that put healthy brain function at risk (In Our Health Repository).      

While Alzheimer’s affects approximately 4.5 – 5 million people in the United States by gradually destroying one’s memory; fortunately, current treatment can slow down the progression and destruction of brain functionality dramatically.  Alzheimer’s is also the most common form of dementia and leading cause of death in the United States.  Those once diagnosed have an average mortality rate of 10 years.  However, there are those that beat these statistical mortality averages by living more than 20 years after being diagnosed.   Our younger population is not immune from Alzheimer’s.  Those at greatest risk for developing some form of Dementia are those 65 and older.

Dementia pathology (disease cause, progression and development), impacts the cortical and sub cortical brain function and can manifest its symptoms and disease through known and unknown cause agents.  Nutrition, diet and/or behavioral deficiencies leading to and/or influenced to cause dementia are “lightly” noted within this article.   Key pathologies and nutritional deficiencies that lead to Dementia: Alzheimer’s, Alcohol-Induced Dementia, Frontal Lobe Degeneration, Huntington’s, Hypothyroidism, Parkinson’s, Vitamin B1, B12, Folate Deficiency, Syphilis, Hypoglycemia, AIDS Dementia Complex, Severe Depression, End Stage Renal Failure, Cardiovascular Disease, etc.   It is beyond the scope of this article to list all potential Dementia cause pathologies.  Instead, awareness to possible cause pathologies and recommendations will assist you and your family in prevention, recognition, awareness and immediate attention to treatment.  There is an extensive list of pharmaceuticals that appear to slow down the progression of any one of these cause pathologies leading to dementia.  There is no cure for dementia, prevention is the best course. 

Recommendations:
1.  See Geriatric Psychiatrist-Neurologist if patient is forgetful, confused, doesn’t recognize people.
2.  If diagnosed with a form of dementia – Seek medication to slow down the progression.
3.  Dementia Prevention – Live an active mental-physical lifestyle, read books, work puzzles, get involved in community activities, services, volunteer work, etc.,  aerobic daily walking, etc.
4.  Studies show moderate (1-2 Drinks/day) consumption of beer, wine, or distilled spirits may help.
5.  Low blood pressure medications appear to have a dementia health benefit per medical studies.
6.  Mediterranean Diet – Consume plant foods (fruits and Vegetables), olive oil, cheese, yogurt, fish, poultry, no more then 1-4 eggs/week, keep total fat intake at 25%, consume less red meat.
7.  Supplement diet with a quality daily mineral-vitamin and cognitive brain complex supplement (see our Wellness Company Program).

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2008 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @ www.mirrorathlete.com,  Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.
 

November 18, 2008

Breast Health Importance

Filed under: Cancer, Environmental Toxins, Exercise, Health, Nutrition, Prevention, Product Toxins, Treatment, Women's Health, how to, mortality, tips, well-being — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 07:12

  Breast health to a woman should be of the same importance as the prostate is to a man.  The breast, like prostate health is dependent on many factors, i.e., environmental, heredity, activity and diet.  I must also emphasis, while breast cancer is predominately a woman’s disease, men also get breast cancer.  While in the Air Force, I was shocked and surprised that a good friend of mine, a 19 year old male had to go through a life changing surgery on his chest.  The intrusive surgery saved his life as the tumors in his chest were removed and had not yet metastasized (spread throughout the body).  The radical surgery at the time forever scared him mentally and physically.  I was aghast when he showed me his chest after this procedure.  I had no ideal that a surgical chest procedure of this magnitude would ever be performed on any human let alone a man.  To this date, I’ve always wondered if he survived that ordeal by being cancer free.  This disease can be so devastating by way of its insidious progression; many are caught off guard until aggressive treatment is necessary. 

  Cancer under the right conditions can incubate without knowledge for many years.  Breast health in America should not be taken lightly as breast cancer is the second leading cause of death next to lung cancer for women.  CDC (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention) 2004 statistics – Women 186,772 and 1815 men diagnosed with breast cancer (40,954 and 362 respective mortality).  Risk Factors Increase:  1) As a woman ages.  2) When a woman begins menstruating (young age “Is Not” immune).  3)  Pregnancies near, or after 30.  4)  Hormone (estrogen) replacement treatment.  5)  A 50 year family tree window of breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer.  6)  Those without risk factors. 

A summary of treatments: A mammogram is the most common preventative “nonintrusive” test available to ensure breast health is not compromised and proactive treatment is taken immediately if necessary.  Breasts are placed between two plates to be x-rayed, identifying tumors, etc.  Mammograms can detect tissue abnormalities that cannot be felt through self examination, but seen with x-rays!  With early detection of breast abnormalities “it is more likely than not,” cancer will never see the light of day.   If diagnosed with breast cancer, get a second opinion and information on intervention procedural options “do not delay!”  There are various intervention common treatments available:  Chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs); radiotherapy (high energy x-ray kill’s cancer cells); hormonal therapy (tumor reduction); biologic therapy (cancer agent spread blocker).  If biopsy of breast tissue is necessary and tests review the breast(s) positive with malignancy, inquire about conservative “Lumpectomy” (tumor removal) opposed to mastectomy; part-full removal of breast(s). 

Recommendations,
1.  Look for lumps, or thickening under arm, or change difference, ridges, pitting, redness of breast.
2.   Get Annual mammograms starting at age 40, if high risk runs in family, etc., start much earlier.
3.   It is highly recommended all women between the ages of 20-39 get breast exams every 3 years.
4.   Men breast Cancer – Symptoms and treatments are similar.  Typical age when diagnosed, 60-70.
5.   Ask about various breast cancer diagnoses: Mammogram, Ultrasound, exam frequency, etc.
6.   Ask physician about genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 and early detection testing with family history.
7.   If a family has breast, ovary, prostate cancer, family should seriously consider screening.
8.   Reduce weight, reduce alcohol consumption, stop smoking and increase activity-exercise.
http://www.oncolink.org/types/article.cfm?c=3&s=5&ss=33&id=8320

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2008 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.
 

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