Archive for August, 2010

Surgery For Colitis

It is a very common thought and question every colitis sufferer will ask themselves and their doctor but the need for surgery for colitis is not inevitable. Only a small percentage of all those diagnosed with the disease have to ultimately undergo the surgical processes and they can be grouped into different categories depending on the extent of their colitis and how it affects their life.

The standard surgical procedure for colitis will involve the removal of the entire large colon and this will also include the complete removal of the rectum as well. It has to be understood and acknowledged that such an operation is the only permanent cure available for colitis. It is an important point to note where the patient may have been introduced to so called cures, and whilst some may have the effect of reducing symptoms they will never actually cure the disease.

So which people who have been diagnosed with colitis are most at risk of having to consider surgery? The first group will be those who suffer from fulminant colitis, where the extent of the inflammation affects over half of the entire large colon. Whilst remission is possible with such extensive coverage, when a relapse happens the symptoms are severe and there are cases when they do not respond sufficiently to medications. At this stage, the symptoms can appear out of control resulting in the only solution being surgery as a further danger of perforation of the bowel can materialise.

A second grouping of colitis sufferers who could face the prospect of surgery is those with long standing pancolitis or left-sided colitis, which describes the area of the bowel leading down to the rectum. Again, the symptoms may not be able to be brought under control or the sufferer has over a period of time be unable to attain a satisfactory amount of time in remission. A patient who is unfortunate to be diagnosed with this extent of colitis could also be facing an increased risk of developing colon cancers. It is important to understand that the removal of the large colon is very important when precancerous changes have been detected in the colon lining.

In addition to this, a third group that could be faced with the surgical procedures. These are sufferers who have been unable to gain much respite from colitis symptoms. In some cases where the evidence of inflammation is contained to a small area of the colon, there are some patients who just can’t bring their symptoms under reasonable control and continue to live in such a state for years. Aspects such as lifestyle, medications that are prescribed and diet have all been trialled and tested but to no avail. In the quest to achieve a reasonable quality of life, many sufferers choose surgery to rid themselves of this debilitating disease for good. Life does change when surgery happens, but at least these patients can look forward to a less painful and more normal and active life ahead.

It can either be a considered decision to opt to have surgery for colitis to bring some kind of normality back to a life for those that have moderate yet continuous symptoms or the decision to have surgery can be forced upon the patient due to symptoms being out of control and unresponsive to the treatment. Whatever the reason for surgery for colitis, it is a life changing event that, whilst bringing its own challenges in the immediate aftermath and requiring the need to alter daily habits for the remaining lifetime, it can offer welcome respite from the painful grip that colitis has over so many sufferers.

Your Antiinflammatory Diet

The Life-Threatening Dangers of Inflammation

Medical science has begun to realize that inflammation is a secret killer. While long associated with certain serious and/or chronic ailments, such as such as arthritis or appendicitis, in recent years research has shown that certain other conditions, such as some forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative conditions are linked to inflammation. In fact, they may actually be triggered (in part) by it, and they certainly are not improved by it.

The scary thing is how pervasive inflammation is, and how few doctors (not to mention laymen) are aware of the problem or even know what to look for. Fortunately, Nopalea juice is a powerful, proven, effective way of dealing with inflammation issues. More below.

Toxins on the Attack!

As the body’s tissues are attacked by the endless variety of toxins in the environment today, damage to cells takes place. While oxidation is a normal process of cell function, toxins cause “over-oxidation” and the formation of free radicals – chemicals that not only cause damage, but which also create a chain reaction of damage across many bodily systems. Inflammation is the body’s natural defense against free radicals.

With our bodies under such tremendous stress every day, resulting in so many free radicals our body’s cannot effectively fight them, too much inflammation results. For some – like those who suffer from allergies, breathing problems, muscle and joint pain, digestive disorders and the like – it may already be a cause of ongoing problems. Fortunately, Nopalea juice has been shown to help control, reduce and even alleviate these problems simply and naturally.

The Silent Epidemic of Inflammation – and You!

Barry Sears, MD, of The Zone diet fame, has called inflammation nothing less than a “silent epidemic” that is found throughout people in every walk of life. It has been shown to trigger chronic disease over time. “You could feel fine but have high levels of inflammation,” he says. This reality is something every person needs to be aware of, because eventually the body can no longer deal with the all the stresses caused by or exacerbated by the inflammation. When this happen, illness results.

Inflammation can cause everything from relatively mild symptoms like fatigue, malaise, discomfort and pain, to full blown health crises and serious ailments. Many people with “unspecified” health problems may actually be suffering from some kind of inflammation. Remember, most doctors are not trained to look for inflammation as a root cause of kinds of sickness – indeed, they’re not even aware of it!

Antiinflammatory Diet and Inflammation Control

Many doctors, nutritionists and healthy living experts believe in eating a fruit and vegetable-rich diet as a means of controlling (or at least helping to control) inflammation. This is where Nopalea juice comes in. Because despite the fact millions of people are “eating healthier” these days, chronic inflammation and it’s related problems and health concerns persist. In fact, some experts believe that as research moves forward, more and more ailments will be linked to inflammation, and more inflammation itself will be found.

If you are suffering any of these symptoms without diagnosis or relief, it may be wise to consider the possibility that you are suffering from chronic inflammation. Consult with someone who is knowledgeable on these issues, and carefully consider treatments and healing options. Start with an anti-inflammtory diet immediately, and carefully monitor your progress (or lack thereof). Remember, inflammation can literally kill. It’s really important to get it under control.

An Antiinflammatory Diet Isn’t Enough: Why You Need Nopalea Juice

Unfortunately, diet alone is not sufficient to get inflammation under control in many cases. The proof is in the evidence. Despite better eating (and billions spent on various medications), many people who suffer from inflammation and all it’s related problems aren’t getting better.

What is needed is not only a proper antiinflammatory diet, but other simple, effective ways of fighting this problem. As a result, millions of people today consume antioxidant supplements (such as grape seed extract) and use various herbal and natural remedies for detoxification. These are known to help reduce inflammation, and they form the powerful basis of Nopalea juice.

In fact, there is a class of special nutrients called betalains – found in a very special few plants such as the nopal cactus – that are the most powerful class of antioxidants known to man. Betalains directly help relieve inflamed cells by restoring them and making them stronger. They also aid the body in purging toxins and disposing of damaged tissue (dead cells) safely.

Nopalea Juice May Be the Perfect Antiinflammatory Answer

A precious few products are made from these betalain-containing plants. One of them is TriVita’s revolutionary health and wellness supplement called Nopalea juice. This is a delicious fruit-flavored drink, made under an exclusive process using sustainable farming techniques, from the nopal cactus and other 100% natural ingredients. It is super-rich in betalains, and protects and rejuvenates the body by helping to:

  • Reduce and Control Inflammation
  • Detoxify and Reduce Toxification
  • Relieve Inflammation-related Pain
  • Alleviate Allergy Symptoms and Promote Better Breathing
  • Reduce Swelling in Joint, Muscles and Other Tissues
  • Achieve Optimal Cellular Health
  • Stave Off Premature Aging

If you suffer from inflammation and/or it’s related problems, consider adding Nopalea juice to your antiinflammatory diet regimen. This is a great way, in our toxified environment, to prevent the underlying causes and symptoms of inflammation from occurring.

Breast Radiotherapy. Part 3

Target volume definition

A more risk-adapted approach to the volume treated may be defined with the premise that the total dose should match the pattern of local relapse more closely, in doing so delivering a lower dose to low-risk volumes and a higher dose to high-risk areas.

Within external beam radiotherapy accurate tumour bed localisation is crucial not only for PBI but also in the context of tumour bed dose escalation. Both of these techniques are currently being tested within randomised controlled trials against WBRT.

Clearly, the benefits of radiotherapy should not be undermined by the side effects. The EBCTCG systematic overview of radiotherapy does confirm an excess of cardiac mortality seen mostly in the under-50 age group. One potential gain from treating a smaller volume of breast tissue to a high dose is to reduce the dose to adjacent organs at risk, for instance the myocardium and/or the main coronary vessels.

Tumour bed localisation has been evaluated by several methods:

CT This gives much more spatial information regarding organs at risk, including the relationship to the chest wall, lung and heart. However, the tumour bed volume can be difficult to define unless there is an obvious seroma or focal scarring. It is affected by CT windowing and so should ideally be used with another method to corroborate the location, for instance fiducial markers such as surgical clips or gold seeds. These have the disadvantage of variations with insertion techniques with regard to positioning, and the possibility of marker migration. Due to their high density, they are visible with megavoltage portal imaging and may therefore also be used in the verification of the treatment accuracy and reproducibility.

MRI This has the advantage of better visualisation of the tumour bed. However, there are technical limitations, such as the problem of co-registration with CT.

Ultrasound 2D ultrasound is already used in some centres for the planning of direct simple electron fields to determine the distance between the skin surface and the anterior pectoral fascia, to optimise selection of beam energy and in turn treatment depth. Ultrasound may be used in conjunction with the CT data for more complex planning but it may be spatially limited and may underestimate the tumour volume.

Optimisation of treatment planning

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)

With standard breast radiotherapy planning using a simulator, the planning cannot take account of the 3D anatomy and changes in tissue density unique to a given patient. This in turn leads to significant dose inhomogeneities which can in some cases account for a worse cosmetic outcome, particularly in women with larger breasts. CT (3D) planning allows an appreciation of these important variables and in turn facilitates sophisticated planning and treatment delivery.

Breast Radiotherapy. Part 2

Partial breast irradiation (PBI)

The theory

It is recognised that most local recurrences are close to the tumour bed. The NSABP-06 trial reported 86% of local recurrences within the reference quadrant. The Milan trial reported similar findings with 79% of recurrences at or close to the original tumour site. Several trials are testing the hypothesis that reducing the volume of breast tissue irradiated will provide a better trade-off between local tumour control, cosmetic outcome and patient convenience versus standard WBRT.

Brachytherapy

This technique entails delivering a higher dose of radiation in a reduced time to a defined volume of breast tissue (accelerated partial breast radiation–APBI). In the past this was achieved using interstitial implants placed in and around the tumour cavity often using low-dose-rate (LDR) tissue irradiation.

With the increased availability of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy units, these techniques are being used once more. This involves placing a balloon catheter in the tumourectomy cavity either at the time of surgery or, more commonly, afterwards under local anaesthetic. The balloon is inflated with contrast agent and connected to the HDR brachytherapy source. This then permits the delivery of 10 fractions of radiotherapy over 5 days. The main problems include increased skin toxicity due to proximity to the skin if the tumour is superficial in its location, and an increased incidence of fat necrosis. The treatment may also be problematic if subsequent WBRT is indicated. As breast cancer can recur years after treatment, and whilst current trials have short follow-up data, many believe that APBI should not be considered to be standard practice until the follow-up data is more robust.

Intra-operative techniques

This technique involves delivering PBI at the time of surgery using an electron beam radiotherapy unit. It has the logistical advantage of being a one-stop procedure for patients, thus avoiding other postoperative visits. However, it does mean that the definitive histological margins around the lumpectomy cavity are not known at the time of the procedure. Within the UK this technique is being investigated within the TARGIT (Targeted Intraoperative Radiotherapy for Early Breast Cancer) trial.

External beam radiotherapy techniques

Computed tomography (CT) planned conformal techniques have been developed to deliver PBI. Stringent selection criteria are used, as for brachytherapy patients, and this has the advantage that the postoperative histology is known. It also eliminates a second surgical procedure with improved dose homogeneity that may in turn improve cosmesis and reduce the risk of fat necrosis (more commonly seen in brachytherapy studies). The fact that this is fractionated treatment over a number of weeks may have a radiobiological advantage over single-fraction techniques. As an external beam linear accelerator is used, extra margins need to be added to take account of internal movement and inconsistencies in patient set-up. This may mean the irradiated area is larger and in turn this may adversely affect the cosmetic result.

My Experiences With Alzheimer’s

For the duration of my adult life, I have only known two adults with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). I mean, I’ve known several people along the way, who went to my church or played bingo where I played, but I’ve only known two people really well.

Diseases of the mind fascinate me. It’s so odd and random and logical and illogical how the mind picks up a bit, omits a bit and re-routes other bits. Its like a bunch of handshakes, some of which go unmet.

The first Alzheimer’s victim I really knew was a good friend’s mother whom I had known off and on for my entire life. I spent more time with her during her final years, as she was in a nursing home and I don’t live far from the home. This dear woman, whom we shall call Mary, spent hour after hour watching traffic in front of the nursing home. She was looking for wrong-doers (people who parked in the lot, got out of their cars, gathered their things, walked through the front doors or left). Oftentimes, when I went to see her, she had her wheelchair perched in front of the glass doors and I would pull up a chair and look for wrong-doers too. Depending on my mood, I’d sometimes humor her and other times go against the grain.

“That woman is getting into that car right there. The brown one.” To which I’d respond, “Yes, she is. It’s okay though. It seems to be her car.” Mary had no response. Sometimes, it was like I wasn’t even there. As soon as the greeting ended so did I. I’d even fuss with her hair and act like I’d never noticed her bracelet before, but I’d get no response. She’d have that look in her eyes and it was like someone else was driving her personal vehicle.

Sometimes, my mother, my friend, and Mary would be sitting in her room and she would be very animated as she talked about her deceased son, husband, and granddaughter, as though they were still alive. She was also living in her house (and not the nursing home), driving, buying groceries, and functioning as though it were 20 years ago. Everyone else would just look at one another and let her talk.

The second person I knew with Alzheimer’s is my grandmother. Now that she too is in a nursing home, her mind seems to be leaving her via AD. I never really thought much about her having this disease until today. I knew that she had it. I just hadn’t thought much about it.

She was sitting in front of the main entrance, so my mother and I found chairs and sat to visit. My grandmother looked at me for a minute or two trying to figure out who I was. She knew that she knew me, but that’s all that she knew. I looked back at her and wanted to tell her who I was, but I also wanted to make her mind work. But I tired of waiting. I told her who I was. It was a normal visit. She told us how she’s been working at the nursing home, doing small tasks, and waiting for someone to pick her up and take her home. She neither has a job, nor will be leaving that nursing home. She’s 90 with an unsteady gait, and has fallen once.

She mentioned her husband and my father more than once, as though they were both still alive. Neither of us corrected her. Usually, Mother will say something. She didn’t this time. She kept leaving us to try and find Grandmother’s roommate, so that she could leave our telephone number with her. The side of the family that primarily take care of her don’t talk to us. Someone is getting married tomorrow, in fact. Neither of us was invited.

During one of Mother’s jaunts down the hall, there was a really long and awkward silence, and Grandmother mentioned that she couldn’t wait to get home to Papa. Without thinking, I told her that Papa is gone and so is my father. In an instant, I saw a look of pain, agony and angst that I’d never seen before even though I sat next to her for some time and at Papa’s wake. There was a single tear, then her face went blank. I felt like I had killed them myself and was just confessing to her. And, in a way, that’s exactly what happened. I hope that I am able to remember this painful moment so that it never happens again. I just don’t see any need for it.

It makes me see the plus side of having AD. Its protection. Its selectivity. Its sense of reality. My personal knowledge is limited, as I have only really known these two people, as an adult. But my experiences are vivid. Diseases of the mind fascinate me.

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis affects women more often than men and is a progressive disease that inflames the tiny bile ducts within the liver causing damage that ultimately destroys them. Bile is produced in the liver and flows through these bile ducts into the region of the gallbladder and aids in digestion.

When these bile based ducts become destroyed, it causes this bile to become backed up into the liver and causes damage to the tissues of the liver replacing the healthy tissue with scar tissue that causes the impairment of liver functioning.

When primary biliary cirrhosis is diagnosed in the early stages, treatment can be given to delay its progression, however, the disease will still continue to slowly progress eventually causing the liver to become permanently damaged by scar tissue and eventually cease functioning.

Causes and Symptoms of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

What exactly causes primary biliary cirrhosis is unknown; however, researchers and medical experts believe it is most likely associated with an autoimmune based condition in which the immunity of an individual malfunctions in such a way as it begins attacking the body’s healthy tissues and the bile ducts in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

This disease has also been known to run in families where a parent or even a sibling has also suffered from this disorder; therefore, it may also be an inherited disease making certain individuals more prone to developing this condition.

Typically, symptoms do not occur in the early stages of primary biliary cirrhosis and it is often not diagnosed until an individual has had routine blood tests that have shown a problem with liver functioning.

When symptoms do occur with this condition the primary signs are fatigue with an overall general feeling of tiredness, and the skin becomes very itchy in certain areas and causes a darkening of the skin in those areas that have been scratched. Other symptoms that may occur include dryness in the eyes and mouth and the condition of jaundice which causes a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes.

Complications of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis is progressive disease that eventually causes significant damage to the liver causing other health complications that can include osteoporosis which is a condition that causes the bones to become fragile and break easily, portal hypertension that causes pressure to build within the portal vein, maldigestion that is caused by the inability of the intestinal track to absorb fats and vitamins that are fat-soluble that can result in diarrhea and weight loss, edema which is swelling that typically occurs in the legs and ankles due to the build up of excess fluids, easy bleeding due to a lack of protein being produced by the liver that is needed for clotting, and numerous other conditions and diseases that are associated with serious liver disease.

Treatment of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

In the early stages of this disease, treatment typically consists of controlling the signs and symptoms and includes vitamin supplements, calcium supplements, and prescription medications to relieve itching.

While there is no cure or treatment that can stop the progression of this disease, there is a drug available called “Ursodiol” that has been approved by the FDA and has proven effect in slowing down or delaying its progression, hence, also slowing down the progression of damage being done to the liver delaying liver failure.

A Balanced Diet Keeps You Away From Anemia

When choosing a diet, do you keep track of what your body needs? If not, it’s time to revise your attitude towards foods rich in iron, for not having to do with anemia.

Anaemia is the reduced below the normal concentration of hemoglobin (Hb) of blood. It may be a result of problems of nutrition, chronic disease, blood loss, hemolysis, or cancer.

Anaemia is manifested by iron deficiency, indicating the presence of disease in the body and reduces its ability to recover after an illness. Anemia can be identified from analysis of blood.

Signs

Nothing is more common than you feel weak immediately after menstruation, especially if you have an IUD fitted. However, if this fatigue lasts or becomes a permanent condition, must go to the doctor because you might have anemia.

Most often, anemia is associated with long consumption of drugs (aspirin and anti-inflammatory), a large blood loss or pregnancy as the fetus grows in the mother. Against anemia, treatment lasts between four and six months and aims to increase the reserves of iron in the body.

Eat foods rich in iron

Iron is present in the body in two forms: heminic (70%), our red blood cells associated with hemoglobin and nonheminic (30%), which serves to transport our reserve in the body. You can take iron:

  • Heminica form: red meat in particular, liver and lungs. It is found in white meat, fish, seafood and eggs.
  • Nonheminica form: the fresh and dry vegetables. Contrary to widespread belief, spinach does not contain too much iron.
  • Iron in meat is twice as easy to assimilate than the iron in plant products. However it is better absorbed by the body if it is associated, during the same meal, with animal iron and vitamin C rich foods: raw vegetables, fruits, herbs, parsley, chervil or tarragon.

    It is not good to drink tea while eating. In association with chocolate, coffee and wholegrain cereals, even in small amounts, it is one food that reduce iron absorption.

    Warning!

  • Iron is essential for the proper functioning of our body, because it mainly serves to transport oxygen from the lungs to other organs.
  • It should not be consumed in the form of medicines without doctor’s directions. Too much can have an adverse effect on the body, because excess iron is deposited in tissues. On the other hand, it is an oxidizing agent that do not promotes formation of free radicals.
  • 5 Free Health-Boosters After You’ve Been Diagnosed

    No one wants a diagnosis of any condition–ever! But when you find out what the name of the scary label is you’ve been diagnosed with, there are five free simple & easy practices you can start immediately to substantially boost you life force, health, immunity, happiness and sense of well being.

    First is breath. We know we should take full and nourishing breaths all day long but we don’t. We fail at this over and over again. Most of us are chronic shallow breathers. Now, with a diagnosis to obsess over the stress and tension will make our breathing even tighter. Call your friend the yoga instructor and ask her to teach you 2 or 3 good breath patterns you can practice. Or, go on-line and watch a few demos to learn them yourself. Resist the temptation to learn 28 ways. All you need is 1 or 2 good ways to take a better breath. With a diagnosis looming, the idea that “breath is life” takes on new meaning! Want a great memory tip to actually use the breathing techniques you’ve bothered to learn? Every time you go to the bathroom during the day take 3 full breaths in the new pattern. Simple.

    Second is forgiveness. The people who learn to forgive do better on medicine, better in recovery and better in “miraculous self-healing” because forgiveness is one of the most powerful sticking points in our psyche. Most of us would rather walk on broken glass than forgive and let go. Learn to forgive and do it daily. It will feel fake, forced and useless for a while. Please persist. Forgivers live longer and more vibrantly. Start by forgiving the doctor for the diagnosis and move on to your family, relatives, friends, co-workers and lovers.

    Third is prayer. If you already pray, pray more often. Get some help ramping up the power of your prayer from your spiritual support network. If you don’t already pray, the day of the diagnosis is the best day to start. There’s now hardcore scientific proof that prayer works and is powerful. However, prayer was never about science, nor will it ever be. Prayer is for you and your maker (however you conceive of it) to commune. Prayer needs no proving. It needs some doing. It’s very helpful to pray with folks you know who “pray up a storm” or “pray like they’re on fire” because you need to pray your diagnosis out of existence. Good help here is very valuable.

    Fourth is life itself. Take time to hang out where life is already showing up in abundance. What does that mean? Spend time with babies, flowers, animals, kittens & puppies. They all demonstrate life itself. You need to see it and be with it when you’re dealing with a diagnosis. Gardens, waterfalls, zoos, baby sitting, animal feeding…etc. When you are with life itself it is contagious. That’s the kind of energy you want to invite into your system.

    Fifth is prayer & healing for someone else. One of the best things you can do is pick a person or group to pray on behalf of. Or go help them with what they need done. Volunteering is magical. If you can, do. If you can’t you can at least pray in earnest (“like you’re on fire”) on behalf of someone else. This strategy takes you outside yourself and your current fixation on your own diagnosis. It’s a simple & very effective way to put all of life into perspective, including your current diagnosis. Want to get better faster? Help someone else there. There’s magic when we work together in this way.

    Breast Radiotherapy

    All patients with invasive breast cancer who have had breast-conserving surgery routinely receive post-operative whole-breast radiotherapy. The Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) systematic overview confirms that such treatment yields a 75% reduction in the risk of local tumour recurrence. The overview also indicates that the prevention of four local tumour recurrences will prevent one death from breast cancer at 10 years. Whole-breast radiotherapy (WBRT) has historically been delivered over 5 weeks, treating at 2 Gray (Gy) per fraction, equating to a total dose of 50 Gy delivered to the breast. Among those women where mastectomy is more appropriate, because the tumour is multifocal, too large for breast conservation or for personal reasons, some patients will be selected for radiotherapy to reduce the risk of chest wall recurrence. Typically, radiotherapy is recommended after mastectomy for women with four or more axillary lymph glands, tumours greater than 5 cm (T3), or positive deep margins.

    Whilst the benefits of radiotherapy are recognised, with the increasing incidence of breast cancer and falling mortality, the non-breast cancer deaths are increasingly relevant to the growing population of long-term breast cancer survivors. In addition, the advances in medical imaging and radiotherapy planning techniques, and improvements in radiotherapy treatment machines, have led to a real opportunity to optimise breast dosimetry for the patient. In this review we will discuss current and future strategies for optimising breast radiotherapy treatment. These include:

  • Novel fractionation
  • Partial breast irradiation, target volume definition
  • Optimisation of radiotherapy treatment planning, using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)
  • Optimisation of verification and set-up, including image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), adaptive radiotherapy and tomotherapy
  • Novel fractionation

    Hypofractionation entails the delivery of larger doses per fraction to yield a biological effect equivalent to standard 2 Gy radiotherapy schedules. The UK Standardisation of Breast Radiotherapy Trial (START) compared conventional treatment of 50 Gy in 25 daily fractions over 5 weeks with the delivery of 15 fractions over 3 weeks. The local recurrence rates were equivalent at 5 years. Similar data has been reported in a Canadian study comparing 16 fractions with 25 daily fractions. As a consequence NICE recently advised that hypofractionation should be adopted as a standard regimen within the UK.

    With the adoption of hypofractionation as a standard of care in the UK, there are key improvements in efficiency of treatment in terms of treatment delivery. In order to test the hypothesis that hypofractionation may offer a radiobiological advantage, the Faster Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer Patients (FAST) study compared larger doses (5.7-6 Gy) of radiotherapy given once weekly for 5 weeks with conventional 2-Gy daily treatment in early breast cancer. This showed non-inferiority with respect to local control and cosmetic outcome at 28 months median follow-up and potentially has clear gains in terms of patient convenience and radiotherapy resource utilisation. The Fast Forward trial is currently in set-up to further evaluate this compared to the current UK standard of 40 Gy in 15 daily fractions over 3 weeks.

    A Diet For Candida

    The candida yeast fungi can affect the body in many ways, if they are found in heavy volumes, particularly around the stomach and the intestines. People who suffer from recurring yeast infections may also be vulnerable to other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, frequent migraines and irritable bowel syndrome.

    If you have recurring yeast infections you would need to shift to a yeast free diet in order to stop the recurrence of the infection and to improve your health in many ways. A candida diet eliminates all foods that can encourage the growth of the fungi. Foods which already contain yeast such as breads, baked products and other processed foods with high sugar content should be avoided for a minimum of three to six weeks.

    A yeast free diet free from dairy products which contain molds like some types of cheese, and other fermented foods should be avoided. Alcoholic substances that are made from brewer’s yeast as well as other products that are high in starch would convert to sugars once inside the body, and therefore, should be avoided, as well.

    It may be quite frustrating to avoid the foods that you like best when going through a candida diet. However, if you seriously want to stop the recurrence of yeast infections, you should stay away from processed foods, and make natural, healthy choices.

    You could choose to take in plenty of fruits (avoid those with high sugar content) and vegetables. Protein rich foods such as chicken and meat, fish and eggs can be good substitutes to the carbohydrate rich foods that you often crave. Try buying breads made of whole grains which can also provide the fiber your body needs.

    Those who have followed this yeast free diet have often reported an increase in energy and diminished symptoms of yeast infections. A good exercise routine should complement this diet, in order to strengthen the body’s immune system.

    The overgrowth of the candida fungi can be hindered by beneficial bacteria, called probiotics that are also naturally occurring inside the body. There should be a healthy balance between candida and the probiotics in order to stop recurring yeast infection. Some people who suffer from candida yeast infection can also benefit from taking regular probiotics pills to supplement their candida diet.

    Being in control of your health is the best thing you can do for yourself. Enjoy a life free from recurring yeast infections by making the necessary changes in your diet, including exercises in your daily routine and taking in probiotic supplements.

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