The non-governmental organization, Rowaca Cancer Group – Sierra Leone, with the support of Childhood Cancer (CHOC) South Africa is presently advocating for the provision of medical help for 3 year 7 months old Zainab Koroma who is blind in the one eye and presently suffering from excessive tumor in the affected eye.
Zainab Kamara was healthy when she was born and life was promising for her young parents until an elderly person said to them she was not a normal girl- her eyes see beyond the normal person.
Her parent took her to a tribal doctor who used herbs in her eyes.
Her mother said she later noticed Zainab scratching her eye.
“We noticed later that she was not seeing properly and we took her to the Magbeseneh hospital but we were referred to the Eye clinic where we were informed her eye had become faulty.
According to the parent she totally lost her sight in the one eye but that two months ago the bad eye was swollen.
“Now the doctors said her case is serious,” lamented her other, adding ‘I am afraid for my daughter’s life.’
The Team Leader of RCG-SL, Alpha Kamara, said he was informed about the child and that after seeing her condition urgently informed the Director of the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC).
Kamara said through CHOC’s effort, the case of the child has attracted international concerns and efforts are presently ongoing to save her life.
“We are presently collaborating with the doctor in charge of the case to communicate with a doctor abroad who has shown interest to find a solution to the girl’s case,” Kamara said, adding that she needs Chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
He said the girl might have developed cancerous cells and needs standard medical attention to cure her.
Cancer begins when a particular cell or group of cells in the body begin to multiply and grow without control. Oncology is the study of these cells.
The cancerous cells stop working properly and as their numbers increase they form a lump or tumour. Eventually, the normal cells will be crowded out and the cancerous cells, if not treated, will take over. When cancer cells break away and spread to other parts of the body they may produce secondary tumours known as metastases.
Sometimes the cancer will affect the blood, causing leukaemia.
Kamara said Childhood cancers are quite different from cancers affecting adults. They tend to occur in different parts of the body, look different under the microscope, and respond differently to treatment. Cure rates for most childhood cancers are much higher than those for most adult cancers. Today, the majority of childhood cancers can be treated very effectively, and 65-70% can now be completely cured. Culled from http://inwent-iij-lab.org
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
UN To Hold Non-Communicable Disease Summit
Rowaca Cancer Group – Sierra Leone supports the United Nations General Assembly move to hold a Non-communicable Disease (NCD) Summit
Kamara made this disclosure on Tuesday while talking to members of the media at his 17 Liverpool Street
The assembly is to address the threat posed by NCDs to low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
“Rowaca Cancer Group – Sierra Leone
Kamara said the decision was also congratulated by the World Heart Federation, International Diabetes Federation (IDF), International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union).
Kamara said the alliance of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) represents the four diseases - cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases - that are responsible for 35 million annual deaths globally, 80% of which occur in LMICs. The alliance has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts to ensure the rising burden of NCDs was addressed in the global health and development agendas.
The World Heart Federation, IDF, UICC and The Union together represent 882 member associations in more than 170 countries. By mobilizing their member networks and working with the World Health Organization's (WHO) NCDnet as well as other key organizations such as the Global Alliance on Respiratory Diseases and the Framework Convention Alliance they are one step closer to ensuring NCDs get the urgent attention they deserve, including a greater national focus, an integrated health-systems approach and allocation of essential funding.
This will result in millions of lives being saved and a reversal in damaging social and economic effects.
The UN NCD Summit involving Heads of State to be held in September 2011, will bring together government representatives from both overseas aid donor countries and LMICs with public health experts from around the world.
They will discuss solutions to the growing danger posed by NCDs, and agree what action needs to be taken. The NCD alliance will support WHO in catalysing this process. There have only been 28 such summits in UN history which highlights the significance of the decision and the magnitude of the problem. The NCD alliance requests that member states invest the necessary resources to guarantee successful implementation.
The WHO estimates that global deaths from NCDs will continue to rise over the next 10 years, with the African region expected to see the highest relative increase (27%).
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sign Boards
Rowaca Cancer Group - Sierra Leone has commissioned two sign boards to add to its campaign in Sierra Leone.
The team leader, Alpha B. Kamara, said the sign boards will serve as reminder to community people.
"We should use every tool available to address the burden of cancer," he said.
Kamara said the speech by the president, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, during the opening of Parliament has showed that the Government is oblivious of the felt needs of the people of Sierra Leone, especially the health sector which for years has been the main economic problems of this nation.
He said one key factor that is yet to be taken into cognizant by the stakeholders, especially the ministry of health, is the rising cases of Cancer among the people of this nation.
The team leader, Alpha B. Kamara, said the sign boards will serve as reminder to community people.
"We should use every tool available to address the burden of cancer," he said.
Kamara said the speech by the president, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, during the opening of Parliament has showed that the Government is oblivious of the felt needs of the people of Sierra Leone, especially the health sector which for years has been the main economic problems of this nation.
He said one key factor that is yet to be taken into cognizant by the stakeholders, especially the ministry of health, is the rising cases of Cancer among the people of this nation.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Sensitization Can Be Key To Cancer Control
Information, through a well planned sustainable advocacy, can bring awareness to the people to know the dangers of cancer and the risk unsuspecting people may face from tobacco smoking and exposure to cancer causative substances. Information Dissemination, through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information useful in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer can be critical to saving lives of millions of people.
Lung Cancer is mostly linked to exposure to cancer-causing substances: this includes exposure to asbestos in the mining or construction industries. Also exposure to certain industrial substances like coal products, nickel chromate, vinyl chloride, and exposure to some organic chemicals like chloromethyl ethers.
However, the most common cause of lung cancer is tobacco smoking.
The Rome 8 January 2004 report of the Food and Agricultural Organization of The United Nations (FAO) states, “Higher world tobacco use expected by 2010.”
The FAO says “number of smokers is growing - production shifting to developing countries”
The Rome
That while in developed countries tobacco smoking is set to continue to decline; in developing countries consumption will increase (Projections of tobacco production, consumption and trade to the year 2010).
The report states that world tobacco production is projected to reach over 7.1 million tonnes of tobacco leaf in the year 2010, up from 5.9 million tonnes in 1997/99.
“The number of smokers is expected to grow from 1.1 billion in 1998 to around 1.3 billion in 2010,” according to the report, adding that this is an increase of about 1.5 percent annually.
Despite the overall increase of tobacco use, FAO expects consumption per adult to decline by around 10 percent by 2010, and that individual consumption will probably be around 1.4 kg per year (from around 1.6 kg in 2000).
FAO said applying an aggressive anti-smoking and anti-tobacco policy, tobacco consumption per person could even drop by 20 percent.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also states that cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide accounting for 7.4 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2004, that Lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancer causes the most cancer deaths each year.
WHO also states that more than 30% of cancer deaths can be prevented and that tobacco use is the single most important risk factor for cancer.
“Deaths from cancer worldwide are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 12 million deaths in 2030.”
Taking a cue from the FAO and WHO, there is a dare need of radical advocacy campaigns against tobacco smoking if cancer must be controlled.
The fight against cancer and Lung cancer in particular, needs remedial measures that must be proactively implemented to save the millions of people in Africa and other third world nations from activities that might expose them to the disease.
Public smoking of tobacco is in high use among people in Africa, and Sierra Leone
Taking into consideration the high rate of illiteracy and poverty, with the prevailing poor standard of health facilities in Africa coupled with expensive medicare, sensitization will help save many from the disease.
People must be made to know, in all forms of communication, that the most common cause of lung cancer is smoking. That smoking causes lung cancer because there are substances called carcinogens that cause the actual damage to the cells in the lungs. That a cell that is damaged may become cancerous over a period of time.
In Sierra Leone
The Sierra Leone Government in 2009 banned all forms of tobacco smoking at the Government building, Youyi Building, in Freetown. The action is to discourage the practice in public buildings, especially Government buildings. But will this help solve the problem? I am sure it will not, until the campaign is taken down to the grassroots before then can we assure ourselves that the campaign to protect Sierra Leoneans from lung cancer is on course.
This is why it is high time we lobby Government for better health policies to b made to law.
Research suggests that some people are more at risk for developing cancer if their body is not as easily able to deal with certain cancer-causing chemicals. This inability to neutralize cancer-causing chemicals is believed to be inherited.
Researchers also believe that in some people, when they come into contact with certain cancer-causing agents, their immune system, instead of neutralizing them, will actually make these agents more aggressive within the body. Such people, therefore, would be more sensitive to tobacco smoke and chemicals known to cause cancer.
No Data On Cancer
It is sad to note that while cancer is taking high toll on people world wide, Sierra Leone is yet to get a statistical record of Sierra Leoneans suffering from the disease. These lapses cannot be disassociated with the war but now that we are building back our broken economy we must endevour to ensure all Sierra Leoneans get screening opportunities for early cancer detection, especially lung cancer.
What Is Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both of the lungs.
The body is made up of different types of cells that normally divide and multiply in an orderly way. These new cells replace older cells. This process of cell birth and renewal occurs constantly in the body. Abnormal cells also periodically normally appear but are removed by natural defense mechanisms. Cancer, also known as a malignant growth, occurs when:
When the body's natural defenses, such as certain parts of the immune and other protective systems, cannot stop the uncontrolled cell division, cancer begins.
These abnormal cells become greater and greater in number, and come together to form a tumor, which is a cellular growth that forms a progressively enlarging mass. Such tumors are benign unless they invade surrounding tissues and organs, in which case they are malignant.
Cancerous tumors grow out of control and can invade, replace, and destroy normal cells near the tumor. In some cases, cancer cells spread (or metastasize) to other areas of the body.
Lung cancer generally takes many years to develop even though damage to the lungs may occur shortly after a person is exposed to cancer-causing substances.
With this information, it is worthy to note that Computed tomography (CT scan) and other forms of chemotherapy treatments are expensive in Sierra Leone Ghana
Radionuclide scanning and bone scans are a dream to most Sierra Leoneans, not even mentioning photodynamic therapy used during clinical trials for tumors in the main central airways that either recur after surgery or chemotherapy.
Why using the media to save third world countries?
Medical treatment for some forms of cancer is expensive, and lung cancer in its severe state involves expensive diagnosis and treatment. This therefore puts to greater risk poor people who may not have the finances to pay for medicare.
Being that we now know most of the causes can be controlled leaves us with no choice but to utilize the most effective means of cure, communication and proactive sensitization campaigns worldwide.
Strategies and mode of campaigns may defer from one country to the other, but Rowaca Cancer Group – Sierra Leone (RCG-SL) believes that engagement with the people through the Print and Electronic Media, cultural shows and community meetings can be vital to the campaign.
RCG-SL also believes that targeting young people in primary and secondary schools, and those in tertiary institutions can be more effective to making the consciousness widely. This is borne from the imperative of going public to control cancer because cancer is the global health concern of the 21st century.
RCG-SL is supporting the Livestrong Global Cancer Campaign to making the campaign possible, because we believe that the numbers are staggering with more people dying from cancer than AIDS, TB and malaria combined. This disease knows no boundaries. And the impacts are significant.
By 2030, it is estimated that more than 12 million people around the world will die of cancer each and every year. And many, many more will be touched by this disease. But it doesn't have to be this way.
We know how to control cancer. If we applied what we already know, we could cut the rate of cancer deaths by as much as half over the next generation worldwide. Millions of lives can be saved through prevention, early detection and diagnosis, treatment, supportive care and research are critical drivers.
Cancer leaders from around the world recognize that much can be done today to significantly reduce the impact of cancer. There is a need to come together, to connect in new ways, to collaborate like never before. And by working together through concerted action, cancer can be controlled collectively. We need to collaborate to engage with those that weren't present to play a critical role in this global effort.
Credit FAO and WHO
Thursday, February 4, 2010
No Data On Cancer
Medical practitioners in Sierra Leone recently revealed at a One-day Workshop held at the College of Medicine
The workshop which was held on Tuesday was attended by senior medical officers with co-partners from the University of Cardiff
According to Professor Alison Fianda, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology- Cardiff University , Sierra Leone
For a country with a population of 5.4 million, such a figure is threatening and needed grater attention by the government and stakeholders.
However, cancer sensitization will be key to enlightening Sierra Leoneans about their health decisions, especially the majority poor, who are still finding it difficult to afford for their livelihood.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Quitting Smoking: Why To Quit and How To Get Help
What health problems are caused by smoking?
Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and diminishes a person’s overall health. Smoking is a leading cause of cancer and of death from cancer. It causes cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx (voice box), mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach, and cervix, as well as acute myeloid leukemia.
Smoking also causes heart disease, stroke, lung disease (chronic bronchitis and emphysema), hip fractures, and cataracts. Smokers are at higher risk of developing pneumonia and other airway infections.
A pregnant smoker is at higher risk of having her baby born too early and with an abnormally low weight. A woman who smokes during or after pregnancy increases her infant’s risk of death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Millions of Americans have health problems caused by smoking. Cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke cause an estimated average of 438,000 premature deaths each year in the United States. Of these premature deaths, about 40 percent are from cancer, 35 percent are from heart disease and stroke, and 25 percent are from lung disease. Smoking is the leading cause of premature, preventable death in this country.
Regardless of their age, smokers can substantially reduce their risk of disease, including cancer, by quitting.
Does tobacco smoke contain harmful chemicals?
Yes. Tobacco smoke contains chemicals that are harmful to both smokers and nonsmokers. Breathing even a little tobacco smoke can be harmful (1, 3). Of the 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, at least 250 are known to be harmful (4, 5). The toxic chemicals found in smoke include hydrogen cyanide (used in chemical weapons), carbon monoxide (found in car exhaust), formaldehyde (used as an embalming fluid), ammonia (used in household cleaners), and toluene (found in paint thinners).
What are the immediate benefits of quitting smoking?
The immediate health benefits of quitting smoking are substantial. Heart rate and blood pressure, which were abnormally high while smoking, begin to return to normal. Within a few hours, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood begins to decline. (Carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas found in cigarette smoke, reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.) Within a few weeks, people who quit smoking have improved circulation, don’t produce as much phlegm, and don’t cough or wheeze as often. Within several months of quitting, people can expect significant improvements in lung function.
What are the long-term benefits of quitting smoking?
Quitting smoking reduces the risk of cancer and other diseases, such as heart disease and lung disease, caused by smoking. People who quit smoking, regardless of their age, are less likely than those who continue to smoke to die from smoking-related illness. Studies have shown that quitting at about age 30 reduces the chance of dying from smoking-related diseases by more than 90 percent . People who quit at about age 50 reduce their risk of dying prematurely by 50 percent compared with those who continue to smoke. Even people who quit at about age 60 or older live longer than those who continue to smoke.
Does quitting smoking lower the risk of cancer?
Quitting smoking substantially reduces the risk of developing and dying from cancer, and this benefit increases the longer a person remains smoke free. However, even after many years of not smoking, the risk of lung cancer in former smokers remains higher than in people who have never smoked.
The risk of premature death and the chance of developing cancer due to cigarettes depend on the number of years of smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, the age at which smoking began, and the presence or absence of illness at the time of quitting. For people who have already developed cancer, quitting smoking reduces the risk of developing a second cancer.
Should someone already diagnosed with cancer bother to quit smoking?
Yes. There are many reasons that people diagnosed with cancer should quit smoking. For those having surgery or other treatments, quitting smoking helps improve the body’s ability to heal and respond to the cancer treatment, and it lowers the risk of pneumonia and respiratory failure. Also, quitting smoking may lower the risk of the cancer returning or a second cancer forming.
What are some of the challenges associated with quitting smoking?
Quitting smoking may cause short-term problems, especially for those who have smoked a large number of cigarettes for a long period of time:
Feeling sad or anxious: People who quit smoking are likely to feel depressed, anxious, irritable, and restless, and may have difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
Gaining weight: Increased appetite is a common withdrawal symptom after quitting smoking, and studies show that people who quit smoking increase their food intake. Although most smokers gain less than 10 pounds, for some people the weight gain can be troublesome. Regular physical activity can help people maintain a healthy weight.
Depression, anxiety, restlessness, weight gain, and other problems are symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Many people find that nicotine replacement products and other medicines may relieve these problems. However, even without medication, withdrawal symptoms and other problems do subside over time. It helps to keep in mind that people who kick the smoking habit have the opportunity for a healthier future.
Can a doctor, dentist, or pharmacist help a person quit smoking?
Doctors, dentists, and pharmacists can be good sources of information about the health risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting. They can describe the proper use and potential side effects of nicotine replacement therapy and other medicines and they can help people find local quit smoking resources.
How can I help someone I know quit smoking?
It’s understandable to be concerned about someone you know who currently smokes. It’s important to find out if this person wants to quit smoking. Most smokers say they want to quit. If they don’t want to quit, try to find out why.
Here are some things you can do to help:
Express things in terms of your own concern about the smoker’s health ("I’m worried about...").
Acknowledge that the smoker may get something out of smoking and may find it difficult to quit.
Be encouraging and express your faith that the smoker can quit for good.
Suggest a specific action, such as calling a smoking quitline, for help in quitting smoking.
Ask the smoker for ways you can provide support.
Here are two things you should not do:
Don’t send quit smoking materials to smokers unless they ask for them.
Don’t criticize, nag, or remind the smoker about past failures.
What about combining medications?
Some health care providers suggest that combining the nicotine patch with nicotine gum or nicotine nasal spray may work better than using a single type of nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine gum in combination with nicotine patch therapy may also reduce withdrawal symptoms better than either medication alone. The patch provides a base level of nicotine, and the additional products can deliver extra nicotine when cravings or withdrawal symptoms occur. Another option is the combination of bupropion and nicotine patch therapy. People who think they may benefit from combining medications should consult with their health care provider before making a decision.
Are there alternative methods to help people quit smoking?
Some people claim that alternative approaches such as hypnosis, acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy, or electrostimulation may help reduce the symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal. However, clinical studies have not shown that these alternative approaches help people quit smoking.
What if a person smokes again after quitting?
Many smokers find it difficult to quit. People commonly quit smoking and then find themselves smoking again, especially in the first few weeks or months after quitting. People who smoke after quitting should try again to quit. Most people find that they need to persist in their attempts to quit smoking before they quit for good. It may take four or more attempts before smokers are able to quit for good.
People who stop smoking for 3 months or longer have an excellent chance of remaining cigarette free for the rest of their lives.
Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and diminishes a person’s overall health. Smoking is a leading cause of cancer and of death from cancer. It causes cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx (voice box), mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach, and cervix, as well as acute myeloid leukemia.
Smoking also causes heart disease, stroke, lung disease (chronic bronchitis and emphysema), hip fractures, and cataracts. Smokers are at higher risk of developing pneumonia and other airway infections.
A pregnant smoker is at higher risk of having her baby born too early and with an abnormally low weight. A woman who smokes during or after pregnancy increases her infant’s risk of death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Millions of Americans have health problems caused by smoking. Cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke cause an estimated average of 438,000 premature deaths each year in the United States. Of these premature deaths, about 40 percent are from cancer, 35 percent are from heart disease and stroke, and 25 percent are from lung disease. Smoking is the leading cause of premature, preventable death in this country.
Regardless of their age, smokers can substantially reduce their risk of disease, including cancer, by quitting.
Does tobacco smoke contain harmful chemicals?
Yes. Tobacco smoke contains chemicals that are harmful to both smokers and nonsmokers. Breathing even a little tobacco smoke can be harmful (1, 3). Of the 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, at least 250 are known to be harmful (4, 5). The toxic chemicals found in smoke include hydrogen cyanide (used in chemical weapons), carbon monoxide (found in car exhaust), formaldehyde (used as an embalming fluid), ammonia (used in household cleaners), and toluene (found in paint thinners).
What are the immediate benefits of quitting smoking?
The immediate health benefits of quitting smoking are substantial. Heart rate and blood pressure, which were abnormally high while smoking, begin to return to normal. Within a few hours, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood begins to decline. (Carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas found in cigarette smoke, reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.) Within a few weeks, people who quit smoking have improved circulation, don’t produce as much phlegm, and don’t cough or wheeze as often. Within several months of quitting, people can expect significant improvements in lung function.
What are the long-term benefits of quitting smoking?
Quitting smoking reduces the risk of cancer and other diseases, such as heart disease and lung disease, caused by smoking. People who quit smoking, regardless of their age, are less likely than those who continue to smoke to die from smoking-related illness. Studies have shown that quitting at about age 30 reduces the chance of dying from smoking-related diseases by more than 90 percent . People who quit at about age 50 reduce their risk of dying prematurely by 50 percent compared with those who continue to smoke. Even people who quit at about age 60 or older live longer than those who continue to smoke.
Does quitting smoking lower the risk of cancer?
Quitting smoking substantially reduces the risk of developing and dying from cancer, and this benefit increases the longer a person remains smoke free. However, even after many years of not smoking, the risk of lung cancer in former smokers remains higher than in people who have never smoked.
The risk of premature death and the chance of developing cancer due to cigarettes depend on the number of years of smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, the age at which smoking began, and the presence or absence of illness at the time of quitting. For people who have already developed cancer, quitting smoking reduces the risk of developing a second cancer.
Should someone already diagnosed with cancer bother to quit smoking?
Yes. There are many reasons that people diagnosed with cancer should quit smoking. For those having surgery or other treatments, quitting smoking helps improve the body’s ability to heal and respond to the cancer treatment, and it lowers the risk of pneumonia and respiratory failure. Also, quitting smoking may lower the risk of the cancer returning or a second cancer forming.
What are some of the challenges associated with quitting smoking?
Quitting smoking may cause short-term problems, especially for those who have smoked a large number of cigarettes for a long period of time:
Feeling sad or anxious: People who quit smoking are likely to feel depressed, anxious, irritable, and restless, and may have difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
Gaining weight: Increased appetite is a common withdrawal symptom after quitting smoking, and studies show that people who quit smoking increase their food intake. Although most smokers gain less than 10 pounds, for some people the weight gain can be troublesome. Regular physical activity can help people maintain a healthy weight.
Depression, anxiety, restlessness, weight gain, and other problems are symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Many people find that nicotine replacement products and other medicines may relieve these problems. However, even without medication, withdrawal symptoms and other problems do subside over time. It helps to keep in mind that people who kick the smoking habit have the opportunity for a healthier future.
Can a doctor, dentist, or pharmacist help a person quit smoking?
Doctors, dentists, and pharmacists can be good sources of information about the health risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting. They can describe the proper use and potential side effects of nicotine replacement therapy and other medicines and they can help people find local quit smoking resources.
How can I help someone I know quit smoking?
It’s understandable to be concerned about someone you know who currently smokes. It’s important to find out if this person wants to quit smoking. Most smokers say they want to quit. If they don’t want to quit, try to find out why.
Here are some things you can do to help:
Express things in terms of your own concern about the smoker’s health ("I’m worried about...").
Acknowledge that the smoker may get something out of smoking and may find it difficult to quit.
Be encouraging and express your faith that the smoker can quit for good.
Suggest a specific action, such as calling a smoking quitline, for help in quitting smoking.
Ask the smoker for ways you can provide support.
Here are two things you should not do:
Don’t send quit smoking materials to smokers unless they ask for them.
Don’t criticize, nag, or remind the smoker about past failures.
What about combining medications?
Some health care providers suggest that combining the nicotine patch with nicotine gum or nicotine nasal spray may work better than using a single type of nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine gum in combination with nicotine patch therapy may also reduce withdrawal symptoms better than either medication alone. The patch provides a base level of nicotine, and the additional products can deliver extra nicotine when cravings or withdrawal symptoms occur. Another option is the combination of bupropion and nicotine patch therapy. People who think they may benefit from combining medications should consult with their health care provider before making a decision.
Are there alternative methods to help people quit smoking?
Some people claim that alternative approaches such as hypnosis, acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy, or electrostimulation may help reduce the symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal. However, clinical studies have not shown that these alternative approaches help people quit smoking.
What if a person smokes again after quitting?
Many smokers find it difficult to quit. People commonly quit smoking and then find themselves smoking again, especially in the first few weeks or months after quitting. People who smoke after quitting should try again to quit. Most people find that they need to persist in their attempts to quit smoking before they quit for good. It may take four or more attempts before smokers are able to quit for good.
People who stop smoking for 3 months or longer have an excellent chance of remaining cigarette free for the rest of their lives.
Avoid Getting Cancer
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells in the body.
Some cancers, if caught in early stages need not be fatal; others spread quickly and can result in death. There are many types of cancer, but the most common types are: Breast, Colorectal, Lung, Prostate, Skin and Testicular. All of these involve the malfunction of genes that control cell growth and cell division. That means your cell will not be able to communicate properly (similar to you trying to talk to someone that does not speak your language) and as a result there will be a lot of mis-communcation.
There is no single cause. Instead cancer can be caused by external factors (smoking, radiation, and infectious organisms) and internal factors (inherited genes, immune conditions, etc.) While some of the causes are outside of most people's control, other factors, like smoking, are lifestyle changes that an individual could make to improve their health.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in a single year (2004) more than 180,000 cancer deaths will be as a result of tobacco use. Research indicates that another one-third of the 563,700 cancer deaths in the same time period will be related to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, being overweight or obese, and other lifestyle factor that if changed, could have prevented the onset or spread of this disease.
Can you prevent, nay even survive it? According to the ACS, the 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers diagnosed between 1995 and 2000 is up by 64%.
There are some simple steps that may result in not only reducing your risk, but ultimately saving your life:
- Nutrition and exercise: There is strong scientific evidence that a healthy diet, combined with regular physical activity, is not only are needed to maintain a healthful body weight but will also reduce cancer risk. Some studies have found that people eating diets high in vegetables and fruits, and low in meat and/or animal fats have reduced risk of some the most common cancers. Can not get any fresh fruits and vegetable? You are allergic to fruits and vegetables? Try nutritious supplements in form of glyconutrients (see http://dexlen.myglycostore.com).
- Tobacco use cessation: Some of the most dangerous types of cancer are related to tobacco use (not only smoking cigarettes but smoking cigars or pipes, and chewing tobacco). As mentioned earlier, tobacco use has been linked to almost 200,000 deaths yearly. Quitting smoking or any tobacco habit can be incredibly difficult but will add 15 to 20 years to your life.
- Protect skin: Skin cancer may not always be fatal, but it's still incredibly prevalent. In 2004, more than 1 million cases of skin cancer were diagnosed - many could have been avoided by merely wearing sun block, hats, sun glasses, and avoiding sun tanning.
- Reduce stress: It's difficult to chart the correlation between stress and cancer. Some studies indicate that individuals that developed cancer were in particularly high stress positions in life. There are many theories that suggest that cancer is similar to an immune system disease and stress is a major factor in lowering the body's natural immunity.
Cancer does not need to be a death sentence. There are many advances taking place every year in medicine to extend the life of cancer patients. But perhaps the greatest opportunity isn't with treatment of the cancer, but rather the prevention of the cancer in the first place. By making a few behavioral changes to your life you can substantially reduce the risk of cancer and improve the quality of your life.
Some cancers, if caught in early stages need not be fatal; others spread quickly and can result in death. There are many types of cancer, but the most common types are: Breast, Colorectal, Lung, Prostate, Skin and Testicular. All of these involve the malfunction of genes that control cell growth and cell division. That means your cell will not be able to communicate properly (similar to you trying to talk to someone that does not speak your language) and as a result there will be a lot of mis-communcation.
There is no single cause. Instead cancer can be caused by external factors (smoking, radiation, and infectious organisms) and internal factors (inherited genes, immune conditions, etc.) While some of the causes are outside of most people's control, other factors, like smoking, are lifestyle changes that an individual could make to improve their health.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in a single year (2004) more than 180,000 cancer deaths will be as a result of tobacco use. Research indicates that another one-third of the 563,700 cancer deaths in the same time period will be related to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, being overweight or obese, and other lifestyle factor that if changed, could have prevented the onset or spread of this disease.
Can you prevent, nay even survive it? According to the ACS, the 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers diagnosed between 1995 and 2000 is up by 64%.
There are some simple steps that may result in not only reducing your risk, but ultimately saving your life:
- Nutrition and exercise: There is strong scientific evidence that a healthy diet, combined with regular physical activity, is not only are needed to maintain a healthful body weight but will also reduce cancer risk. Some studies have found that people eating diets high in vegetables and fruits, and low in meat and/or animal fats have reduced risk of some the most common cancers. Can not get any fresh fruits and vegetable? You are allergic to fruits and vegetables? Try nutritious supplements in form of glyconutrients (see http://dexlen.myglycostore.com).
- Tobacco use cessation: Some of the most dangerous types of cancer are related to tobacco use (not only smoking cigarettes but smoking cigars or pipes, and chewing tobacco). As mentioned earlier, tobacco use has been linked to almost 200,000 deaths yearly. Quitting smoking or any tobacco habit can be incredibly difficult but will add 15 to 20 years to your life.
- Protect skin: Skin cancer may not always be fatal, but it's still incredibly prevalent. In 2004, more than 1 million cases of skin cancer were diagnosed - many could have been avoided by merely wearing sun block, hats, sun glasses, and avoiding sun tanning.
- Reduce stress: It's difficult to chart the correlation between stress and cancer. Some studies indicate that individuals that developed cancer were in particularly high stress positions in life. There are many theories that suggest that cancer is similar to an immune system disease and stress is a major factor in lowering the body's natural immunity.
Cancer does not need to be a death sentence. There are many advances taking place every year in medicine to extend the life of cancer patients. But perhaps the greatest opportunity isn't with treatment of the cancer, but rather the prevention of the cancer in the first place. By making a few behavioral changes to your life you can substantially reduce the risk of cancer and improve the quality of your life.
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No solution to Kargbo's hand despite years of suffering. wound in the hand discharges pus, and has been with her for years.