M.D. Anderson Cancer Center teaches the art of aromatherapy to soothe and heal. Cherie Perez, a supervising research nurse, teaches a monthly aromatherapy class to answer questions about aromatherapy treatments to cancer survivors and cancer caregivers undergoing treatment.

Perez first became involved with aromatherapy to help those diagnosed with fibromyalgia deal with the physical pain and discomfort caused by the disease. She now shares her professional knowledge of the basics of aromatherapy in each hour long class. Her classes are offered free of charge at the wellness center at M.D. Anderson. The wellness center focuses on helping patients and caregivers deal with the non-medical issues of living with cancer. This is the first complementary facility to be built on the campus of a comprehensive cancer center.

In the future Perez looks to designing research strategies to examine how aromatherapy can be used to treat or heal burns from radiation treatments. She would also like to explore aromatherapy in the use of pre-treatment anxiety and also manage loss of memory issues in cancer survivors.

Why do some researchers believe that aromatherapy is beneficial?

Our sense of smell is 10,000 times stronger than any of our other senses. The receptors in your nose communicate with two structures that are imbedded deep in your brain and serve as the storehouses for emotions and memories. It is believed that the stimulation of these structures influences our physical, emotional and mental health.

To read more about the uses of aromatherapy click here.

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center says that patients require approximately 100 units of red blood cells and 400 units of platelets everyday. The M.D. Anderson Blood Bank is a leader in the field of transfusion medicine.

Giving blood provides hope to cancer patients. To donate blood for transfusion for another person, you must be healthy, be at least 17 year's old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and not have donated blood in the last 8 weeks.

Cancer survivors that would like to donate can if their cancer has been treated successfully and it has been at least five years since treatment was completed and there has been no cancer recurrence. Some low-risk cancers including squamous or basal cell cancers of the skin do not require a five year waiting period. If you have had leukemia or lymphoma including Hodgkin's disease, you are not eligible to donate. Go to eligibility criteria to find out more. You can also visit the Red Cross.

Metastasis to the brain is hard to treat because many chemotherapies do not pass the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier is a natural filter within the body. It only allows certain substances through from the blood to the brain tissues. This is a natural defense mechanism. It is designed to keep harmful substances out of the brain. Only a few chemotherapy drugs get across the blood-brain barrier.

One drug that can pass the blood-brain barrier is called Temodar. A clinical trial was done from researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center to evaluate the combination of Xeloda and Temodar in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer to the brain. The trial included 48 patients who were either newly diagnosed brain metastasis patients, patients with multiple areas spread to the brain and those that had recurred to the brain following prior therapies.

The study showed that 18 percent of patients have regression of the cancer in the brain, half of the patients had continued anti-cancer responses at eight weeks and half of the patients did not have cancer progression in the brain after three months.

The researches concluded that the treatment combination of Temodar and Xeloda provided anticancer response in metastatic breast cancer to the brain.

The addition of further chemotherapy added to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer can improve survival. When diagnosed with esophageal cancer the patient is usually given chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery, it also may be accompanied by radiation. This gives a better chance that the tumor will be smaller and can be fully removed. It also is treating the body immediately with systematic therapy in case any cancer cells are circulating in the body.

The journal Cancer has published an article from researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center regarding additional chemotherapy added to the neoadjuvant chemotherapy already given to patients who have locally advanced esophageal cancer.

The study included 130 patients with esophageal cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation therapy and their outcomes were compared to 117 patients who received the same treatment plus and additional course of chemotherapy (induction chemotherapy) prior to surgery.

At five years overall survival was 43 percent for those treated with the additional induction chemotherapy before surgery, compared to 28 percent for those not treated with induction chemotherapy.

The researchers concluded that the induction chemotherapy added to the neoadjuvant chemotherapy improved survival.

Living Fully with and Beyond Cancer is an annual conference hosted by the Anderson Network. Cancer patients, family members and caregivers can join together to share hope, support and understanding.

The conference will be held on September 7-9, 2006 at the Houston Marriott Westchase.

The Anderson Network is a unique cancer support group of more than 1,300 current and former patients who know what you're going through and can help. The members are living proof that no matter what your diagnosis and treatment, there is always hope, and a chance to live fully each day.