The new approved treatment for spine metastasis uses radiofrequency to kill cancer cells in the spine. After the radiofrequency is delivered to the area with cancer, a type of cement mixture is delivered into the cavity site to fill the empty space which was once occupied by the cancer. This step provides stability to the spine.

This new treatment called Cavity Spinewand minimizes damage to the surrounding tissue since the treatment is placed directly where the cancer cells reside. Patients treated with this method have reported significant pain relief, sometimes even complete pain relief.

Less pain means improved quality of life, mobility and enables patients to continue on with their scheduled chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

I've always heard the use of herbs and supplements and alternative therapies can be a potentially dangerous pursuit when combined with cancer treatment. But this may not be entirely true.

Think about this:

Using Chinese herbs alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy may help protect a breast cancer patient's bone marrow and immune system. It may also improve the overall quality of life for women, say researchers at the Chinese Cochrane Centre in Chengdu, China.

It is well known that women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer experience significant short term side effects such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, inflammation of the gut lining, decreased numbers of red and white blood cells, and decreased numbers of blood platelets. Those is search of some relief may wish to give Chinese medicinal herbs a try.

Researchers say there is conventional evidence indicating that these medicines are safe and effective. Still, "further trials are needed before the effects of traditional Chinese medicines for people with breast cancer can be evaluated with any real confidence," says one professor involved in this area of study.

Hot flashes can be a lingering side effect for many breast cancer survivors. The hot flashes occur when changes in hormone levels interfere with the body's ability to regulate its temperature.

Hot flashes can affect younger women treated with chemotherapy (which can shut down their ovaries), and also is one of the main side effects of the commonly prescribed hormone therapies, such as tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor such as Arimidex.

Hormone replacement therapy can be used to control hot flashes, but breast cancer survivors are recommended not use them because of concerns the hormones may increase the risk of their breast cancer returning.

An article published in the Annals of Oncology reported on a German study that was conducted to compare Effexor and clonidine therapy. Effexor is an antidepressant and clonidine is a drug used to treat high blood pressure.

The researchers concluded that Effexor significantly reduces the frequency of hot flashes compared with Catapres (clonidine) among patients with breast cancer who suffer from at least two hot flashes a day.

There are other anti-depressive agents that also reduce the amount of hot flashes throughout the day. Talk to your doctor to see if any of these drugs can give you some relief.

From houseplants to raised beds, to plant a seed, tend the soil, and watch a plant grow is one of the most inspiringly hopeful of activities. In hopefulness is found a kind of healing. According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, horticulture therapy is defined as "a process utilizing plants and horticultural activities to improve social, educational, psychological and physical adjustment of persons thus improving their body, mind, and spirit." The American Cancer Society offers a list of some of horticulture therapy benefits one can expect from gardening that include:

• Feelings of hope.
• Stress reduction.
• Social interaction.
• Pain relief.
• Improved muscle tone, flexibility, and cardiopulmonary capability.
• Creativity and self-expression.
• Enhanced self-esteem and improved mood.
• Motor skill development.
  

As the New Year arrives, so do the gardening catalogs in the mail. Interested in receiving gardening catalogs but not certain where to start? Cyndi's Catalog of Garden Catalogs lists over 2,000 mail-order gardening catalogs for the home gardener.

Two of my favorite gardening websites and online catalogs are found at Seeds of Change and Seed Savers Exchange.

At Seeds of Change, you can find garden seeds, seed collections, cover crops, seedlings, fruit trees, garden tools, kitchen items, and a bookstore. All organic. In addition, Seeds of Change publishes a newsletter.

Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization that saves and shares heirloom seeds. According to Seed Savers Exchange, "Our organization is saving the world's diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity."

But, wherever you start, once you catch the gardening bug, you will understand why horticulture therapy is becoming an integrated part in healing programs adopted at some of the medical centers across the country.

There may be another explanation for the recently announced decline in breast cancer rates. And it's not nearly as promising as the first explanation may be.

A day after researchers announced that the significant drop in breast cancer cases is primarily due to fewer women using hormone replacement therapy (HRT), some experts suggest breast cancer rates are not dropping at all. Just as many women may have breast cancer, they say. They just aren't being screened for it.

"We have been aware for several years that the number of radiologists who specialize in mammography have been decreasing, and that there are places in the United States where women have difficulty getting access to mammography," Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, wrote on the society's blog just after the public announcement.

"If mammography use has reached a peak and is now decreasing, we may actually be diagnosing fewer cancers when they can be most effectively treated, Lichtenfeld said. "If you don't get a mammogram, you don't diagnose a cancer."

The research linking the decline in HRT to the drop in breast cancer came from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and was discussed at a breast cancer conference in San Antonio on Thursday. The research, based on a report by the National Cancer Institute, showed a seven percent drop in new breast cancer cases between July 2002 and August 2003, corresponding with the results of a 2002 Women's Health Initiative study.

With media reports citing HRT as the direct cause of the drop, some worry the public is getting the wrong message -- specifically women still taking hormones or those who have taken them in the past. While women not taking hormones are breathing a sigh of relief, others are in a panic.

Dr. Katherine Sherif, director of the Drexel Center for Women's Health at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, has spoken already with 15 patients worried about this news.

"What I have told them is that three years is too short of a time to measure the effects of a drug on breast cancer," she said. "Cancers take decades to develop, and conversely, withdrawing hormones could not result in a decrease in breast cancer in three years -- it's actually absurdly short." There are also concerns women will experience anxiety about other therapies using estrogen, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The study on HRT and breast cancer may be raising more questions than answers -- which could be a good thing. More questions prompt more investigation, more study, more research. And this will hopefully help us figure out one facet of the mystery of breast cancer.

Previous posts on the topic of HRT and breast cancer are as follows.

• HRT use drops breast cancer rates drop
• Hooray for HRT!?
• HRT and smoking dramatically increases breast cancer risk
• HRT increases breast cancer risks

Conotoxin is toxin made by cone snails, which are fish eating snails that inhabit tropical coral reefs. Each of the 500 species of cone snail produces roughly 50 to 100 distinct conotoxins which they use to immobilize prey. Researchers believe that this sea snail venom could be used to create a pain medication to replace morphine.

Conotoxin has not yet been tested on humans but when tested on animals conotoxin could produce pain relief without the nasty side effects. The researchers believe that with more studies and testing on humans that conotoxin has the potential to completely revolutionize pain treatment for cancer patients and chronic pain sufferers.

Morphine can have a range of side effects including nausea, drowsiness and movement defects. If the research proves successful they hope the treatment will allow sufferer's to lead a normal life-- pain free.

I heard a man interviewed on the news the other night who said the side effects of chemotherapy make him feel so poorly, so unlike he once felt. Recently, however, he discovered a remedy that makes him feel better, more like he did before chemotherapy took its toll on his well-being. His remedy -- reflexology.

Reflexology does not erase the side effects of chemotherapy, but it can provide relief for patients whose lives are altered by chemotherapy-induced nausea, pain, fatigue, and anxiety.

Reflexology, or zone therapy, is the application of pressure, stretch, and movement to the feet and hands in order to break up patterns of stress in corresponding parts of the body. There are many theories about how this practice actually works -- one is that applied pressure signals the nervous system to initiate changes in the brain which promotes inner balance. Still, all theories operate according to the belief that reflexology reduces stress and anxiety and lessens overall wear and tear on the body systems. And many medical professionals are incorporating this therapy into their cancer care programs.

Some doctors are not so quick to embrace this complementary therapy that has no real scientific backing. They believe reflexology is nothing more than a pseudoscience, offering the same benefits as massage.

The enthusiastic man I watched on the news is not concerned with popular opinion on the zone therapy he receives on his feet. It makes him feel better -- and that's all that concerns him.

Colchicine, an anti-inflammatory drug prescribed for gout, appears to prevent some cases of liver cancer for patients with hepatitis virus-related liver cirrhosis, according to Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia researchers in Tlalpan, Mexico.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risks are higher for those who suffer from viral hepatitis. The study was a small one, involving 186 patients with hepatitis virus-related liver cirrhosis. 116 patients received colchicine. Of those, nine percent developed HCC. In the second group, 70 patients were not treated with the drug, and 29 percent developed HCC. Researchers explained that colchicine has the ability to block cancer cell proliferation.

The results of the study are published in the October 15th issue of Cancer.

Medline Plus offers this information about colchicine. Colchicine is used to prevent or treat attacks of gout. Colchicine prevents or relieves gout attacks by reducing inflammation, however, it is not an ordinary pain reliever and will not relieve most kinds of pain. Wikipedia describes colchicine as a highly poisonous alkaloid, originally extracted from plants known as Meadow saffron.

A new line of pomegranate-based supplements, called Pomology, will be revealed this weekend at the 2006 Expo Trade Show in Baltimore, Maryland. According to leading nutritionists and fitness experts, "each product contains a premium blend of proven ingredients that consumers can utilize for immediate relief and long-term health benefits." Target shoppers are those seeking a boost in heart health, prostate health, antioxidant health, joint health, and menopause.

Pomegranates, known for anti-inflammatory effects and high levels of antioxidants, have been used medically for thousands of years and have recently been making headlines for their power to knock out all kinds of health problems, including cancer. Pomology was founded in 2005 by a team of nutritionists and athletic performance experts who created formulas that meet varying lifestyle needs. This product line is promoted as one of highest quality and efficacy.

The information detailed above came directly from a press release.

A few days ago, I wrote a post about Richard Morris of www.breadandmoney.com who argued that sensational press releases about miracle products and potions often land in the hands of the media who broadcast them to the public in a this-will-fix-all-your-problems fashion. Morris states that no one product will fix what ails us without the proper balance of a handful of other practices -- like relaxation, stress reduction, and exercise. It's just not likely that Pomology supplements will result in "immediate relief and long-term health benefits." It's just not. Yet that is what we might gather from this press release. And unless we take on a full-scale lifestyle overhaul, what we gather from taking supplements such as these might just be a whole lot of nothing.

I have made on-line visits to Wikipedia many times -- mostly for information on cancer. And what I've found are endless resources, thoroughly-covered topics, and material that is easy to read and easy to understand. Wikipedia, a free on-line encyclopedia -- where readers can participate in editing and changing content -- offers information on just about any topic you can imagine. And here are seven stops you might make in pursuit of cancer-related material.

For chronic pain sufferers, this might be the earliest beginning of the ultimate end for unrelenting pain. Columbia University researchers have been studying how pain works at the molecular and cellular level and discovered a key enzyme that cause nerve cells to send pain messages through the central nervous system even when there is no physical pain being experienced. So although you might not actually be in physical pain any longer, if your brain is being told there is still pain, you will experience the reality of pain.

Because of this find, researchers are hoping a drug can be developed that will shut down the messengers and the message.

Researcher Richard Ambron is quoted as saying that pain is not necessary. I could not agree more and have been an advocate for quality of life issues for long-term cancer survivors who must endure chronic pain without effective relief.

Just like Ambron, I do not think it is necessary that people put up with or suffer silently in pain either, and because the current methods of treatment can lead to additional health problems, this type of research is most welcome -- and long past due.

Radiation treatment for breast cancer can create painful burning side effects on the skin. A 30-second process called LED photomodulation, which is a low-energy light treatment used to reduce wrinkles and stimulate collagen to regenerate in the repair of skin cells, has now been successfully tried in a small study on women undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer.

Ninety-five percent of women who received the treatment had only mild or no burning and pain. The women breast cancer patients who received LED treatment also reported an improvement in their surgical scars.

"Nobody had thought about preventing it, and I think it is wonderful to prevent something rather than have to take care of it later," said Dr. Maitland DeLand, a radiation oncologist.

Not yet a readily available treatment, the researchers are hoping this study will influence cancer centers to include LED photomodulation as part of radiation treatment for breast cancer. To read more about the treatment and background into the study, go here.

It's about time. More than 50 percent of all cancer patients and survivors and more than 75 percent of those cancer patients in an advanced stage of cancer suffer unrelenting, sometimes debilitating, and always quality of life-limiting chronic pain. For various reasons, cancer patients and survivors are left on their own to find a solution to the pain that never leaves them. I have been fairly vocal about my position regarding chronic pain and the sheer and absolute lack of very many physicians in the medical community willing to do what they have the ability to do, but won't, when it comes to providing pain relief.

There are more issues to being alive than being alive if you cannot enjoy the life you are living because you are in some way profoundly diminished by pain. The American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation have come together to form a coalition to provide funding of a three-year grant that allows the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center Pain & Policy Studies Group to evaluate federal and state laws, regulations and agency guidelines that can impact patient access for effective pain relief. With a keen interest in how well this evolves, I will keep you updated on the progress the group makes in changing the current and sad state of patient care in this country when it comes to pain management. 

When Montel Williams testified before the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee in favor of medical marijuana for chronically ill patients, he referred to himself as a poster child for pot. Williams, who hosts a television talk show, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis almost a decade ago.

MS can cause debilitating pain. For those who might be unaware, let me share with you that Williams does not exaggerate. My sister-in-law suffered from MS all of her adult life, before losing her life to MS at the age of 40, and I will tell you first-hand, there is suffering. When I think of all the life that MS stole from her, and all that she endured, I feel frustration towards anyone who would have denied her the best quality of life available. I am fed up with the lack of compassion of those who would deny anyone suffering from chronic or life-threatening disease the best quality of life available to them. For Williams, it is medical marijuana that offers him the best quality of life possible.

On Saturday, June 10, Earl Spencer will host the Russian Midsummer Fantasy at Althorp, a charity event to raise funds in the official launch of a new foundation to help save the lives of Russian children diagnosed with cancer. The Raisa Gorbachev Foundation is named to honor the memory of the former First Lady of Russia's efforts to better life for children in Russia diagnosed with cancer. According to the newspaper reporting, Raisa Gorbachev had been a passionate fundraiser for better cancer treatment for children, using her husband's Nobel Peace Prize money and the royalties she received from the publication of her book to help buy supplies and equipment for the resource-starved hospitals throughout Russia.

It is said that the Russian Midsummer Fantasy will bring together politicians, celebrities and royalty including the former Soviet President Gorbachev, Earl Spencer, Tatler editor Geordie Greig, film mogul Harvey Weinstein, Madonna and the Lebedev family, who are part-owners of the Russian national airline Aeroflot. It's a start.

Raisa Gorbachev gave her time and money to the Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund, patronized the International Association Hematologists of the World for Children -- which helped introduce modern techniques of treating childhood leukemia in Russia -- and acted as a patron to Moscow Central Children's Hospital. After her efforts to improve access to cancer treatments needed for the children of Russia, Raisa lost her own life to leukemia. I was not able to locate a website for the new foundation, but when one becomes available, I will post information for anyone who might be interested in becoming involved or making a contribution.