Liver Cancer - Incidence, Symptoms, Causation, Treatment and Prognosis

Liver cancer also known as primary or metastatic hepatic carcinoma is a fairly rare form of cancer in the western world (1% of all cancers) but much more common in Africa and parts of Asia (10% to 50% of all cancers).It is much more prevalent in men and incidence increases with age. Liver cancer is rapidly fatal, usually within 6 months from gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hepatic failure or metastasis.TYPES OF LIVE CANCERMost primary liver tumors are known as hepatomas (hepatocellular carcinoma and primary lower cell carcinoma). Some primary liver cancers originate in the bile duct and these are known as cholangiomas.Some rare liver cancers include Kupffer cell sarcoma and hepatoblastomas (which occur almost exclusively in children and are usually respectable and curable). Metastatic liver cancer is 20 times more common than primary liver cancer and after cirrhosis this is the leading form of liver related death.SIGNS AND SYMPTOMSLiver cancer does not normally cause symptoms until it is in an advanced stage.Clinical effects of advanced liver cancers include:1. A mass in the right upper side.2. Tender, nodular liver on palpation3. Severe pain in the epigastrium or upper right side4. Weight loss, anorexia, weakness, fever5. Occasional jaundice or ascites (fluid in the abdomen)CAUSATIONThe exact cause of liver cancer is unknown in adults but in children it may be a genetic disease. Adult liver carcinomas may result from environmental exposure to carcinogens such as mold, contrast media (no longer in use), androgens and oral estrogens, the hepatitis B virus or by damage to the liver due to cirrhosis caused by too much prolonged imbibing of alcohol. DIAGNOSISLiver cancer is difficult to diagnose in the presence of cirrhosis, but several tests can help identify it: The combination of an imaging study (ultrasound, CT, or MRI scans) and an elevated blood level of alpha-fetoprotein will most effectively diagnose liver cancer, electrolyte studies may indicate increased sodium retention, a liver biopsy can make a definitive diagnosis.TREATMENTTreatments for primary liver cancer depend on the extent (stage) of the disease, age, overall health, feelings and personal preferences. Surgery is the most effective treatment for primary liver cancer, but this is not always possible due to the size or position of the tumor. Radiofrequency ablation is an option for people with small, unresectable hepatocellular tumors and for some types of metastatic liver cancers. During this procedure, the hepatic artery (the artery from which liver cancers derive their blood supply) is blocked, and chemotherapy drugs are injected between the blockage and the liver. Cryoablation may be an option for people with inoperable primary and metastatic liver cancers. Removing the whole liver and replacing it with a liver from another person is another possible form of treatment for primary liver cancer. Even when treatments fail to provide much improvement in the liver cancer itself, pain and other signs and symptoms caused by liver cancer can be aggressively treated to improve quality of life. In general, the treatments available for children are the same as for adults, and the best approach depends on the stage and type of cancer as well as the child's age and overall health.PROGNOSISPrognosis is poor when cancer is advanced, but for small tumors that are confined to the liver, ablative therapies are palliative and surgical resection or liver transplantation is sometimes curative.

Insomnia Treatments Without Side Effects: an Overview

On a daily basis, we are bombarded by commercials that tout the virtues of sleeping pills. We are constantly reassured that sleeping pills are getting better: Lunesta, Ambien and Sonata cause fewer side effects than their predecessors. But the fact remains that sleeping pills continue to have side effects. Just take a look at the prescribing information in any sleeping pill box. There is always the inadvertent portion on common side effects. Worse still, things like sleep-eating and sleep-driving are not listed there. Rosemary Eckley, a graphic artist in New London, Wis., said she thought she was sleeping well on Ambien but woke to find her wrist broken, apparently in a fall while sleepwalking, she wrote in an e-mail exchange.Also, they don’t greatly improve sleep for the average person. The National Institutes of Health found that viewed as a group, these sleeping pills reduced the average time to go to sleep 12.8 minutes, and increased total sleep time 11.4 minutes compared with fake pills. So what then are the existing insomnia treatments without side effects? Overall, they are called non-pharmacologic insomnia treatments. These include hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation therapy and brainwave entrainment.1. HypnotherapyHypnotherapy has been well documented for its effective use with conditions such as depression and pain. As for insomnia, a meta-analysis showed that when combined with psychotherapy, 70% of patients have shown greater improvement compared with those on psychotherapy alone.The plus point with hypnotherapy is you can eventually be taught to self-treat and so gain a sense of control. This would give you the ability to stay insomnia free. However, just be mindful that not everyone can be hypnotized i.e. some people have persistently low hypnotizability as measured by the Hypnotic Induction Profile.2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)It is based on the idea that how you think affects the way you feel and behave. It involves techniques to change your negative thoughts about sleep (cognition) so you will stop sabotaging good shut-eye (behavior).A recent study conducted by Harvard Medical School's Gregg Jacobs found that CBT worked better than sleeping pills both in the short term and the long term. Volunteers only received four half-hour sessions of CBT, plus a follow-up phone call that led to sleep improvements that persisted even after treatment was stopped. As few as two sessions have been shown to produce results. Unfortunately, there are very few CBT practitioners specializing in sleep. However, nurses and psychology grad students can be easily trained to provide CBT. And there is a growing lay literature designed to help people try it for themselves.3. Relaxation TherapyThis includes muscle relaxation, biofeedback, imagery training through meditation and thought stopping. Professionals, who specialize in instructing these techniques, can be found in some healthcare centers, support communities and even cancer centers. The best part is you can accomplish some of these techniques on your own. You may find deep breathing, stretching, meditation or prayer to be relaxing. A warm bath, warm glass of milk or cup of chamomile tea at bedtime can help to induce a restful state. Avoid alcohol although it may cause initial tiredness, it usually leads to fragmented sleep.4. Brainwave EntrainmentMany professionals in psychology and neurology have used this technology to train, empower and treat people for a wide variety of issues including insomnia. Research has shown that brainwaves can be stimulated to actually change a person's current state. Hence, this is achieved through sound pulses that gently guide your brain to produce more of the brainwave frequencies associated with sleep.Your brain is re-trained to sleep deeply and naturally eventually foregoing the soundtracks. So, coupled with sleep hygiene or basic CBT, all you need to do is listen to some soundtracks. However, this isn’t for everyone as it involves brainwave stimulation. People who are epileptic, prone to seizures, pregnant or wearing a pacemaker would have to give this a pass. In summary, the good news is that studies have reported about 70 to 80% of the patients treated benefited from these insomnia treatments Just remember one thing: best results are obtained when you combine any of them. There is absolutely not one magic treatment for all.

Not Getting Enough Sleep?

Are you always tired? Do you find yourself falling asleep at your desk at work or nodding off behind the wheel at night? You could be suffering from sleep deprivation which is defined as the general lack of necessary amount of sleep as a result of a sleep disorder or an active choice. Chances are most people have suffered from temporary lack of sleep at some point in their lives, but it becomes a serious issue when you cannot function in your daily life.

Possible causes may include lifestyle, health complications, medication side effects and clinical disorders. It is important to find out the cause to determine the best possible treatment. Did you know that over 50% of people over 64 years old suffer from a sleep disorder? Even though older people get just as much sleep they do not get enough REM sleep which is the deepest and most restorative kind.

The effects of lack of sleep can be deadly as studies have shown on tests performed on animals. It can have serious effects on our overall health in physical and mental impairments. It decreases our ability to think, handle stressful situations, and maintain a healthy immune system. It affects the hormone levels physiological processes can also cause drastic weight gain. Being tired makes people hungrier, feeling less satisfied and therefore eating more.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 22 million Americans suffer from sleep deprivation. In a recent poll, half of employees reported that sleepiness on the job interferes with performance at work. We live in a 24/7 society with work and home life becoming a blur. People are constantly connected to their workplaces even during vacations thanks to new technology. 58% of people surveyed said they bring home work at night to finish leaving less time for family and sleep and 26% would like to take naps during work breaks if allowed to. Longer working hours causes impatience, irritability, lower productivity, and difficulty concentrating. So, try to get your 8 hours a night and work smarter not harder!

Health care : How to Have Lucid Dreams - the Secrets to Lucid Dreaming Revealed

For someone who likes to have unique dreams you might be wondering how to have lucid dreams. If you do not know what a lucid dream is, it is a dream that makes you think that it is real and what happens in it can actually occur. I personally have had lucid dreams that leave me awake with a feeling of panic because of what occurred. A few have occurred that leave me feeling refreshed and calm when I wake but only if I have taken control of my dreams. You can do that with lucid dreams, you can take charge of your dreams so that you control every move you make.
Keeping record of your sleeping visions is a great way to learn how to have lucid dreams and also help you to control them. You can do this by keeping a dream journal by your bedside or even a voice recorder. As soon as you wake up you can record what happened. This will help you figure out how to have lucid dreams in the future. Knowing what happened and how it occurred can help you to encourage it to happen again.
There have been studies to suggest that the best time to have lucid dreams is by going back to sleep for a couple of hours after you wake up in the morning. For me, this is when I have my best ones. Dreams that leave me questioning if it was a dream or a memory when I wake up. Keeping track of your personal sleep patterns can be very important in discovering when is the best time for you to have lucid dreams. Lucid dreams generally come in ninety minute cycles and so if trying to recall the dream, try to wake before one of those cycles is complete.
A good way to encourage lucid dreams is to set your alarm so that you wake about five hours or so after you have fallen asleep. Of course make it so that you are setting the alarm to wake you an hour or two before you actually need to wake up. Once the alarm goes off, lay back down and go to sleep. That time frame is when you are most likely to have lucid dreams. If for whatever reason you wake when having a lucid dream, try to fall asleep with that dream on your thoughts and focus on it the whole time you are dozing off and you could be able to start where you left off in your last dream.
How to have lucid dreams is something that is not hard to do once you know what you are doing. Once you know how to control your dreams you will be able to control what happens in them and the outcome that can occur. That will leave you able to make the dream just as entertaining as you want it to be.