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Testimonials
Dear CFA,
I would like to thank everyone at the Cancer Fund of America. I would like to thank you for all of the help you give to the cancer patients and their families. The program for the patients is the best.
The Stevens Family Dear CFA, Thank you so much for caring. The package is great to get, but even greater is the delight of knowing someone knows my plight and cares. Getting a package is a wonderful way to break up a day that is just like yesterday and the one coming tomorrow.
The Mabry Family ~LA Dear CFA, A few weeks ago our cancer institute enrolled in your program. A few days ago we received our first shipment of products for our patients and their families. I just wanted to say thank you for all that you do and your generous program. What you have provided will help so many of our patients that are currently in great need. Thanks again so very much!!
Social worker ~PA |
Visit our web site and make donations online!!
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Click here
CFA would like to thank all of the Combined Federal Campaign Employees for their hard work!! We appreciate you all! Thank you!
You can now give to CFA thru mobile cause by texting on your cell phone to make a gift!!
Donate $5 by either texting "CFOA" to 85944, or go to www.cfoa.org and type in your cell phone number in the mobile cause form.
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Tips For Reducing Stress
If you are one of the millions of stressed-out Americans, there's good news. People can learn to manage stress. Start with these stress management tips:
- Keep a positive attitude.
- Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
- Be assertive instead of aggressive. "Assert" your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive.
- Learn and practice relaxation techniques.
- Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
- Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
- Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.
- Don't rely on alcohol or drugs to reduce stress.
- Seek out social support.
- Learn to manage your time more effectively.
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Simple Steps to Keep Cancer Away:
 Every so often, we hear about yet another cancer-fighting food or lifestyle change, so I thought I would try to bring some of this information together in one place to show you there is much you can do to prevent cancer.
 If you focus on prevention now, you may never have to hear that dreaded phrase, "You have cancer." Here are some proven cancer-fighting actions, with tobacco at the top of the list as the major preventable cause of cancer:
- Don't smoke or use other tobacco products. Smoking cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe is the major cause of lung cancer. Tobacco in the form of snuff causes nasal cancer and chewing tobacco increases the risk of mouth, tongue, and throat cancer.
- Avoid secondhand smoke. This is now easier with bans on smoking in many public places.
- Check your basement for radon. Long-term exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Whole-grain and fibrous foods probably protect against some types of cancer. Consuming too much saturated fat (found mostly in animal products) may increase the risk of breast cancer.
- Control your weight. Obesity is associated with an increased risk for most types of cancer.
- Cook smart. Don't char meat when grilling and avoid frying or cooking foods at high heat.
- Avoid exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight. When outdoors, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses and generously apply a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Most people use less than half the amount of lotion needed to get the sunscreen's claimed SPF, so remember to reapply it. And whatever you do, don't succumb to the lure of a quick tan at a suntan parlor.
- To limit your risk of breast and ovarian cancer after menopause, do not use hormone replacement long term.
- Get vaccinated against human papilloma virus (HPV) as a girl or young woman. A new HPV vaccine was approved by the FDA in June 2006.
- Know the medical histories, and especially the cancer histories, of close relatives. This means your parents, grandparents, and siblings. This information will help you determine your genetic risk for some cancers and arrange to be screened for early cancer detection with a mammogram for breast cancer; a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer; a colonoscopy for colon cancer; and a Pap smear for cervical cancer.
Yahoo Health
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Follow up Links |
Please forward our newsletter to all of your family members and friends! Also, to sign up for The Children's Cancer Fund of America's Newsletter
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The Cancer Fund of America's
Quarterly Newsletter
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Another study evaluating the value of mammograms for younger women finds that screening can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer for women in their 40s...
Nearly 80 percent of men at higher risk for breast cancer aren't aware that males can develop the disease, a new study finds, and none of the men surveyed said their doctors had talked to them about breast cancer.
For more cancer related news visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ |
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Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer is cancer that starts in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus (womb).
Endometrial cancer is the most common type of uterine cancer. Although the exact cause of endometrial cancer is unknown, increased levels of estrogen appear to play a role. Estrogen helps stimulate the buildup of the lining of the uterus. Studies have shown that high levels of estrogen in animals result in excessive endometrial growth and cancer.
Most cases of endometrial cancer occur between the ages of 60 and 70 years, but a few cases may occur before age 40.
The following increase your risk of endometrial cancer:
- Diabetes
- Estrogen replacement therapy without the use of progesterone
- History of endometrial polyps and other benign growths of the uterine lining
- Infertility (inability to become pregnant)
- Infrequent periods
- Tamoxifen, a drug for breast cancer treatment
- Never being pregnant
- Obesity
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Starting menstruation at an early age (before age 12)
- Starting menopause after age 50
Associated conditions include the following: - Colon or breast cancer
- Gallbladder disease
- High blood pressure
- Polycystic ovarian disease
Signs & Symptoms- Abnormal uterine bleeding
- Abnormal menstrual periods
- Bleeding between normal periods before menopause
- Vaginal bleeding or spotting after menopause
- Extremely long, heavy, or frequent episodes of vaginal bleeding after age 40
- Lower abdominal pain or pelvic cramping
- Thin white or clear vaginal discharge after menopause
Diagnosis & Tests
A pelvic examination is frequently normal, especially in the early stages of disease. Changes in the size, shape, or feel of the uterus or surrounding structures may be seen when the disease is more advanced. Tests that may be done include:
- Endometrial aspiration or biopsy
- Dilation and curettage (D & C)
- Pap smear (may raise a suspicion for endometrial cancer, but does not diagnose it)
If cancer is found, other tests may be done to determine how widespread the cancer is and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. Stages of endometrial cancer: 1. The cancer is only in the uterus. 2. The cancer is in the uterus and cervix. 3. The cancer has spread outside of the uterus but not beyond the true pelvis area. Cancer may involve the lymph nodes in the pelvis or near the aorta (the major artery in the abdomen). 4. The cancer has spread to the inner surface of the bowel, bladder, abdomen, or other organs. Cancer is also described as Grade 1, 2, or 3. Grade 1 is the least aggressive, and grade 3 is the most aggressive.
Treatment
Treatment options involve surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
A hysterectomy may be performed in women with the early stage 1 disease. Removal of the tubes and ovaries (bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) is also usually recommended.
Abdominal hysterectomy is recommended over vaginal hysterectomy. This type of hysterectomy allows the surgeon to look inside the abdominal area and remove tissue for a biopsy.
Surgery combined with radiation therapy is often used to treat women with stage 1 disease that has a high chance of returning, has spread to the lymph nodes, or is a grade 2 or 3. It is also used to treat women with stage 2 disease.
Chemotherapy may be considered in some cases, especially for those with stage 3 and 4 disease.
Support Groups
The stress of illness may be eased by joining a support group whose members share common experiences and problems.
Prognosis (Expectations)
Endometrial cancer is usually diagnosed at an early stage. The 1-year survival rate is about 92%. The 5-year survival rate for endometrial cancer that has not spread is 95%. If the cancer has spread to distant organs, the 5-year survival rate drops to 23%.
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Chemotherapy
Normally, your cells grow and die in a controlled way. Cancer cells keep forming without control. Chemotherapy is drug therapy that can stop these cells from multiplying. However, it can also harm healthy cells, which causes side effects.
During chemotherapy you may have no side effects or just a few. The kinds of side effects you have depend on the type and dose of chemotherapy you get. Side effects vary, but common ones are nausea, vomiting, tiredness, pain and hair loss. Healthy cells usually recover after chemotherapy, so most side effects gradually go away.
Your course of therapy will depend on the cancer type, the chemotherapy drugs used, the treatment goal and how your body responds. You may get treatment every day, every week or every month. You may have breaks between treatments so that your body has a chance to build new healthy cells. You might take the drugs by mouth, in a shot or intravenously.
Medline Plus
For more information, click here. |
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Radiation Therapy
Radiation, also called brachytherapy & radiotherapy, is a form of energy released in particles or waves. In high doses, radiation destroys cells or keeps them from multiplying.
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment. Its goal is to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Unlike cancer cells, most of your normal cells recover from radiation therapy. Doctors try to protect normal cells by limiting the radiation dosage and spreading treatment out over time. When they use radiation machines, they shield as much of your body as possible while targeting the cancer.
The radiation for cancer treatment comes externally, from special machines, or internally, from radioactive substances that a doctor places in your body. Sometimes radiation is used with other treatments, like surgery or chemotherapy.
Medline Plus
For more information, click here.
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Radiation Therapy Side Effects
Side effects are problems that can happen as a result of treatment. They may happen with radiation therapy because the high doses of radiation used to kill cancer cells can also damage healthy cells in the treatment area. Side effects are different for each person. Some people have many side effects; others have hardly any. Side effects may be more severe if you also receive chemotherapy before, during, or after your radiation therapy.
Talk to your radiation therapy team about your chances of having side effects. The team will watch you closely and ask if you notice any problems. If you do have side effects or other problems, your doctor or nurse will talk with you about ways to manage them.
Many people who get radiation therapy have skin changes and some fatigue. Other side effects depend on the part of your body being treated.
Skin changes may include dryness, itching, peeling, or blistering. These changes occur because radiation therapy damages healthy skin cells in the treatment area. You will need to take special care of your skin during radiation therapy. Fatigue is often described as feeling worn out or exhausted. There are many ways to manage fatigue.
Depending on the part of your body being treated, you may also have:
Most of these side effects go away within 2 months after radiation therapy is finished.
Late side effects may first occur 6 or more months after radiation therapy is over. They vary by the part of your body that was treated and the dose of radiation you received. Late side effects may include infertility, joint problems, lymphedema, mouth problems, and secondary cancer. Everyone is different, so talk to your doctor or nurse about whether you might have late side effects and what signs to look for.
Medline Plus
To read more on this article,click here.
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Cancer Fund of America, Inc.
2901 Breezewood Lane
Knoxville, TN 37921 Fax: 865-938-2968 Toll free: 1-800-578-5281
Follow The Cancer Fund of America now on:
CFA's Mission Statement:
"To provide direct aid, other support and services to financially indigent patients; to disseminate information concerning the early detection and prevention of cancer; to provide grants, commodities and gifts-in-kind to hospices and other health care providers; to procure and distribute donated merchandise to various 501 © (3) non-profit community service organizations which aid the ill, needy, and infants." |
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