Feb 22

5 Common Side Effects of Radiation Therapy For Prostate Cancer



There are three methods used in prostate cancer treatment. One of which is through radiation therapy. This kind of treatment can be delivered in two ways, externally and internally. Externally treatment is done in several sessions wherein a high-frequency x-ray machine is used to kill cancer cells. The internal method or medically known as brachytherapy uses the implantation of radioactive seeds into the prostate gland. These are effective methods in treating cancer. However, they can cause some side effects to the different areas of the body.

One of the prostate cancer radiation side effects is tissue damage. The tissues of the body are very vulnerable to radiation. But only a small percentage of the patients undergoing this kind of therapy experience this kind of effect. The tissues of some organs which are near the prostate like the skin, bladder or rectum are damaged due to the exposure to radioactive materials. When this happens it can create loss of function and may need surgery to cure it.

Radiation therapy for prostate cancer can also cause side effects such as bowel problems like diarrhea, bowel urgency and even hemorrhoids. Since radiation can even reach through the bowels due to its location adjacent to the prostate, the patient undergoing radiation can experience this kind of problem. Radiation does not only affect cancer cells but it also kills the normal cells causing problems on the function of some organs like that of the bowel. Medications are given to treat these side effects.

The male patient receiving radiation therapy also experiences urinary incontinence. This occurs to about 10 percent of those who have this kind of treatment. The sphincter of urinary bladder is damaged which caused leakage and incontinence. Sometimes, after radiation the patient must wear a pad just to keep him from wetting his pants. When this case worsens or does not resolve, the patient will have to undergo surgery and make necessary repair on the damage of the bladder to stop this kind of medical problem.

Another side effect of radiation therapy for prostate cancer is impotence and infertility. Since, the prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system; functions related to male sexuality are reported. There is a problem when it comes to male erection and the patient will even have a problem producing sperm. As mentioned, radiation therapy does not only affect cancer cells but also those which are normal like the sperm. The patient must learn about this because it is a great concern related to his sexual life.

Lastly, the patient will feel weak and fatigue can be experienced for about a few months after the procedure. You need to follow a corresponding diet that will help you get through with this problem. These are the common side effects that a patient experiences after a radiation therapy. But the main goal of this treatment outweighs these minor problems. Patient education is really important so that the patient will know what to do during the procedure and what to expect after the therapy is done.

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Posted in Cancer and Tumor

Feb 22

The Bare Bones Basics of Viral Information Product Marketing on eBay



The internet has an amazing capacity for marketing products. With literally millions of people accessing it, the world is virtually at your fingertips. With that being said, most people come to the internet in search of one thing: information. For this reason, writing and marketing a viral information product, like an ebook or a CD, is a great way to benefit financially from people’s desire to learn and stay informed.

A viral information product is a simple, 10-20 page digital book or a home-produced CD or DVD, that you use to market yourself, your ideas and other products. By selling at a loss or giving away the information product and offering others the rights to do the same, you can expand your contact base exponentially. If you give your product to 10 people, who in turn give it to 10 people, you have expanded your influence to 100 people. That’s the beauty of viral information product marketing-you create multiple streams of income.

Producing a viral information product

Step 1 – Choose a topic that you are not only interested in demonstrating or writing about, but that you think others could benefit from the information. As an example, if you have a talent for gardening and you plan on building a compost bin this spring, document the entire process with photos, videos and text. Then simple compile your information into any format you like and, voila, you have your first information product!

Step 2 – Check the internet for interest on that particular topic. Use research that has already been done for you by investigating best-selling books on sites like Amazon or Chapters. Find their “how-to” sections and look for the hot topics. If those topics are selling, you already know there is a market. Any topic that teaches others how to make money, how to stop pain, learn a new skill or how to improve their lives can be very profitable.

Marketing a viral eBook

Step 3 – Give the book away for free and allow others to do the same. But, include links within the book that link back to a website where you offer other items for sale. If you write an eBook on viral marketing, for example, and give it away for free but it has links to another book on “Top 20 topics for viral marketing” on your website that you sell for profit, many will read your free eBook and then follow the link for further information and purchase your for-profit book.

Step 4 – Sell the book for a minimal price and allow others to do the same. Selling ebooks on eBay is a great way to do this. Following the same rules in step #3, you will still lead your readers to other products that will result in further sales.

Step 5 – Provide opportunities for others to sell your higher priced items as an affiliate. If 10 affiliate sales people lead 10 people to purchase an eBook you are selling for $30 and you are giving them a 50% cut for doing so, you will have an additional 100 people buying your book that you will make $15 off of without having to find the buyers yourself. That is $1500 and you didn’t do a thing!

Two items of caution:

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Posted in Bone Care

Feb 21

Gene Therapy to Restore and Improve Vision



Reduced vision, or even blindness my exist for an individual for a number of reasons. Treatment will depend on what the cause is, and how effective the treatment will be. Conventional, non invasive treatment has always been eye glasses, or contact lenses to correct visual problems. Over time, improved eye glass lenses and contacts have evolved that reduce glare, eliminate unwanted wavelengths of light, improve depth perception, and address many environmental issues.

More recently, there have been new developments in the medical treatment for visual impairments. For example, Avastin a drug that was originally intended to treat Colo-rectal cancer has been found to improve the vision in patients with Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy and other vascular related retinal diseases. Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs can reduce retinal inflammation, and cyst formations. New drugs have been developed to treat infections more affectively.

A major challenge has been therapeutic alternatives for genetic and congenital disorders. These diseases arise from within the patient, and therefore pose limited treatment options. The future appears to be gene therapy. Recent clinical trials performed at the Scheie Eye Institute in Philadelphia using gene therapy have dramatically improved patient’s vision from detecting hand motion to reading letters on an eye chart. These tests were performed on individuals suffering from a congenital disease called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis. The study was then published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This particular eye disease results from a mutation in the RPE 65 gene. This mutation prevents the gene from producing a protein required in the manufacturing of the retinal pigment epithelium. This protein is required for the retinal tissue to absorb and process the light into vision.

The treatment included injecting a normal RPE 65 gene directly into the retina. Two weeks following the injection, all the patients demonstrated improved vision. In addition, all participants became more sensitive to light. As a result of the increase in acuity, there was a concomitant decrease in abnormal eye movements which further increased the eye’s ability to see.

While these clinical investigations were performed on individuals with a certain congenital disorder, it gives hope to other people with genetic conditions that help is on the way. With any luck, retinal disease will be a thing of the past as these treatment modalities improve.

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Posted in Eyes

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