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Which
is better traditional or vitual colonscopy?
The most recent evdence
has found virtual colonoscopy to be less reliable than previously thought.
Until virtual colonoscopy software and diagnostic techniques improve,
the traditional method appears to be better.
Is
there a food that cuts lung cancer risk?
Broccoli contains
a cancer fighting chemical called isothiocynate that blocks enzymes that
activate the cancer causing agents in tobacco smoke. Just one serving
of broccoli per day hs been shown to cut lung cancer risk by up to 35%.
Is
lung cancer more common in men or women?
Lung cancer is now
the leading cause of cancer death among women, up 600% in less than 70
years while the number of men dying from the disease has decreased. Smoking
is the leading cause of lung cancer.
What
are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
a) Nausea, diarrhea,
constipation or frequent urination. b) Loss of appetite c) Feeling of
fullness d) Weight gain or loss with no reason e) Abnormal bleeding If
any of these symptoms last more than two or three weeks, see your doctor.
Is
the white part of the orange peel edible?
Yes, the white membrane
in the orange peel is rich in antioxidant compounds called liminoids.
They have been shown to offer cancer protection.
What
foods offer protection against breast cancer?
Carrots or carrot
juice, radishes, tomatoes, watermelon, purple grape juice, salmon, flax
seeds, cherries, orange juice, bran, white tuna, garlic, spinach, green
tea and olive oil. All of these foods have been shown to lower risk of
breast cancer.
Which
tea is healthier, loose tea or tea bags?
The finely crushed
tea in tea bags releases more flavonoids than loose tea. Flavonoids are
antioxidant compounds linked to lower cancer and heart disease risk.
What
can I do to lower my risk of pancreatic cancer?
A major study suggests
that maintaining a healthy weight helps you avoid pancreatic cancer one
of the hardest cancers to cure. Stopping smoking also reduces your risk.
I'm
over 65 years old. Is it too late for me to quit smoking?
It's never too late
to quit smoking. A new study found that male smokers who quit smoking
at 65 years old lived 2 years longer. Women lived 4 years longer.
How
often should I have my colon checked?
Medical professionals
advise having a fecal occult blood test and a digital rectal exam every
year after age 50, plus either a sigmoidoscopy every 3-5 years or a colonoscopy
every 10 years.
What
is the best defence against breast cancer?
For women age 40
and over, have a mammogram and a clinical breast exam by a health care
professional every year, do a breast self-exam each month.
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What
causes the dark colour on my lips when I smoke a cigarette?
The dark substance
is tar stain, not nicotine stain as most believe. Tar is a noxious chemical
that is formed after the tobacco is ignited. It stains the lips, mouth
and throat and irritates the entire respiratory tract.
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How
often should I have a Pap smear test?
A woman should begin
having an annual pap smear at age 18. Women at high risk for cervical
cancer should be tested more often. Recent data suggests that the test
is more accurate during the first half of the menstrual cycle. Pap smears
should not be done during periods.
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Can
my prostate stones lead to cancer?
There's nothing to
fear about prostate stones. They are actually tiny calcium deposits. They
can't be passed and don't lead to cancer.
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What
can I do to avoid skin cancer?
The best prevention
for skin cancer is to avoid overexposure to the sun. Most skin cancers
are easily treated and cured. People who spend time in the sun are at
increased risk.
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How
important is a thorough skin inspection as part of my annual physical?
Very important. One
million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year in the US and
10,000 die from the disease.
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Can
taking soy products reduce my risk of breast cancer?
Yes. In a recent study,
women who ate a diet rich in soy reduced their breast cancer risk by 60%.
Soy reduces the density of breast tissue, thereby reducing the cancer
risk, say scientists.
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What
can I do to reduce my risk of developing prostate cancer?
Eat more tomatoes.
They're a good source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that has been
linked to prostate health.
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How
important is brocolli in my diet?
A half cup of mature
brocolli contains about 200mcs of sulforaphane, a highly potent antioxidant.
Antioxidant rich foods are important in fighting serious diseases like
heart disease and cancer.
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What
are my risks if I continue taking my estrogen/progestin combination?
Relatively small.
For every 10,000 women who take the combination, there will be 8 more
breast cancers, 8 more strokes, 7 more heart attacks, 6 fewer colon cancers
and 5 fewer hip fractures. However, since millions take the hormones,
that adds up to thousands of illnesses.
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How
much does being around smokers affect your health?
Plenty. Inhaling second-hand
smoke affects your lungs and doubles your chances of developing heart
disease.
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If
you’re hoarse should you see a doctor for treatment?
Most hoarseness disappears
in less than 2 weeks. If it lasts longer, see a doctor to find out why.
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Can
eating fibre prevent cancer?
Yes. Many studies
have revealed that eating fibre (fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans)
does help prevent cancer.
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What
can make you feel tired all the time?
Many things, including
lack of sleep, stress, depression, anemia, cancer, hepatitis, heart disease,
sleep apnea, etc.
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If
you get an annual chest X-ray, will it pick up a lung cancer when it’s
still curable?
No, studies show that
regular X-rays for early cancer do not save lives because most early cancers
don’t show up.
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Does
the amount of irradiation you get from mammograms pose any risk?
With today’s machines,
the irradiation is minimal. Any risk is far outweighed by the lifesaving
benefits of the mammograms.
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If
you take St John’s wort for depression, does it have any serious side
effects?
Doctors are now fining
that it can speed the elimination of many drugs you take so that they
become less effective.
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What
effect does taking an oral contraceptive have on your ovaries?
One stusy indicates
that taking oral contraceptives for a few years will reduce your chances
of developing cancer of the ovary.
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Can
taking vitamins help prevent colon cancer?
Some studies suggest
vitamin E or a multivitamin containing folic acid may help.
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Will
taking estrogen increase your chances of getting breast cancer?
Not for the first
5 years you take it. Studies are now under way to determine your cancer
risk after that.
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Are
"bidis" safe to smoke?
Bidis-thin, flavoured
cigarettes-are popular among teenagers, but they are even more dangerous
than regular cigarettes.
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Why
is the incidence of melanoma increasing even though more people are using
a sunscreen lotion on their skins?
If you use a sunscreen,
you tend to stay in the sun longer because you don’t burn, but you’re
still absorbing cancer-causing rays.
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How
long should you continue to have annual mammograms?
Experts recommend
you continue at least until you are 70 and, if you have no life threatening
illness, into your 80s.
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Is
it true that the tan you get in a tanning booth is safer than a tan due
to sun exposure?
No, you are just as
likely to get a melanoma or other skin cancer as you get with sun exposure.
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Are
"Bidis" safe to smoke?
Bidis-thin, flavoured
cigarettes from India-are popular among teenagers, but they’re even more
dangerous than regular cigarettes.
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Will
taking estrogen increase your chances of getting breast cancer?
Not for the first
5 years you take it. Studies are now under way to determine your cancer
risk after that.
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How
long should you continue to have annual mammograms?
Experts recommend
you continue at least until you’re 70 and if you have no life-threatening
illness, into your 80s.
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Is
it true that the tan you get in a tanning booth is safer than a tan due
to sun exposure?
No. You’re just as
likely to get a melanoma or other skin cancer as you get with sun exposure.
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Why
is the incidence of melanoma increasing even though more people are using
sunscreen lotion on their skins?
If you use a sunscreen,
you tend to stay in the sun longer because you don’t burn, but you’re
still absorbing cancer-causing rays.
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Will
smoking cigars harm you?
Yes,
cigar smoking increases your chances of lung cancer, lung disease, mouth
and throat cancer and coronary heart disease.
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What
effect does exercise have on your chances of getting cancer?
Many studies have
shown that people who exercise have less cancer.
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What
can you do to prevent osteoporosis?
Don’t smoke, avoid
excessive alcohol consumption, exercise regularly and consume enough calcium
and Vitamin D.
What effect does
smoking have on your hearing?
Studies show that
people who smoke or are exposed to second hand smoke are more likely to
have impaired hearing.
What effect does
the amount of water you drink have on your chances of getting cancer of
the urinary bladder?
Drinking plenty of
water and other fluids reduces your chances of getting bladder cancer.
What effect does
your lifestyle have on your chances of getting cancer?
A lot. Scientists
now estimate that over 75% of cancers are the result of an unhealthy lifestyle,
smoking, poor diet, etc.
Why is it so hard
for some people to give up smoking?
Nicotine is an addictive
drug, which is said by addicts to be harder to give up than heroin.
What effect does
taking oral contraceptive have on your chances of getting cancer?
It reduces your risk of cancers of the ovary and uterus and may increase
breast cancer risk slightly.
How important is
the fat you eat in causing prostate cancer or promoting its spread?
More and more studies
show that the more fat you eat-especially from red meat-the greater your
chances of getting prostate cancer.
When should a women
start having Pap tests?
At age 18 or when she becomes sexually active, which ever comes first.
What causes prostate
cancer?
Studies implicate a diet high in saturated fat, moderate to excessive
alcohol intake, smoking and lack of exercise.
Does olive oil
have any advantages over other vegetable oils?
Apparently. Monounsaturated
oils (olive, canola, peanut oils) may reduce your risk of stroke, breast
cancer and heart disease.
Is it true that
ultraviolet A rays do not damage your skin?
No, ultraviolet A rays are linked with melanoma, the most deadly form
of skin cancer.
How can you prevent
cancer of the colon?
Have your doctor examine
your colon every 5 years. If he finds a polyp, he will remove it before
it becomes malignant.
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What
effect does taking oral contraceptive have on your chances of getting
cancer? (TOI-15/07/2000)
It reduces your risk
of cancers of the ovary and uterus and may increase breast cancer risk
slightly.
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How important is the fat you eat in causing prostate cancer
or promoting its spread? (TOI-17/04/2000)
More
and more studies show that the more fat you eat-especially from red meat-the
greater your chances of getting prostate cancer.
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The
following are excerpts from the cartoons, "Health Capsule" appearing
in Times of India:
- When
should a women start having Pap tests? (TOI-25/6/99)
At age 18
or when she becomes sexually active, which ever comes first.
- What causes prostate
cancer? (TOI-29/6/99)
Studies implicate
a diet high in saturated fat, moderate to excessive alcohol intake,
smoking and lack of exercise.
- Does olive oil
have any advantages over other vegetable oils? (TOI-14/7/99)
Apparently. Monounsaturated
oils (olive, canola, peanut oils) may reduce your risk of stroke, breast
cancer and heart disease.
- Is it true that
ultraviolet A rays do not damage your skin? (TOI-15/7/99)
No, ultraviolet
A rays are linked with melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
- How can you prevent
cancer of the colon? (TOI-11/8/99)
Have your
doctor examine your colon every 5 years. If he finds a polyp, he will
remove it before it becomes malignant.
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