Pancreatic cancer — the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States — occurs when malignant cells develop in the pancreas. the National Cancer Institute estimated that in 2012, approximately 43,920 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and 37,390 people will die from the disease. Within the first year of diagnosis, 75 percent of pancreatic cancer patients die, according to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

CausesThe pancreas is a central component to one’s digestive system. At about 6 inches in length, it secretes hormones and juices that aid in digesting food. when abnormal mutations develop in the DNA of the pancreas, as with other cancers, the cells grow uncontrollably until they become a tumor. Various factors increase your risk of developing the disease: smoking, obesity, diabetes and a family history of pancreatic cancer. It afflicts more people of African descent than other races.

If the cancer begins in the duct of the pancreas, it is called pancreatic adenocarcinoma or pancreatic exocrine cancer. If it begins in the pancreas’ hormone-producing cells, it is called islet cell cancer or pancreatic endocrine cancer, reports the Mayo Clinic.

SymptomsPeople rarely detect signs of the disease in its early stages. They typically only manifest when the disease reaches an advanced state. These signs include upper abdominal pain, appetite loss, depression, weight loss, jaundice, digestive problems, gallbladder enlargement and blood clots, according to the American Cancer Society.

DiagnosisDiagnosis necessitates a thorough physical exam that focuses on the abdomen as well as imaging tests (a CAT scan, MRI, ultrasound and more) and blood tests. If these demonstrate a strong likelihood of pancreatic cancer, a surgeon will perform a biopsy. the most common type performed is a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, in which the doctor inserts a needle into the pancreas to retrieve small tissue samples.

If one is diagnosed, John Affronti, gastroenterologist at Loyola University Medical Center, recommended seeking treatment at a center that offers a multidisciplinary approach. this enables the patient to benefit from oncologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, surgeons and other specialists all at the same time.

TreatmentEven when caught early, pancreatic cancer spreads rapidly. Treatments include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and a variety of surgeries: stents, biliary and gastric bypass, total pancreatectomy, distal pancreatectomy and Whipple procedure, the most commonly performed surgery. Dr. Gerard Aranha, a surgical oncologist at Loyola University Medical Center, said under certain circumstances, the Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy), could cure the disease.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network explained that the surgeon removes the head of the pancreas, portions of the duodenum and stomach, the gallbladder and the nearby lymph nodes. next, the surgeon reconnects the remaining pancreas with the digestive organs. “Many patients who could benefit from a Whipple procedure are not being offered the operation,” Aranha said.

New chemotherapy drugs are shrinking some advanced tumors, once considered inoperable, to surgically-removable sizes, explained Margo Shoup, a surgical oncologist at Loyola University Medical Center.

For more information visit the Lustgarten Foundation or the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

a Fallbrook woman whose Christian faith has played out in print is now using that medium to detail her battle against a life-threatening disease.

For years, Marcy Burge shared her Christian faith in newspaper and church newsletter columns. as her clipping file grew, she also won friends with her character and cookies as she helped build a bridge between a pair of Fallbrook churches.

Fast forward to today, and Burge is back at the keyboard as she marks the one-year milestone in her battle against ovarian cancer. But she has an edge over other Christian writers who scatter their words like seeds across Southern California. she is likely the sole scribe to claim she was visited by a trio of angels during a particularly painful moment.

The visit came after a 15-hour hospital ordeal that ended with Burge coughing up blood as she arrived home and was anxious to bring a close to a distressing day. Burge said the translucent “images” briefly appeared in the tiny house that she rents from Fallbrook Presbyterian Church, the place she has worked at as a secretary for nearly 16 years.

The experience has prompted members of Fallbrook Presbyterian, as well as a nearby Catholic church, to ponder angels. it has not, however, overshadowed Burge?s medical challenges and the cadre of supporters that has showered her with prayer, food and other help.

“It?s my opinion that God sends you what you need at the moment,” said Rev. Greg Coppock, assistant pastor at Fallbrook Presbyterian. “It (angelic visitors) is an interesting issue, as you know. I think too often we put God in a box. God can do anything.”

Coppock and others say Burge, 54, has frequently been cited as an inspiration for others as her public fight against cancer unfolds.

For more than a decade, Burge served as a popular and prayerful secretary at Fallbrook Presbyterian and a member of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, which is a short distance away. For many of those years, Burge edited the Fallbrook Christian Network?s interdenominational newsletter. The publication was distributed at many area churches while the Fallbrook Christian Council was active in the region.

In early 2007, Burge helped launch the Faith Matters section of the Village News, a weekly newspaper that circulates in the Fallbrook, Rainbow and Bonsall areas. she wrote steadily for the newspaper for about two years, at which time local church pastors and ministers began to cycle in as contributing writers.

In those newspaper columns, Burge sometimes touched on her personal difficulties that included the death of her husband about 17 years ago, financial problems, the loss of her home, depression, shattered dreams and thoughts. she also told how prayer, faith and fellowship enabled her to emerge from darkness.

Burge?s columns struck a chord among some newspaper readers and alienated others.

“One of your features that I find most uplifting these days is the Faith Matters column by Marcy Burge,” Pete Swenson, a 15-year resident of the Fallbrook area, wrote in a September 2008 letter to the editor. “While my church attendance is rather spotty, my faith is solid and I always feel a boost when I finish with her message.”

Conversely, a reader who identified himself as “Brian T” responded sharply to a may 2008 column by Burge. The critic, who described himself on an Internet posting as “wholly satisfied with my choice to be an atheist,” described the column as “one of many articles you?ve written with a smug, elitist prejudice that I find quite disappointing.”

Burge transitioned from the newspaper columns to similar pieces for The Chimes, a monthly newsletter printed by Fallbrook Presbyterian. she also wrote a book titled “Finding Lavender” and is working on two other books about spirituality.

A daunting diagnosis

About a year ago, Burge was diagnosed with bronchitis after she complained of wheezing and other breathing difficulties. three rounds of antibiotic treatments failed to ease the symptoms, and Burge began to suffer severe abdominal pains. Coppock recommended that Burge seek treatment at a San Diego hospital, and within hours she was diagnosed as having stage three ovarian cancer.

That diagnosis shocked Burge, in part because her father had undergone “an enormous struggle” with pancreatic cancer before he died in her presence. Burge said the emotional jolt of her cancer diagnosis felt like being “drop-kicked across a football field.”

Nearly 22,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with ovarian cancer a year, according to the American Cancer Society. About 14,000 American women die annually from the disease.

At stage three, tumor cells have been detected in one or both ovaries as well as outside the pelvis.

The survival rate of the disease can be high if it is detected early. Unfortunately, early detection is rare and no effective screening strategies have been developed.

More than 90 percent of women survive five years or more if their cancers are found before they spread beyond the ovaries. But fewer than 20 percent of the cancers are diagnosed in the early stages before it has spread outside the ovaries.

Burge has received chemotherapy and other treatments, and the procedures have weakened her at times and compromised her immune system. she has difficulty sleeping in a prone position. she was forced to limit contact with people and adhere to a special diet. she is on disability leave at Fallbrook Presbyterian.

Her diagnosis and subsequent difficulties have sparked an outpouring of support. Cards and meals have flowed in, a nutrition expert gave her diet recommendations and members of Advertisement[ Christ the King Lutheran Church ] the Fallbrook Presbyterian and Catholic churches pooled donations to her buy a reclining chair that makes it easier to sleep.

Friends and church members have prayed alongside the chain-link fence that separates her rental home from the Fallbrook Presbyterian parking lot. they have also decorated the fence with hundreds of pink bows and ribbons.

“She has touched many, many people and I think it?s time to return some of the love to her,” said Jean Tiffany, a Fallbrook Presbyterian elder who has attended the church for more than 40 years. she describes Burge as like “a daughter” to her.

The Rev. Pat Crowley, a Catholic priest based in Hemet, and some friends of Burge held a healing prayer session with her after a cancer treatment. Crowley is active with the Virginia-based Association of Christian Therapists.

“Marcy is very much in touch with the reality of her own situation,” Crowley said in a recent email interview. “She is a person of deep faith and trust in God. Marcy is a ?heart? person. Her life is not about herself. it is greater than she is. she not only creates life, she gives life even in her suffering. what a tremendous example of comfort and strength. she ministers in her own woundedness.”

Burge credits the outpouring of care and concern for much of her resiliency.

“The support and prayers received from my faith communities has been overwhelming and have lifted my mind and soul in such a way that is phenomenal on so many levels,” Burge said in an email interview. “People have prayed long and hard for my recovery, and those prayers have been heard.”

Burge said the angels visited her after a particularly grueling day that she endured in preparation for chemotherapy treatments. Burge was driven to the hospital by Chris, her 24-year-old son. Coppock greeted them when they returned home. she described the angelic visit as follows:

“I hungered for rest and to put an end to this most disturbing day. it was then that I saw them. in the darkened living room three figures sitting across from me as if in chairs. The one on the right and left with head bowed in prayer, the one in the middle looking straight at me.

“I yelled out to Chris, who was just walking in the door from carrying in some of my stuff. he caught a glimpse of the one on my left and in a second these images disappeared. they appeared to me to be angels sent from God to comfort and pray for me. to let me know he saw our distress, that we were not alone in any of it. that the Lord himself sent his messengers to fill us with awe and hope.”

News of the angelic visit began to circulate at Fallbrook Presbyterian, and Pastor Jerome Marroquin mentioned it in a subsequent sermon.

Although angels are mentioned periodically in the Bible and the Koran, their appearance is not an everyday occurrence in the Christian or Muslim faiths.

Even internationally-known evangelist Billy Graham has admitted that he has never seen an angel. in a book on the subject printed in 1986, Graham wrote that he has “heard or read literally thousands” of accounts of angels or angelic interventions. Yet he goes onto caution readers that “?for both the Bible and human experience tell us visible appearances are very rare ?”

The ephemeral beings are mentioned directly or indirectly nearly 300 times in the Old and New Testaments, Graham wrote in his book “Angels, God?s Secret Agents.” many newer books also probe the existence of angels. The book “In The Arms of Angels – true Stories of Heavenly Guardians” details 35 angelic encounters involving one or more people. Most of the accounts in the book, which was published in 2004 by Loyola Press, tell of visits amid or after tragedies, disease or disaster. many of the accounts involve human visitors who mysteriously help people and then seemingly disappear or fade into the background.

There seems to be little doubt among many members of Fallbrook Presbyterian that angels indeed appeared at the little house on church property. Pastor Marroquin said he is not surprised that Burge would be the recipient of such a visit.

“Honestly, if it was going to happen to anyone it would be her,” he said. “She has a deep, contemplative prayer life.”

Tiffany, the church elder, said she doesn?t have a shred of doubt.

“I believe whole-heartedly in it,” she said. “It?s a tremendous sign.”

Tiffany and other members have been thrilled to see Burge resume writing for the church newsletter. she returned to The Chimes in the December edition, and has been a regular contributor since then. Her March column is titled Walkin? the Walk, not just Talkin? the Talk.

Burge attended the March 11 traditional service at Fallbrook Presbyterian and was drawn into a couple of quick hugs before she and Tiffany drove to a restaurant for breakfast.

“It was like the Lord just pulled me here,” Burge told one well-wisher after the church service.

Burge also attended the March 18 service at Fallbrook Presbyterian, and Marroquin gave the congregation an upbeat report on her current condition. Burge seemed to flow from one hug to another as she slowly exited the sanctuary after the service.

Burge?s return to writing and her profound faith and recent service attendance have prompted some Fallbrook Presbyterian members to predict she?ll be back at her desk in the church office before long.

“I have in my heart that Marcy is going to be fine,” Tiffany said.

(Credit:PCRM) (CBS News) – Hot dog happy Chicago residents are being told that their favorite meat may cause colon cancer. A new billboard has popped up in the skyline featuring a man in a hospital gown looking at his rear next to the words “Hot dogs cause butt cancer: Processed meats increase colorectal cancer risks.”

The billboard is sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit nutrition advocacy group that focuses on diet as a way to prevent disease and reduce symptoms. Nutrition education director for PCRM, Susan Levin, told Healthpop that recent studies have helped highlight the importance of a healthy diet.

“The evidence is just overwhelming that processed meats do lead to colorectal cancer, or as the billboards say, butt cancer,” she said.

Study: Red meat raises risk of dying, risk higher with processed meats

The American Cancer Society claims that in addition to hereditary factors and age, certain types of diets – especially those high in red and processed meats – can increase risk of getting colorectal cancer. Recently, a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine also showed that daily consumption of processed meats can increase a person’s chance of dying from a chronic disease by 20 percent, Healthpop reported.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there will be 103,170 new cases of colon cancer in 2012 and almost 52,000 people will die this year because of it.

PCRM claims Americans consume 20 billion hot dogs a year, not to mention the large amounts of bacon, cold cuts and other processed meats eaten at each meal. The group decided to put the billboard in Chicago because hot dog restaurants supposedly outnumber fast food locations in the Windy City.

Using the term butt cancer is certainly a direct way to get the point across, but Levin said the dire need to educate Americans about the risk made the language necessary. according to a survey conducted by ORC International of Princeton, N.J. and sponsored by PCRM, 39 percent of Americans don’t even know what the colon is.

“We’re just trying to be really clear here because it’s too dangerous not to be,” she said.

Recent studies have also tied eating processed meats to increased risks for bladder and pancreatic cancer.

However, some in the hot dog industry are claiming that PCRM is making uninformed statements to promote a vegan cause. “Hot dogs are a great Chicago tradition and part of a healthy, balanced diet. They come in a variety of nutrition and taste formulas and they are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals,” said National Hot Dog & Sausage Council President Janet M. Riley in a press statement. “This group’s claims are an effort to seek attention for their animal rights cause.”

“PCRM is an advocacy group that pitches the adoption of meat-free diets and are clearly leveraging extreme and sensationalized tactics to further their agenda,” said a spokesperson for Sara Lee, which produces Ball Park hot dogs, via e-mail. “We believe that the key to a healthy lifestyle is a combination of a moderate, balanced diet featuring a wide variety of choices and regular exercise. We are joined in this view by many health organizations, researchers, nutritionists and fitness experts.”

In addition, one of the supposedly carcinogenic ingredients of the hot dog may not cause cancer. Research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s 10th annual International Conference showed that colon cancer rates have not have changed since a mandate to reduce the amount of nitrate in hot dogs was put in place in 1978. Sidney Mirvish, professor emeritus at the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, said in the press release that this suggests that nitrates may not be carcinogenic.

Another Brigham Young and Harvard University study published in Epidemiology in 2004 involving more than 725,000 men and women showed no connection between red or processed meat and colon cancer, but did add that fish and poltry may lower risk.

While Levin encourages people to eat whole fruits and vegetables, she said she understands the hankering for a juicy, grilled hot dog. she says instead of heading for the typical brands, try a meat alternative like tofu or wheat gluten.

“Once you pile on the relish, sauerkraut and mustard, you can’t tell the difference,” she said.

• Homeopaths hit back at claims treatments don’t work
• Follows draft report which said treatment was “unethical”
• Research “showed alternative treatment worked”

AUSTRALIAN homeopaths have rejected claims their treatments are "unethical" and do not work, as stated in a leaked draft report from the nation's peak medical research funding body.

The report from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) says it is "unethical for health practitioners to treat patients using homeopathy, for the reason that homeopathy (as a medicine or procedure) has been shown not to be efficacious," Fairfax media reported today.but Australian Homeopathic Association (AHA) President Greg Cope said there was wide ranging evidence-based research to support the alternative treatment.mr Cope said the AHA had provided the council with a lengthy submission containing results supporting homeopathy and it was too early to predict what would be in the final report.“Our submission contains information about hundreds of randomly controlled trials which show homeopathy is highly effective in treating a number of different conditions,” he said.

“People get the perception it is quack science… but the point we are trying to make is positive homeopathic research is available but much harder to get published in mainstream journals.”

Homeopathy is based on the principles of “like-cures-like” where substances that produce symptoms or illness in a healthy individual can be used to treat similar symptoms in a sick person.

The practice came under fire last year when a leading professor in complimentary medicine argued homeopathy had killed Apple founder Steve Jobs.

Professor Edzard Ernst said Jobs had delayed conventional treatment for his pancreatic cancer in favour of an "unproven treatment".

To get the other side of the homeopathy story 

The Australian NHMRC report is in response to a review on homeopathy conducted by the Science and Technology committee in the UK House of Commons.“That report was widely criticised for its standard of information and was subsequently rejected by the UK Parliament who continue to support homeopathy as a valued part of their public health care system,” mr Cope said.the NHMRC has since called on homeopaths and the Australian community to provide feedback to “develop health advice for health professionals and the Australian community to assist them in making informed choices about healthcare”.According to the leaked draft, homeopathy uses a variety of animal, plant and mineral products to treat illness and while not harmful it could pose risks if patients chose to delay or not use conventional treatments.mr Cope said a case involving Perth woman Penelope Dingle, who died from bowel cancer in 2005 after spending about $30,000 on unsuccessful homeopathic treatments, highlighted the need for government regulation of the natural medicine industry.he said all homeopaths were required under the AHA code of conduct to refer back to medical practitioners when treating serious illnesses.Homeopaths, like most other alternative therapies, were self-regulated but had lobbied the government extensively for a formal registration scheme, he said.a recent Swiss Government report on homeopathic medicine found the treatments were effective and cost-effective in treating illness, and should be reimbursed by the country’s national health insurance program.the Swiss Health Technology Assessment, considered one of the most comprehensive reports undertaken by a government to date on homeopathy, includes a review of evidence from randomised double-blind and placebo controlled clinical trials.the NHMRC said it was still in the process of reviewing the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines, including homeopathy, and would release its findings in due course.

PARIS–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Regulatory News:

“given this substantial advantage in survival coupled with lower toxicity of masitinib as compared with Sutent®, we believe that masitinib is an important step forward in the treatment of GIST.”

AB Science SA (Paris:AB) (NYSE Euronext – FR0010557264 – AB) today announced encouraging results from a phase 2 study with its investigational drug, masitinib, in Gleevec®-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Masitinib significantly improved overall survival in patients with Gleevec®-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) as compared to Sutent® (sunitinib) from Pfizer, a drug approved for second-line treatment of GIST, currently the standard of care for these patients. In this study, 44 patients with inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic GIST and showing disease progression while treated with Gleevec® (imatinib) (400 to 800 mg/day) received either masitinib (23 patients) at 12 mg/kg/day or Sutent® (21 patients) until progression. After a median follow-up of 14 months, median overall survival was not reached for masitinib versus 15 months for Sutent® (p=0.022 HR:3.2). After 18 months, 79% of patients treated with masitinib were still alive, versus 20% for patients treated with Sutent®. After 2 years, 53% of patients treated with masitinib were still alive, versus 0% for the patients treated with Sutent®.

The study also demonstrated that masitinib was significantly better tolerated than Sutent®. The safety profile of masitinib was better than that of sunitinib, with a significantly longer Safety Event Free Survival (p=0.002), and a lower occurrence of severe adverse events. In masitinib treated patients, nausea, diarrhea and asthenia were the most common related adverse events. full data has been submitted for publication to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2012 Annual Meeting.

Axel Le Cesne, MD (Institut Gustave Roussy, France), the principal investigator of this study declared: “Given this substantial advantage in survival coupled with lower toxicity of masitinib as compared with Sutent®, we believe that masitinib is an important step forward in the treatment of GIST.”

Olivier Hermine, MD, PhD, President of the Scientific Committee of AB Science commented: “Masitinib differs from Sutent® by its selectivity profile. unlike Sutent®, which targets a broad spectrum of protein kinases, masitinib is very selective, which brings better tolerability. Furthermore, in addition to killing cells that make up the tumors, masitinib has a complementary mode of action that may also kill cancer stem cells and trigger an immune response, which may further enhance its efficacy. these promising results in second line treatment of GIST, which correlate with the encouraging results previously reported in the first line treatment of GIST, tend to confirm that masitinib has an original mechanism of action that may translate into improved survival.”

About GIST

Gastrointential stromal tumor (GIST) is a sarcoma, which is a type of cancer that develops in the cells of the body’s connective or supportive tissues. GIST arises within the gastrointestinal tract. it is estimated that approximately 5,000 to 6,000 new patients are diagnosed with GIST each year in the United States. In 2010, the global GIST therapeutics market was valued at $920 million, and forecast to grow at a rate of 2% annually.

Masitinib received orphan drug designation in the treatment of GIST from both the FDA and EMA.

About masitinib

Masitinib is an investigational orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets mast cells, important cells for immunity, as well as a limited number of kinases that play key roles in various cancers. Owing to its novel mechanism of action, masitinib can be developed in a large number of conditions in oncology, inflammatory diseases and certain diseases of the central nervous system. Through its activity of inhibiting certain kinases that are essential in some oncogenic processes, masitinib may have an effect on tumor regression, alone or in combination with chemotherapy. Through its activity on the mast cell and certain kinases essential to the activation of the inflammatory cells and fibrosing tissue remodeling, masitinib can have an effect on the symptoms associated with some inflammatory and central nervous system diseases.

About AB Science

Founded in 2001, AB Science is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development and commercialization of novel targeted therapies for patients with cancer and other significant unmet medical needs including inflammatory and central nervous system diseases. AB Science has developed a proprietary portfolio of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs), a new class of targeted molecules whose action is to modify signaling pathways within cells. AB Science’s lead product, masitinib, has already been registered in veterinary medicine in Europe and the US, and is currently in 9 phase 3 human studies, including 8 studies on-going in pancreatic cancer, GIST, metastatic melanoma expressing JM mutation of c-Kit, multiple myeloma, mastocytosis, severe persistent asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and progressive multiple sclerosis. The Company is headquartered in Paris, France, and is listed on Euronext Paris (Ticker: AB).

Further information is available on AB Science’s website: ab-science.com

This document contains prospective information. no guarantee can be given as for the realization of these forecasts, which are subject to those risks described in documents deposited by the Company to the Authority of the financial markets, including trends of the economic conjuncture, the financial markets and the markets on which AB Science is present.

Houston, TX — (SBWIRE) — 02/01/2012 — according to endocrinologists, despite understanding the cause and development of Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM), there is an alarming rise in the insulin-resistant cases and failure of Oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA). Early diagnosis and control of NIDDM is important in order to reduce the risk of later complications. various herbs have been found beneficial in the management of NIDDM and are gaining considerable recognition in the management of NIDDM worldwide.Diabecon also known as GlucoCare from Himalaya is a polyherbal formulation, which contain the extracts of Balsamodendron mukul, Gymnema sylvestre, Pterocarpus marsupium, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Casearia esculenta, Eugenia jambolana, Asparagus racemosus, Boerhaavia diffusa, Sphaeranthus indicus, Tinospora cordifolia, Swertia chirata, Tribulus terrestris, Phyllanthus amarus, Gmelina arborea, Gossypium herbaceum, Berberis aristata, Aloe vera, Shilajeet and powders of Momordica charantia, Piper nigrum, Ocimum Sanctum, Abutilon indicum, Curcuma longa, Rumex maritimus and Trikatu as its main constituents; is said to be an effective natural herbal remedy to treat Diabetes. Experts state that, Diabecon has shown proven results in treating type-2 Diabetes mellitus, also known as Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus.the results of Clinical trial, conducted to check the Efficacy of Diabecon from Himalaya, on 50 patients who were diagnosed on Diabetes, observed that, There was a significant improvement in the general symptoms of NIDDM such as polyuria, generalized weakness and there was an improvement in the appetite .the study also observed a reduction in leg cramps and burning sensation in hands and soles after a month of treatment with Diabecon. There were no clinically significant changes in the hematological and biochemical parameters. There were no clinically significant adverse reactions, either reported Reduction in blood sugar level in newly diagnosed patients of NIDDM on treatment with Diabecon alone by patients, or observed by the investigators and the overall compliance to the treatment was excellent.according to Ayurvedic Experts the natural herbs contained in Diabecon from Himalaya are useful in maintaining normal blood sugar and cholesterol levels in the blood. It provides great control over glycemic level and helps in proper functioning of pancreas and promotes beta cell regeneration. along with maintaining normal blood sugar level Diabecon also maintains healthy triglycerides and cholesterol levels. as an Adjuvant, Himalaya Diabecon is also considered effective in treating type-1 Diabetes.you can Buy Cheapest Diabecon from Himalaya online, the natural diabetes remedy only at Onlineherbs.com.about OnlineHerbsOnlineHerbs is an online herbal pharmacy which aims at providing the best quality herbal medicines like natural herbal remedies and natural herbal health supplements for healing various diseases. OnlineHerbs offer the herbal products from very well-known companies, ‘Himalaya Herbals’, ‘Avesta Herbals’, ‘Olay Naturals’, ‘Lotus Herbals’ and ‘Olivia Herbals’.for more details please visit at onlineherbs.com/Email: onlineherbs.com/blog.onlineherbs.com/Onlineherbs store to offer a free shipment of cheapest Diabecon from Himalaya Herbals.Browse natural herbal medicine on High Blood Sugar and Cholesterol:onlineherbs.com/glucocare-diabecon-from-himalaya-60tab.html

20 c Will the Arabian Gulf confederation will boost the GCC process? name : E Mail :  SubscribeUnsubscribe your subscription has been

Published on 04/02/2012

Saturday was World Cancer Day. the whole world needs to focus and reflect on a disease that is claiming thousands of lives globally everyday and giving tremendous stress to health delivery system in almost every country. once it strikes, cancer is expensive to treat and difficult to manage. many types of cancer can still not be cured by either traditional or modern medicine: they are the number one enemies of humankind.

Yet it is now known that cancer can be prevented through proper and good nutrition, a balanced life style, keeping oneself fit physically, mentally and spiritually, and keeping the environment clean.

The news that Kenyans might have been consuming vegetables contaminated by a cancer causing pesticide for the last 20 years is therefore both disturbing and hurting. the chemical known as dimethoate, reported to be in about 25 pesticides, is mainly used in keeping pests off vegetables and fruits. It was banned in Europe in 2009, but we Kenyans are banning it only now!

Following the call from Dr Songa of the Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya should not only ban pesticides but also step up measures for reviewing the use of chemicals in crop and animal production so as to eliminate any that may cause cancer.

In this regard, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board has its job cut for it; so are other stakeholders in this field like the Pests Control Product Board, Agro-Chemicals Association of Kenya, Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya and USAAID’s Kenya Horticultural Competitive Project. the umbrella body, the Horticulture Crop Development Authority, needs to ensure that Kenyans grow and consume healthy products free of cancer causing elements either in pesticides or fertilisers.

There are at least 90 different types of cancers that affect human beings in various parts of the body such as skin, the central nervous system, the head, the neck, the thorax, the breast, the digestive system, the genitourinary sites, the gynecologic sites, the lymphomas and myeloma, the musculoskeletal sites and pediatric tumors.

Although facilities for diagnosing and treating cancer in Kenya are still very few compared to the needs of the people, it is now known that the most prevalent types of cancer here are breast, throat, stomach, colon, pancreatic, cervical and prostate cancers. the Africa Cancer Foundation has taken awareness about these cancers as its primary responsibility. how does one take precautionary measures to prevent them, what are their symptoms and where does one go for help when afflicted?

While medical science is capable of tracing the origin and causes of these various types of cancers, there are now good reasons to believe that dietary and environmental factors have a lot to do with the spread and escalation of cancers today. It is therefore better to err on the side of caution by encouraging proper and healthy diet and keeping our environment as clean as possible.

That we make money by producing and eating cheap food may only satisfy our needs for today; in the long run it kills most of us. that we rush to the urban areas to crowd there looking for elusive jobs while living in torrid conditions may be behaviour compelled by circumstances; but we as a people need to go an extra mile and ensure that life is not endangered by abject poverty. Society as a whole needs to give protection to the less fortunate.

Kenyan towns and cities are full of garbage and pollutants; in fact, in the highly populated sections of our urban areas squalor competes for space with human beings in a way by which the human beings themselves ensure that the density of squalor progresses algebraically on a daily basis! This is a tragedy.

Just as we have gathered courage to improve our infrastructure after many years of slumber, we must now gather courage to improve our health system by establishing Universal Health Care as well as improving on our social determinants of health such as good and clean water, proper habitation, clean environment, good nutrition for all and minimal violence in society.

In all this, the Government and the private sector must be good partners. It is always the role of the Government to take the lead and show the way, making it possible for investors to make money while conscious of the basic needs of society. One basic need that is always forgotten — or taken for granted — is health. This can no longer be so.

The health of every Kenyan is not his or her personal affair; it is the affair of the individual extended into society. very soon the degree of poor health of individuals in society begins to affect the degree of health in society as a whole: its health in terms of economic growth as well as its health in terms of how healthy individuals make use of their disposable incomes.

It is almost certain that every Kenyan who earns a salary spends a good part of it on harambees that seek to pay the health bills of the sick or the mortuary/burial bills of the dead. Cancer is fast becoming a major contributor to these bills, and we can avoid this phenomenon by taking preventive measures earlier and using Universal Health Care to take this “sickness load” off our individual backs.

The steps that the NHIF has taken to have more robust health insurance schemes with the teachers, civil servants and the disciplined forces is a move in the right direction that we need to applaud. but more work still needs to be done by the Ministry of Medical Services to ensure that all Kenyans have universal health cover. the framework for this must be put in place this year as we establish the devolved system of Government. This must be done; it will be done.

The writer is Minister for Medical Services

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Thousands raised for Sutton police officer battling cancer

10:46am Wednesday 4th January 2012 in

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Thousands of pounds have been raised for a police officer fighting cancer.

a charity auction on New Year’s Eve raised £2,700 in aid of Detective Constable Scott Allardyce who has been off work for 18 months fighting pancreatic cancer.

Family and friends of D Con Allardyce bid for gifts including spa days, beauty treatments and football gifts signed by Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham footballers.

The money will go to Pancreatic Cancer UK, a charity which funds research, raises awareness and provides counselling and information for patients, carers and families.

D Con Allardyce was re-admitted to hospital on Christmas Eve because of pain he was suffering and spent Christmas Day with his family in hospital.

He was able to attend the auction between taking time out to rest.

his wife Nikki, who works as a trainee detective constable at Sutton Police Station, said more than half the patients with pancreatic cancer experience symptoms, such as pain in the abdomen, jaundice and unexplained weight loss, long before being diagnosed – because this form of cancer can be mistaken for other illnesses.

She said: “Scott was thrilled at the amount of money raised.”

D Con Allardyce, who has been off work since summer 2012, thanked everyone for their efforts.

around 7,600 people with pancreatic cancer in Britain die each year and just 3 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer live after five years of being diagnosed.

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Cancer victim says Prospect are superb

5:26pm Wednesday 11th January 2012 in News by Katie Bond

Cancer victim says Prospect are superb

Tony Sheen has praised Prospect Hospice for the care it has given him during the year after he was told he would have just six months to live.

Honda worker Tony, 53, from Stratton, was given a prognosis of just six months more than a year ago when he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in November 2010.

He was admitted to Prospect Hospice in Wroughton during the weekend before Christmas when the pain from his symptoms became too great to bear.

with the support of the expert teams at the hospice, Tony’s symptoms were controlled and managed to such an extent that he was able to return to the family home on Christmas Eve, and stay there until he was re-admitted to the hospice on Boxing Day.

“For me, it’s our own way of putting something back.”

- Tony Sheen

He said he has defied all expectations thanks to the hsopice staff, as well as his family, friends and colleagues.

He has also shown his appreciation of the hospice’s care by donating £407 raised for him by his workmates towards the charity’s care.

“I really can’t thank them enough for all that they have done for me, and for my wife Carolyn too,” he said.

“The support has been incredible. that said, I was reluctant at first to accept that I needed the help of the hospice at all. I just wasn’t ready to hear it.”

Tony’s care since his diagnosis has involved the support of a Prospect Nurse Specialist – one of the community-based nurses who plan care packages for patients throughout their illness – and an occupational therapist, who has helped him and his wife adapt their home to meet his care needs.

Tony has also sought the support of the clinical psychologist who works with patients at the hospice and, when he has been at the great Western Hospital, he has been supported by the Prospect team there too.

During 2010, Carolyn regularly attended the monthly Carers’ Cafe that brings together people in the new and unfamiliar role of carer to share their experiences and offer mutual support. She has also attended a carers’ course run by the hospice’s family support team, and has also worked with the hospice’s welfare and benefits adviser to help lessen the financial concerns that are often well-known to carers.

Throughout 2011, the family has chosen to show its support for Prospect Hospice through a variety of events, with Tony’s full approval.

Son Luke and son-in-law Gareth both took part in the Swindon Half Marathon to raise funds in October, while future daughter-in-law Laura ran the same event for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Luke also took part in a sponsored rugby match for the Prospect Barbarians team in November, while Becky is planning a netball tournament for later this year.

Tony said: “I am very proud of them for getting involved because my illness could happen to anybody, and I want other people to receive the care I have had.

“For me, it’s our own way of putting something back.”

Tony has thanked the many friends he has made working for Honda over 25 years, where workers have been highly supportive ever since his diagnosis.

He also praised his GP Kerry Wallis, and the Jupiter Ward team at GWH, where Carolyn works.

He said: “There are many more I could thank too – and, of course, Carolyn especially. As long as I feel as well as I do now, I want to go on for as long as possible, enjoying the time that I have left with my family and friends.”

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