Significant advances in cancer research

US researchers have associated a high fat diet with breast cancer. They interviewed 188,700 women between the ages of 50 and 71, about their eating habits. They were all post menopausal and their health was monitored for the next 4 years. Overall, 3501 women developed breast cancer. They found that those who consumed the highest amount of fat had an 11 per cent higher chance of getting breast cancer as compared to those who ate the least fatty food. The body mass index, alcohol intake, smoking habits and so on, did not affect the results. However, those who had had a hormone replacement therapy and consumed large amounts of fat had higher chances of developing cancer. The researchers suspect that the extra fat affects hormone production and thus causes cancer. However, more studies need to be conducted to fully comprehend the risks involved.

Meanwhile, another study found that those surviving leukemia had a higher chance of developing cancer over time. Researchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, examined 2169 children and adolescents who had received therapies for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Their aim was to calculate the long-term cumulative incidence of secondary cancers. 1290 patients had remained in remission. 9.5 per cent of these patients contracted cancer as their first event. They found that the occurrence of cancer in the leukemia-surviving patients increased as time went by. The cumulative incidence was 6.27 per cent over a period of 30 years when meningiomas and basal cell carcinomas were not taken into account. These findings raise significant health issues and emphasize the importance of a continual follow through after leukemia treatment.

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[Dr. Avnish Upadhyay]

Effect of Pranayama and An Ayurvedic preparation by Divya Pharmacy on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): A randomized controlled comparative study
Acharya Balkrishan(1), Dr. Upadhyay A.K.(2)
Patanjali Yog Peeth , Haridwar

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative expansion of transformed, primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells. It involves myeloid, monocytic, erythroid, megakaryocytic, B-lymphoid, and occasionally T-lymphoid lineages.(1)
CML was the first human disease in which a specific abnormality of the karyotype — the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome — could be linked to pathogenetic events of leukemogenesis.(2)

It was among the first neoplastic diseases in which therapy with a biologic agent (interferon) was found to suppress the leukemic clone and prolong survival.(3)
Although heterogeneous, CML is the best-characterized leukemia at a molecular level, and studies in recent years have helped to define further the molecular events involved in its initiation and progression and to relate such events to clinical manifestations, the course of the disease, and therapeutic interventions.

CML has an incidence of 1 to 2 cases per 100,000 people per year and accounts for 15 percent of leukemias in adults. The median age of patients at presentation is 45 to 55 years. From 12 to 30 percent of patients are 60 years of age or older, an important consideration for therapeutic strategies such as stem-cell transplantation and interferon alfa treatment. Most cases (85 percent) are diagnosed in the chronic phase; about 50 percent of cases are diagnosed by routine tests. Common findings at presentation are
fatigue, weight loss, abdominal fullness, bleeding, purpura, splenomegaly, leukocytosis, anemia, and thrombocytosis. Three to five years after onset, CML progresses to
the accelerated and blast phases.(4) The blast phase is defined by the presence of 30 percent or more leukemic cells in peripheral blood or marrow or the presence of extramedullary infiltrates of blast cells.(5,6) In one third of cases, the blasts have a lymphoid morphology and express lymphoid markers such as terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase or CD10 (common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen). The remaining two thirds of cases have a phenotype similar to that of acute myeloblastic leukemia and form
a heterogeneous group.(7) The distinction is important because patients whose leukemia is in the lymphoid blast phase respond to treatment with regimens that are active against acute lymphoid leukemia.(8)

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a form of cancer affecting the white blood cells. Bone marrow contains mother cells for red blood cells, white blood cells and the platelets. The mother cells produce new cells which mature to become functional as defense cells and enter the blood. They are programmed to die away within 8 to 10 days. This programmed healthy cell death is called apoptosis. Some cells may escape this apoptosis and end up as immortal cells that go on multiplying uncontrolled. If this happens with white blood cells called leukocytes, the condition is called CML.

Persons with CML may exhibit tiredness, general weakness, weight loss and lack of appetite. They have lumps in the abdomen due to the enlargement of the liver and spleen, which are studded with large numbers of abnormal cells. Although the cause of this condition is unknown, stressful lifestyle is considered as one of the risk factors that may trigger some of the dormant genes in these cells to become functional.
Psychosocial stress can trigger different degrees of emotional responses. These long standing suppressed emotions of frustration, depression, anger etc, are known to have causative relationship in patients with cancer in different parts of the body. Yoga addresses these issues and brings about a clear calm and unagitated state of mind.

By using several subtle techniques of breathing, pranayama, meditation on sound resonance, imagery and yogic counseling to make the mind fearless, one prepares the mind to become a very powerful self corrective instrument.(9)
Pranayama is an important, yet little known part of yoga. Its techniques have been practiced for centuries by students of yoga in remote ashrams, and have been preserved for us through many generations both in practice and in hand written books. Until recently, this art and science of yogic breathing was almost completely unknown to the common man like many other ancient Indian arts. Those who knew it used to be very reluctant to share their knowledge and experience with anyone, unless a student proved by tests that he was ready to receive it.

“ Tasmin sati swas praswasyo gartivich pranayama”(10)

Tasmin : In this,
Sati : Being,
Swas : Inhale,
Praswas : Exhale
Gati : Flow
Viccheda : Cutting-off
Pranayama : Breath control (11)

This having been (accomplished) “Pranayam” which is controle of inspiration and expiration.

The inspiration of prana-vayu is swas and expiration is praswas and the cessation of both is characteristic of Pranayama.

Pranayama, as traditionally conceived, involves much more than merely breathing for relaxation. Patanjali defines Pranayama as “The regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention.” It is to be practiced only after perfection in asana is attained. Pranayama also denotes cosmic power, or the power of entire universe, which manifests itself as conscious living being in us through the phenomenon of breathing.
The word Pranayama consists of two parts; prana and ayama. Ayama means stretch, extension, length, breadth, regulation, prolongation, restraint and control and describes the action of Pranayama. Prana is energy, when the self-energizing force embraces the body with extension and expansion and control; it is Pranayama. The mail benefits of pranayama are:

(1) Increased oxygen supply (even more than deep breathing)
(2) Re-establishes the body’s own natural rhythm.
(3) Helps one to acquire self confidence, optimism, a calm mind and other desired qualities.
(4)Pranayama, as well as correct concentration and meditation, can bring about a breath change in one’s physical and mental stage and serves as a step towards spiritual unfolding. The yogis say that the deep Pranayama exercise will allow the body to re-establish in its own natural rhythm and allow us more to the cosmic rhythm. This will protect us from any negative external influences.
(5) Pranayama improves QoL.
Kaplabhati helps in blood purification which provides glorious and lustrous skin. It also helps in curing skin disorder like psoriasis, eczema. Vitiligo, leucoderma etc. Thus, Kapalbhati prevents disorder and treats a wide range of physical as well as mental disorder but it should be practiced with rest all six types of pranayama. In Kapalbhati more attention is to be given on act of forceful exhalation while the inhalation is passive, Silent and short, during abdominal contraction force is applied to the Manipura, Swadhisthan and muladhar chakra.
Healthy person can practice it 10-15 minutes regularly. Patients with obesity, Vitiligo, leukemia’s, breast carcinoma, Fallopian tube blockage, hepatitis etc. should practice it 20 minutes to half hour twice daily.(12)

"Yoga is an incredible tool for accessing the body's amazing capacity to heal itself," says Hawley, who still undergoes annual tests to monitor for relapse or recurrence. Drawn to share yoga's gifts, she has completed a teacher training program at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and attended teacher training programs at the Himalayan Institute and Integrative Yoga Therapy. Now living in Houghton, Michigan, she offers yoga classes as a wellness tool and has worked with people who have serious illnesses. Her oncologist also has become interested in using yoga to help his patients. "Yoga may not cure people with cancer," Hawley says, "but it can certainly help them heal."(13)

Each single act of normal, unmodified breathing consists of four distinguishable stages:
• "Breathing In", Inhaling Or Inspiration (Purak)
• The Pause, Short Or Long, Between Inhalation And Exhalation. We Will Call This Retentive Pause And Readjustment Phase (Antah Kumhak)
• Breathing Out," Exhaling Or Expiration. (rechak)
• The Pause, Long Or Short, Between Exhalation And Inhalation. We Will Call This Stage Extensive Pause And Its Readjustment Phase. (Bahya Kumhak)
The two "resting" stages may or may not be very restful since the whole respiratory system, including its muscular and nervous mechanisms, undergoes a reversal of direction and multitudes of minute adaptations take place whenever each such reversal occurs. All four are entailed in a complete act of respiration.

CAM is a growing field in health care and particularly among breast and other cancer patients. Knowledge of CAM by physicians, especially oncologists, is necessary. Oncologists should be willing to discuss the role of CAM with their patients and encourage patients to participate in well-organized research about CAM.(14)
When Norman Cousins wrote his path-breaking bestseller on the power of mind in healing the body as he set to cure himself of a crippling disease, practitioners of modern medicine were not convinced. Not any more. Several leading doctors believe that yoga helps heal better and faster. In particular, the role of the pineal and pituitary gland, both situated in the brain, is highly emphasized during meditation. Modern medical science has only lately realized the importance of the pineal gland. Some of its properties are now well documented and the substances secreted by the gland are being produced synthetically and prescribed as a drug. The use of this gland in the progression of cancers is also being researched.(15)

Metal therapy, according to Ayurvedic texts which are thousands of years old, is based on the premise that human body tissues contain different metals in various degrees. Any imbalance in the content of these metals, caused by natural or self-inflicted methods such as substance abuse, disturbs the body and triggers ailments. The patients can be treated with metal-based drugs that replace the balance. Metal therapy rests on the belief that all ailments can be treated with metal-based drugs if they are diagnosed correctly and in time. All metals including gold, silver, mercury, arsenic, iron, copper, lead, tin and zinc and their alloys and some wastes are used to make the drugs. Metals (ionised form which can be absorbed by the human body) have a very important role to play in the prevention and cure of cancer.

"The same metal can be mixed with different herbs and processed to treat different diseases," Dr R M Anand, an assistant director at state-run Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS), told Reuters. He said metals are first purified in herbal decoctions, oxidized, subjected to heat and crushed several hundred times till they are converted into a non-metallic, non-toxic form that can be absorbed by the body. The drugs are either in the form of tablets or powders.(16)

Traditional knowledge will serve as a powerful search engine and most importantly, will greatly facilitate intentional, focused and safe natural products research to rediscover the drug discovery process. Benefits in health care and improvement of quality of life.Natural harmaceuticals (Naturaceuticals), nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals are of great importance as a reservoir of chemical diversity aimed at new drug discovery and are explored for antimicrobial, cardiovascular, immunosuppressive and anticancer drugs. US FDA has granted approvals to many biotechnology-based products, including Novartis: Gleevec – for treatment of CML; Genezyme: Carticel – cartilage regeneration; Immunex: Enbrel – for RA; Genentech: Herceptin – for Breast cancer; CDR Therap: Integrilin – for heart diseases; Organogenesis: Apligraft – a skin substitute. Over 300 drugs are in Phase III and over 200 are expected to be in the market by 2007.(17,18)

In a study arsenic compounds are effective agents in the treatment of APL and their activity against other types of cancer requires further investigation. Treatment of newly diagnosed and relapsed patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has been found to result in complete remission (CR) rates of 85-93% when given by intravenous infusion for 2-3 h at a dose of 10 mg/day diluted in 5% glucose saline solution.(19)

Extract of Tinospora cordifolia has been shown to inhibit the lipid peroxidation and superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in vitro. Concentration needed for 50% inhibition was 6 mg and 12.5 mg/ml, respectively. The extract was also found to reduce the toxic side effects of cyclophosphamide administration (25 mg/kg b.wt, 10 days) in mice hematological system by the free radical formation as seen from total white blood cell count, bone marrow cellularity and alpha-esterase positive cells.(20)

Exposure of HeLa cells to 0, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 microg/ml of guduchi extracts (methanol, aqueous and methylene chloride) resulted in a dose-dependent but significant increase in cell killing, when compared to non-drug-treated controls.(21)

The metal based formulations have been found to be effective in the successful treatment of leukaemia. In 1996, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare again reviewed my results and a pilot project entitled ‘Effect of metal based formulation in the treatment of 30 patients of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APML)’ was sanctioned by CCRAS under the supervision of Cancer Research Committee headed by Dr Dinesh Chandra, Professor and Head, Department of Pharmacology, Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi. The other members of the committee were Haematologist and Oncologist from AIIMS and
experts from ICMR and CCRAS.(22)

Although there is no certain treatment for cancer in ayurveda, it can help in restoring the normal functioning of organs and enable the body to fight disease to a certain extent. It does not have specific medicines to kill cancer cells, but works more as a supplemental therapy towards overall management of the disease. Some ayurvedic physicians claim having achieved positive results in treatment with heerak bhasma (a medicine prepared from diamonds).(23)

Tamra bhasma purifies the blood. It has the qualities of Swarna Bhasma. Tamra Bhasma (Cupric oxide) is Useful in leprosy, asthma, bronchitis, cough, consumption, anaemia, piles, liver trouble etc.(24)

Involving 400 cancer patients, the Ayurvedic formulation containing herbal drugs bhallatak (Semecarpus anacardium), rohitak (Amoora rohitaka), madhuyasti (Glycyrrhiza glabra), and tamra bhasma was evaluated alone or in combination with other treatment modalities, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.The patients were monitored for 10 years(25)

The practice of Pranayama and science of ayurveda is a tremendous gift forms our Indian Traditional science & culture. Science of yogic breathing was almost completely unknown to the common people. The credit for making the practice of pranayama popular in common people as a discipline in its own right and as a mean for maintaining the health of the body & mind goes to Pujya Swami Ram Dev Ji Maharaj & PYP. Pujya Swami Ram Dev Ji Maharaj rediscovered & proved that Patanjali’s Pranayama has scientific basis through his Challenging yoga camp. From the received letters of the patients from all over India of various disorder, who get a relief from there disorder it can be argued that the benefits of pranayama may be due to the dynamics of group activity and the mere fact that the persons engaged in any exercise. This psychological aspect can influence the physiological state. Now a day there are several psychosomatic diseases emerging through the world. The immunomodulatory activity of Pranayama can be an accurate solution for all these diseases, which are, involve with immune system. Hence, Pranayama is a science of breath & breath is life.

HYPOTHESIS

The seven types of pranayama, popularized, reintroduced and reinvented by Pujya Swami Ramdev evolved to exercise and affect various parts of body like lungs, muscles, nerves, glands, circulatory system etc. Some ayurvedic formulations given in traditional texts used by ayurvedic practitioners for long times like Heerak Bhasma, Ras Manikya, Swarn Basant Malti, Tal Sindur, Amrita sat etc. are looking very much useful in different types of carcinomas, may be due to lekhan properties of these drugs and pranayama.

STUDY OBJECTIVES

The assessment of relative importance of pranayama and karkatnashini in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) patients especially pathological and symptomatic changes. The result of this study will decide long term study on different type of carcinoma patients.

[Mr. Amrit Bahadur Gurung]

I would just like to know about piles. I would be grateful if you could advise me the names of Ayurvedic medicines available at Ayurvedic hospitals here in Nepal. Could you help me?

[homer simpsons dad]

Males should be allowed to go shirtless at home only - Or vary with places for another persuasive speech topic

[homer simpsons dad]

Males should be allowed to go shirtless at home only - Or vary with places for another persuasive speech topic

[archive florida lottery]

Blame the parents of a murderer parents for the crime

[bed frame poster]

Sex offenders should be, should not be castrated

[antique auto glass]

Help the homeless down the street and persuade them to look for work

[antique auto glass]

Help the homeless down the street and persuade them to look for work

[dealer discount tire]

An integrated, segregated society is better

[Tripti Tewari]

My mother has been diagnosed as a CML patient recently.Are there any ways to cure her disease and make her fit.What are the medicines in ayurveda?How can her quality of life improve as she has started feeling very weak after the start of medicine-Imatinib Myeslate

[POONAM SINGH]

I ve met a kid of 2 yrs old who has liver cancer and when I asked the doctor what are the chances they said that since he is going on camo and that operation cant be done since the tumar has spread to two more places the chances are rare.But I dont know why i feel he will be cured.i want to know about the aryurvedic treatment by baba ramdev and where can we go for it ie at which centre.presently the treatment is going on in mumbai.
kindly let me know.

poonam singh

[cover]

Buyers of guns must take gun-safety courses

[Radhika Mukund Suratkar]

Fourth Stage for cancer in Advance stage and All Lungs
Please any medicine or any instruction

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Vulgar language during primetime TV is, is not okay

[sleep sins]

Space Exploration Benefits Our World, costs too much

[Jen a.k.a. Eye Cream Princess]

They are researching the meat and leave the spirit out and theycall that a science? Well, we might go live back into the caves lol...

my 2 cents though, otherwise great post.

Jen at http://www.thebesteyecream.com

[Lee]

Live with your lover before getting married

[John]

Today was a complete loss. I've just been hanging out doing nothing. I've more or less been doing nothing. I can't be bothered with anything recently. I guess it doesn't bother me.

[Acai Optimum]

What can I say? I enjoyed reading this post and will surely come back for more. Thank you!

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