Insurance doesn't cover cancer pills!

Today, this New York Times article entitled: Insurance Lags as Cancer Care comes in a Pill revealed the communication gap between patients, doctors, technology and insurance companies.

With oral cancer drugs, “the technology has outstripped the ability of society to integrate it into the mainstream in a smooth fashion,” said Carlton Sedberry, a pharmacy expert at Medical Marketing Economics, a consulting firm.

Cancer pills provide a convenient alternative to IV chemotherapy since it reduces the number of visits that patients need to make to the hospital. However, most insurance companies do not cover these pills even though alternative therapies are covered. This makes the cost of this treatment weigh heavily in the pockets of the patients. Additionally, there may be problems with controlling dosage quantities and interpreting side effects. This new wave of cancer therapy still has a long way to go before becoming mainstream as doctors, patients and society learn to deal with the challenges that arise.

Lung diseases

Lung disease is one of the top diseases in the United States today. Lung disease is on the rise worldwide. Factors such as air quality play a vital role in the increase in lung disease. Living with lung disease can be tremendously difficult, affecting daily life and the ability to do normal daily activities.

Symptoms of lung disease can vary, depending on the lung disease which has been contracted. Most lung diseases cause difficulty breathing, coughing, airway constriction, and a heavy or tight feeling in the chest. Some lung disease symptoms include fevers, weakness,heart rhythm problems or palpitations, or even blue tinting of the extremities.

Lung diseases such as lung cancers have various causative factors including, cigarette smoking, environmental or occupational exposures, and can be developed after a different type of cancer has been discovered elsewhere in the body. Asthma has hereditary factors, can be caused by second hand smoke or allergies, or other environmental factors. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is usually caused by smoking cigarettes, although the chronic inhalation of marijuana can cause lung cancer and COPD. Lung diseases such as tuberculosis and legionnaires disease are caused by an infection and can be treated with very aggressive antibiotics.



There are various risk factors for lung disease, most of which are environmental, although heredity does play a role in some lung diseases such as asthma. Environmental factors include smoking or exposure to second hand smoke, exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos or chemical treatments for fiberglass, allergies, bacteria, or viruses. For instance, asthma can be triggered by second hand smoke, smoking, or allergies but can also have hereditary risk factors. Asbestos exposure creates a serious risk factor for Mesothelioma, a rare but fatal lung cancer.

Diagnosing lung disease requires a physical examination and may require tests which include chest x-rays, blood tests, and lung function tests. Asthma may be diagnosed after a physical examination, listening to the lungs of the patient to detect any wheezing, and a spirometry test which is nothing more complicated than measuring the rate of air flow expelled from the lungs. Diagnosing lung cancer is typically done with x-rays of the chest and blood tests. Phlegm may be tested for cancerous cells, a bronchoscopy or a needle biopsy may be performed, and most doctors will perform a CT scan to take detailed pictures of the inside of the lung.

Complications from lung disease can be widespread, including heart problems related from a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. Numbness in cold weather and tingling of the extremities can also happen due to a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. Lung disease can deteriorate the quality of life for the patient, and may eventually lead to death. While it is very rare, fatal asthma attacks have been known to occur. Lung cancer may lead to death if the cancer either can not be controlled or spreads throughout the body.

Treatment for lung disease varies by the type of disease. Asthma suffers typically use an inhaler which delivers medication straight into the bronchioles and opens the airway. Oral medication is now proving to be effective in dealing with asthma. Infectious lung diseases such as tuberculosis and legionnaires disease require high dose antibiotics. Lung cancer is often treated with either radiation treatments, chemotherapy, surgical procedures, or a combination of all three. Lung disease is a serious health risk that costs billions of dollars per year to treat, and researchers are searching for better and more effective treatments for lung disease regularly.



It is important that individuals with lung disease provide ample self care. Avoiding behaviors which are known to irritate the condition is just practical. People with lung disease should never smoke, avoid second hand smoke, avoid situations that are likely to pass germs from human to human contact or large crowded indoor areas that are likely to carry air born germs, and allergens which may affect the ability to breathe.

Coping with lung disease can be difficult and may affect every factor of daily life. Creating a comfortable sleeping environment, whether that means the use of a fan, dehumidifier, or vaporizer, is vital. Taking the appropriate medications when prescribed is also vital, whether or not the patient is symptomatic at the moment. Listening to the physician’s advice regarding diet and exercise can make a tremendous difference in the life of a lung disease sufferer.

Heart failure: Heart pumps help keep the beat

If you have heart failure, a heart pump may improve your quality of life.

When you have heart failure, your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. Treatment is directed at the underlying cause, such as high blood pressure or coronary artery disease. Lifestyle changes and medication often help, too. If heart failure progresses, an advanced treatment such as a heart pump may be recommended.

A heart pump takes over the function of one or both of the heart's lower chambers, with the potential to improve your symptoms and quality of life. Once considered a last resort for prolonging life until a donated heart became available, heart pumps have become a possible long-term treatment for selected people with heart failure.

How does a heart pump work?

A heart pump replaces the work of one or both of the heart's lower chambers (ventricles). The pump — often about the size of a personal compact disc player — is implanted in your upper abdomen through open-heart surgery. Blood from the supported ventricle flows through the pump, into the aorta and then to the rest of your body. You'll feel the pump beat beneath your skin. The pump is connected to a battery pack worn outside your body, often in a small shoulder bag or fanny pack.

Some heart pumps are designed to support only the heart's left ventricle. These are known as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Other heart pumps support the right ventricle (RVAD) or both ventricles (biventricular assist devices).

A bridge to recovery

Sometimes a heart pump temporarily supports the heart as it heals from a massive heart attack, an episode of sudden heart failure or complications from open-heart surgery. In other cases, a heart pump works along with medication to improve heart function until transplantation is possible. With the help of a heart pump, your heart may even perform at normal or near-normal levels — alleviating symptoms and perhaps eliminating the need for a transplant. Occasionally it's possible to be weaned from the pump until it's no longer needed.

Or sometimes a destination

If your heart failure can't be appropriately managed with medication or special pacemakers and you're not a candidate for a heart transplant, a heart pump may offer promise as a long-term treatment. This is known as destination therapy — an option approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002.

When used along with medication, a heart pump doubles the one-year survival rate for people with end-stage heart failure. This remarkable benefit was first noted in a 2001 landmark study in which researchers confirmed the benefits of heart pumps compared with medication alone. A heart pump also improves the signs and symptoms of heart failure — such as breathlessness and fatigue — which can improve your quality of life.

Understand the risks

A heart pump can be a lifesaving treatment. Yet the potential risks are serious, including:

• Infection
• Blood clots
• Stroke
• Bleeding
• Device malfunction

Some complications associated with a heart pump are life-threatening.

Living with a heart pump

Whether your heart pump is a bridge to transplant or your destination, you'll need to adjust to life with the pump.

• Follow the instructions from your medical team. Specific precautions may vary depending on the specific type of pump.
• Take your medication as prescribed. Your doctor may prescribe various heart failure medications, including anticoagulants to help prevent blood clots.
• Anticipate the battery life of your pump. You may need to change the pump's batteries once or even twice a day. Store extra batteries in a cool place.
• Keep it clean and dry. To prevent infection, carefully cleanse the area where the battery wire is implanted. Make sure your battery pack and the wire connecting the pack to the pump stay dry — even when you bathe.
• Avoid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. These imaging studies use a strong magnet, which may interfere with the pump.
• Watch for mechanical problems. You'll have regular check-ins with your doctor and device technician. Report any changes in the pump's sounds or motion immediately.
• Be prepared for emergencies. Your doctor will provide a hand pump and emergency power pack in case the implanted pump fails. Make sure you and your caregivers know how to use the hand pump.

A heart pump can offer a second chance at life. Work with your doctor to make the most of it.

Pituitary Adenoma

What Is It?

A pituitary adenoma is a benign tumor of the anterior pituitary gland. It is the most common pituitary tumor of the gland itself. Adenoma is a general term for a benign tumor of a secreting tissue. There is no known cause in most cases of these pituitary tumors.

The pituitary gland is a small structure that lies at the base of the brain. It works closely with the brain to aid in coordination of many aspects of endocrine (hormonal) function. It is vital to the normal functioning of metabolism and other glands such as the thyroid, adrenals, mammary, testes and ovaries and even aspects of kidney function. It is comprised of an anterior pituitary (known as the adenohypophysis) as well as a posterior pituitary (called the neurohypophysis). Pituitary adenomas always arise from the anterior part.

Pituitary adenomas vary greatly from one to the next. While many are simply a mass which grows in the pituitary, several types actually secrete pituitary hormones. Rather than secreting these hormones in a normal manner, they over secrete them so that there is an over abundance of that hormone in the body. This abnormal secretion can lead to very specific clinical syndromes related to that hormone. These syndromes are described briefly below but each have a separate page to describe them in more detail.

• Prolactinoma: A pituitary tumor which secretes the hormone prolactin.
• Growth Hormone Secreting Adenoma: A pituitary adenoma which secretes growth hormone. This can lead to the syndromes of Acromegaly andGigantism.
• Cushing's Disease: A pituitary adenoma which secretes the hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) which stimulates the adrenal gland to secrete cortisol.
• Nonsecreting Pituitary Adenoma (Endocrine Inactive Adenoma): A pituitary tumor which does not directly secrete any hormones.
• Pituitary tumors which secrete the other anterior pituitary hormones, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), leutinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), are all very rare. TSH secreting tumors can lead to hyperthyroidism or over secretion of thyroid hormone from the thyroid gland. Secretion of either FSH or LH can lead to loss of normal menstrual cycles and infertility in women as well as impotence and infertility in men.

In addition to the secretion of hormones, as a pituitary adenoma grows it can cause damage to the normal pituitary gland adjacent to it so that the patient may develop pituitary insufficiency of one or more hormone. Finally, with any pituitary tumor, increased secretion of prolactin (hyperprolactinemia), a hormone important for the development of breast tissue (the mammary glands), can lead to abnormal menses in women or impotence in men.

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What Types of Symptoms Are Typical?

Presenting symptoms of pituitary tumors vary depending on the type of the tumor and its size.

Headaches: Any pituitary tumor can present with headaches.

Visual Loss: Any pituitary tumor which is large enough can cause compression of a part of the visual system in the brain which runs just above the pituitary gland. This compression can lead to loss of normal visual function which usually presents initially with loss of peripheral vision in both eyes (called homonymous hemianopsia). Some loss of visual acuity can occur as well and very large tumors that go untreated or expand quickly can lead to complete blindness. Some of this visual loss can be reversible with treatment of the tumor in some cases.

Hyperprolactinemia: Any pituitary tumor that gets big enough can interfere with the normal secretion of the hormone called prolactin. This leads to an increase in secretion of the hormone, although it does not typically get as high as from a secreting prolactinoma. This elevated prolactin can be asymptomatic but it can also cause abnormal reproductive function including loss of normal menstrual cycles in women and impotence in men. It can also lead to breast development and secretion of a milk-like substance from both men and women.

Hormone Syndromes: If a pituitary tumor secretes a hormone, additional symptoms related to that hormone can occur. For a more thorough description of those clinical syndromes, see the pages for acromegaly,gigantism, prolactinoma, and Cushing's disease.

Rarely, a pituitary adenoma can bleed suddenly (called pituitary apoplexy), causing a sudden enlargement in its size. This often leads to acute pituitary dysfunction as well as sudden loss of vision. This is generally considered a surgical emergency and most often leads to an emergent operation to remove the tumor and blood.

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How Is The Diagnosis Typically Made?

Patients present in various ways, depending on the type of tumor they have. However, after a neurological evaluation, a CT scan or MRI scan are usually ordered to detect the tumor. The appearance of a pituitary adenoma is generally regular enough to make the diagnosis with a good degree of accuracy just based on the MRI alone. However, some related tumors can be mistaken for a pituitary tumor. Some examples of these areRathke's cleft cyst, craniopharyngioma, meningiomas of the tuberculum sellae and diaphragma sellae.

To confirm the diagnosis, tumor tissue needs to be assessed by a pathologist in most cases.

In addition the the imaging studies described above, patients with pituitary tumors will usually undergo blood tests to assess their hormonal function. The purpose of these tests is to both look for any oversecretion of hormones associated with the tumor as well as to determine if the patient has any impaired function of normal pituitary gland function. In the case ofCushing's disease, some patients will undergo inferior petrosal sinus sampling (a special blood test done by a radiologist) to confirm and refine the diagnosis.

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What Are Some Common Treatments?

The majority of pituitary adenomas, particularly if the patient has symptoms, are treated by surgery. In most cases this involves a procedure called the transsphenoidal approach. This approach, through the nasal passages, is the most direct route to the area of the pituitary gland and is generally better tolerated with a quicker recovery than a craniotomy (opening the skull).

In patients who have loss of some normal pituitary function, they may require hormonal replacement therapy to prevent symptoms. For example, if the patient presents with low thyroid hormone, they may require treatment with synthetic thyroid hormone.

In a few cases of tumors which secrete hormones, medical therapy to control the tumor may be attempted. The most commonly used example of this is using drugs called dopamine agonists (bromocriptine and cabergoline are the most commonly used examples) in patients with prolactinoma. In some cases, this hormone will inhibit the tumor and can even cause the tumor to shrink on its own, preventing or delaying the need for surgery.

Each tumor and patient is different, so it is hard and inappropriate to make generalizations about what treatment plan is most appropriate. Each patient should discuss their options with their own physician team.

Tobacco smoke and its effect on our health

The compounds in Tobacco smoke can affect your positive health, recent studies shows us that more that 50 percentage of male who smoke tobacco dies due to illness caused by tobacco smoke and overall life expectancy of chronic smokers decreases up to 10 years that of a non smoker. Tobacco smoking can cause decease that affect lungs and heart.

• Effects of Tobacco smoke on Respiratory system.

Smocking is the major cause of Lung cancer, exposure to tobacco smoke will also result in pulmonary and respiratory tract infections both through structural damage and through effects on the immune system. Tobacco smoke also trigger common cold, bronchitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema.

• Effects of Tobacco smoke on Cardio vascular system

Tobacco smoke entering our lungs have an immediate affect on our heart, witing a minute our heart rate increases due to the inability to supply oxygen to our body. Smocking will result in narrowing of blood vessels and arteries, it will result in the increased risk of stroke, atherosclerosis, and peripheral vascular disease so chances of heart attacks are hight for a smoker than a non smoker. Some studies have shown that tobacco smoke can change our hearts shape due to the ability of tobacco smoke to influence the cell division of heart muscles. Tobacco smoke can increase the blood cholesterol level.

• Effects of Tobacco smoke on Oral health

Intake of tobacco smoke will result is Oral cancer, smoking will rest in the staining of tooth and bad breath, chances of tooth loses are hight in smokers compared to non smokers. It will also result in loss of taste.

• Tobacco smoke and cancers

Other than lung cancer and oral cancer , there are wide range of other cancers which can develope due to the intake of tobacco smoke they are lung cancer, cancer of the kidney, cancer of the larynx and head and neck, breast cancer, bladder,[esophagus, pancreas and stomach.There is some evidence suggesting an increased risk of myeloid leukemia, squamous cell sinonasal cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer after an extended latency, childhood cancers and cancers of the gall bladder, adrenal gland and small intestine.

• Tobacco Smoke and Skin ageing

Smoking Cigarettes will result in premature skin ageing, it helps the formation of free radicals in our body, free radicals are molecules that can disease and damage to cell DNA, it further result in the shrinkage of capillaries that supply blood to our skin thus preventing the skin from getting vital oxygen and nutrients . Smoking produces enzymes that block collagen ( they are vital for skin elasticity ) supply to the skin. Smoking blocks vitamin A and Vitamin C which are essential for skin protection and health, they all factors will result in wrinkled skin. Studies have shown that people who smoke regularly look 10-20 years older than non smokers.

• Other effects on health

Prolonged tobacco smoke will result in Brain shrinkage, memory loss and decline in cognitive abilities, tobacco smokers are more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease. Tobacco smokers age faster than the non smokers, their body loses the athletic abilities.