Do you know that 1 in 4 lung cancer patients are non-smokers?

MANILA, Philippines - When someone is diagnosed with or dies of lung cancer, the first question people often ask is, “Was he or she a smoker?”
Although most lung cancers are caused by smoking, a 2007 review found that about 25 percent of lung cancer cases worldwide — accounting for over 300,000 deaths each year — are not attributable to tobacco use.
Another review revealed that lung cancer in never-smokers is more common in Asia, particularly in women. “Never-smoke” is a person who has smoked less than 100 cigarettes in his or her lifetime.
“Research has yet to establish what causes lung cancer in never-smokers, but secondhand tobacco smoke is probably responsible for about 20 percent of lung cancer cases in never-smokers,” says Dr. Ma. Belen Tamayo, president of the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology.
Air pollution may cause about five percent of lung cancer cases. Indoor air pollution like fumes from cooking oil and smoke from coal- or wood-burning stoves are known to increase lung cancer risk, particularly in Asia.
Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer death, claiming more lives than prostate cancer and breast cancer combined.
Data from the Philippine Cancer Society and Department of Health show that in 2005, lung cancer was one of the most common cancers among Filipinos of both sexes. It was by far the most common cancer among Filipino males and the third most common among Filipino women.
According to Tamayo, symptoms of lung cancer include persistent coughing, chest pain, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, wheezing or hoarseness, repeated pneumonia or bronchitis, weight loss and fatigue.
She notes that the only chance of cure, via surgery, is possible only in 35 percent of patients, and still the risk of recurrence is high despite surgery. “Prevention remains the best strategy,” Tamayo says.
Surgery, radiotherapy (use of radiation to kill cancer cells) and chemotherapy (use of cytotoxic drugs to kill cancer cells) may all be used in treating lung cancer. In addition to chemotherapy, a number of new agents are now available, targeting and blocking the cellular signals that promote proliferation of cancer cells.
One of these new targeted therapies is a certain class of drugs called EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI). EGFR is a cell receptor that signals cancer cells to multiply and survive. One type of EGFR-TKI is gefitinib, a product of AstraZeneca — one of the world’s leading research and development pharmaceutical companies that focuses on cancer as one of its key therapeutic areas.
Tamayo welcomed the observance of World Lung Cancer Day every Nov. 17 as an opportunity for an open and honest discussion about the disease. She also lauded AstraZeneca for helping dispel myths and raise awareness about lung cancer.
As part of World Lung Cancer Day 2009, AstraZeneca is releasing a fact sheet to dispel common myths about lung cancer. The following are key points listed in the fact sheet.


Source: http://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/library/index.php/health-news/593/2275-1-in-4-lung-cancer-patients-are-non-smokers

What are the causes of regular muscle pain, fatigue and what can you do?

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue (feeling tired). People with fibromyalgia have “tender points” on the body. Tender points are specific places on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs. These points hurt when pressure is put on them.
People with fibromyalgia may also have other symptoms, such as:

• Trouble sleeping
• Morning stiffness
• Headaches
• Painful menstrual periods
• Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
• Problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called “fibro fog”).

What Causes Fibromyalgia?
The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown. There may be a number of factors involved. Fibromyalgia has been linked to:
• Stressful or traumatic events, such as car accidents
• Repetitive injuries
• Illness
• Certain diseases.
Fibromyalgia can also occur on its own.
Some scientists think that a gene or genes might be involved in fibromyalgia. The genes could make a person react strongly to things that other people would not find painful.

Who Is Affected by Fibromyalgia?
Scientists estimate that fibromyalgia affects 5 million Americans 18 or older. Between 80 and 90 percent of people diagnosed with fibromyalgia are women. However, men and children also can have the disorder. Most people are diagnosed during middle age.
People with certain other diseases may be more likely to have fibromyalgia. These diseases include:
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (commonly called lupus)
• Ankylosing spondylitis (spinal arthritis).
Women who have a family member with fibromyalgia may be more likely to have fibromyalgia themselves.

How Is Fibromyalgia Treated?
Fibromyalgia can be hard to treat. It's important to find a doctor who is familiar with the disorder and its treatment. Many family physicians, general internists, or rheumatologists can treat fibromyalgia. Rheumatologists are doctors who specialize in arthritis and other conditions that affect the joints or soft tissues.

Fibromyalgia treatment often requires a team approach. The team may include your doctor, a physical therapist, and possibly other health care providers. A pain or rheumatology clinic can be a good place to get treatment.

What Can I Do to Try to Feel Better?
There are many things you can do to feel better, including:
• Taking medicines as prescribed
• Getting enough sleep
• Exercising
• Eating well
• Making work changes if necessary.

Mix up your choices for a healthy life

Focus on fruits. Eat a variety of fruits—whether fresh, frozen, canned, or dried—rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. For a 2,000-calorie diet, you will need 2 cups of fruit each day (for example, 1 small banana, 1 large orange, and 1/4 cup of dried apricots or peaches).

Vary your veggies. Eat more dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens; orange veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash; and beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, and lentils.

Get your calcium-rich foods. Get 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk—or an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese (1½ ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk)—every day. For kids aged 2 to 8, it's 2 cups of milk. If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and beverages.

Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are referred to as "whole" in the list of ingredients.
Go lean with protein. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it, or grill it. And vary your protein choices—with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.

Know the limits on fats, salt, and sugars. Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt (sodium) and/or added sugars (caloric sweeteners).

The Risk of underage drinking

If you’re under 21
—or if you drink too much at any age—alcohol
can be especially risky.

Just a few of the dangers of underage drinking:

Death
Each year, an estimated 5,000 people under the age of 21 dies from alcohol related injuries. Alcohol is a factor in about 4 out of every 10 deaths from car crashes, drownings, burns, falls and other unintentional injuries.
Addiction
The younger you are when you start drinking, the greater your chance of becoming addicted to alcohol at some point in your life. More than 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before age 15 eventually become alcoholic.

Thinking Problems
Your brain is still developing throughout the teen years. New research on teens with alcohol disorders shows that heavy drinking in the teen years can cause long-lasting harm to thinking abilities.

Arrest
Drinking under age 21 is against the law. Penalties can include not getting a drivers license on time, having the license removed for driving with any trace of alcohol in the body, losing a job, and losing a college scholarship.

Drinking too soon or too much:
Can affect your mood and your thinking.
Can hurt others, get you in legal trouble, and damage your relationships.
Can harm your body now and when you grow up.
Can get you hooked.

Three common sleep disorders and health problems related to it

We need a good sleep to get rid of the previous day's mental stress and for a good mood and concentration for the next day.

Most need 7 or 8 hours a night.
Some need less, others more.

There are three common sleep disorders:

• Sleep apnea: the person stops breathing, sometimes hundreds of times a night.
• Sleep deprivation (sleep debt): not getting enough sleep night after night.
• Insomnia: trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Insomnia can be either temporary or long-term.

Sleep disorders can cause or worsen many problems:

• Feeling sleepy or tired all day.
• Falling asleep when driving or operating machinery.
• Poor memory, concentration and learning.
• Irritability and mood swings.
• More colds and other infections.
• Over the long-term: overweight, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

Tips to help you

If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes try on of them…
• Get up and do something relaxing. Try reading some books or magazine in dim light.
Or sit quietly in the dark until you start to feel sleepy.
• Don’t turn on bright lights, because this tells your body to wake up.
Develop sleep rituals.
• Tell your body that it’s time to sleep by doing the same things every night just before bed.
• Listen to relaxing music, read something light, do few relaxation exercises or take a hot bath.

Don’t watch TV or work in bed.
• Make “Going to bed mean going to sleep.”
• Don’t watch TV in bed (unless it helps you fall asleep in 10 or 15 minutes).
Don’t play video games, make phone calls, answer e-mails, or pay bills in bed.
• You’ll fall asleep faster if you use your bed only for rest, sleep, and intimacy.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol hours before going to bed

Benefits of Wine Tourism in Australia

One of the world's fastest growing industries is 'Wine Tourism'. What is it? How can we best benefit from it?

Firstly, let's keep it simple. If tourism is simply the provision of goods and services that attract tourists, then 'wine tourism' is the same but has the added influence of wine. Wine tourism is not only associated with cellar door wineries, rather all business that are involved in the wine, tourism and associated industries with the wine region. This includes accommodation houses, tour operators, gift shops, national parks etc.

If the desired outcome of 'wine tourism' is attracting more tourists then the real secret to success is having a clear understanding of the needs of your potential customers. Once this is clear you can focus on attracting tourists to our wine regions, improve business and target specific customers to your region.

Queensland has the advantage of already having an established tourism industry. Many wineries don't appreciate how involved they are in the tourism industry. An area that most regions have identified as important to meeting customer expectations is the need to integrate wine with quality food. There is no question that food plays an important part in adding to a region's ambience and unique character.

To obtain long-term success, each region needs to focus on really defining their point of differences, rather than trying to out perform another region. Identifying and consistently delivering a unique wine experience is what each region must strive to achieve. This fits well into both Tourism Queensland's and the Department's strategy to promote regional tourism. Global trends indicate that tourism is one of the most dynamic growth sectors and the demand for a quality experience is rising rapidly.

Irrespective of the way tourism is formally defined, it is first and foremost a 'people industry' involving the development and supply of a range of facilities, services and experiences to meet the needs, aspirations and expectations of visitors. Tourism is complex and diverse, involving many different forms of commerce. Most tourism businesses are part of the much larger services industry. At the local and regional level, the industry comprises tourism operators, businesses not directly involved in tourism, local and regional tourism organisations, community groups, residents and local government. By working together destinations have the capacity to attract visitors, satisfy their leisure needs and expectations, and generate economic and other benefits for the whole community.

In Queensland more people are employed in tourism than in agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining combined. Queensland Treasury estimates that close to 10 % of the workforce, or 135,000 people, are working in tourism. And the outlook is bright: international visitor numbers are expected to double over the next eight years (Tourism Forecasting Council, 1999). Latest figures also show that domestic visitor nights in Queensland have increased by more than 20% over the year to June 1999 (Bureau of Tourism Research, June Quarter 1999). Treasury recognises the importance of the industry to Queensland?s economy. The strength of the State?s services sector continues to be underpinned by tourism and related services which have contributed 7.9% of Gross State Product in 1998-99 (Queensland Treasury, Annual Economic Report 1998-99).

Changing diet in penguins

By studying the tissue remains of penguins in Antarctica, scientists are not only learning more about the modern diet of the continent’s iconic seabird but also what was on the menu thousands of years ago. And that information can provide insight into past climate and penguin behavior, as well as how the species could respond to future climate changes.

Much of their work involves collecting tissue samples, such as eggshells and feathers, from existing penguin colonies and long-extinct ones around the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea regions. Then they analyze the samples in the lab, looking at the ratios of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, which can provide important clues to what’s been on the dinner plate throughout the year.

Now the scientists are testing the idea by looking at gentoos, another Pygoscelis penguin, a mostly subantarctic bird that is pushing its way across the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula as the climate there warms and the Adélie population declines.

Fun & Interesting Facts About planet Pluto

• Pluto is only about half the width of the United States. Charon is about half the size of Pluto. Charon is the largest moon compared to the body it orbits (whether planet or dwarf planet) of any moon in the solar system.

• Almost all the planets travel around the Sun in nearly perfect circles. But Pluto does not. It takes an oval-shaped path with the Sun nowhere near its center. What's more, its path is quite tilted from the nice, orderly plane where all the other planets orbit. (Mercury has a slightly lop-sided orbit, although not nearly so much as Pluto's.)

• If you lived on Pluto, you'd have to live 248 Earth years to celebrate your first birthday in Pluto-years.

• If you lived on Pluto, you would see Charon from only one side of the planet. Charon's orbit around Pluto takes about six and one-half Earth days. Pluto's day (that is, one complete rotation) takes exactly the same amount of time. So, Charon always "hovers" over the same spot on Pluto's surface, and the same side of Charon always faces Pluto.

• At Pluto's current distance from the Sun, the temperature on its surface is about 400 degrees below zero Fahrenheit! It will get even colder as it moves farther from the Sun. From Pluto, the Sun looks like just a bright dot in the sky, the brightest star visible. The light from the Sun is as bright on Pluto as the light from the full Moon is on Earth.

• If you weigh 100 pounds on Earth, you would weigh only 7 pounds on Pluto!

• Pluto orbits in a far-out region of the solar system called the Kuiper (rhymes with viper) Belt. There are lots of icy, rocky objects out there. But they are so far from the Sun they are really hard to see, even with powerful telescopes.

A Message for Men about Health

Men may be catching up to women in lifespan. The life-expectancy gap between men and women has shrunk to 5.2 years, the narrowest since 1946. But men still need to pay more attention to their health. Why?

Compared to women, men are more likely to:

• Smoke and drink more, and generally lead less healthy lifestyles
• Put off routine checkups and even ignore symptoms of a health problem
• Join in fearless, risky, and dangerous behaviors

Working-aged men also are less likely than women to have a regular doctor.
The good news is that many of the diseases and health conditions that men face can be prevented — or treated if they are found early. To start taking better care of your health, learn about your risk factors. Risk factors are things in your life that increase your chances of getting a certain disease. Some risk factors you cannot change, such as your age or family history. But many are in your control. Find out what you can do to lower your risk factors and improve your overall health. Next, find out how often you should see a doctor for routine checkups and what screenings, tests, and vaccines you might need. By taking these steps, you will feel good knowing you are doing all you can to take charge of your health.