Naijamaican's Science & Technology Forum: Cancer - What's it all about
News from Science Daily about Breast Cancer, Brain Tumors, Lung Cancer, Cancer and Colon Cancer
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Cancer - What's it all about
Cancer is a very debilitating disease. In simple terms, within certain organs in the body that are in regular use or hot demand metabolically cells begin to die spontaneously. These include and are not limited to the lung, heart, stomach, testicles, breasts and brain.
To start of with one cell within the organs gives up the ghost or spontaneously dies 'apoptosis' in response to a trigger of some sort. Sometimes the trigger is aided by a promoter such as Genetic predisposition where individuals inherit a mutation within a set of genes responsible for a particular organ from a relative who possesses the same.
Not all people with a mutation of this sort go on to develop cancer but many studies have shown that most do.
If the trigger factor remains present the cancer spreads with the dead cells usually congregating or coagulating into a lump known as a tumor .
The cancer could develop into a tumor which simply stops growing and remains dormant in activity but may cause other metabolic interferences.
It could also continue to grow until it engulfs and strangles the organ and its functionality,and or develop viral like capability spreading around the body and engulfing/infecting the primary immune system components such as lymph nodes leading to acute immunosuppression and or crumble into pieces which join the bloodstream and cause obstruction to blood vessels either cutting off blood supply and or leading progressively to blood pressure increases and fluctuations until eventually the organ and or the entire body can no longer function.
Treatment usually initially involves a biopsy to check the activity of the tumor ascertaining whether it is active or dormant and depending on results of this removing the tumor/organ and or initiating chemotherapy. Clinical monitors are usually put in place to ensure it does not return or become increasingly aggressive.
If during these monitors the cancer is found to be returning and or spreading and it is non responsive to chemotherapy it may cause the subject organ other organs in the body to shut down causing death or disability.
Cancer can be caused by poor diet, harsh environmental conditions, Exposure to stressful and distressing situations repeatedly, immunological changes and disease, hormonal changes and disease, toxins from food poisoning agents or other materials, general ill health, exposure to hazardous materials, chemicals, bio toxins, radioactivity and much more
Tell us what you know of the innovations, new knowledge and advancements to the ongoing research worldwide by research scientists and drug production companies and the emerging cures and variations in survival rates.
Calling all scientists!!
To start of with one cell within the organs gives up the ghost or spontaneously dies 'apoptosis' in response to a trigger of some sort. Sometimes the trigger is aided by a promoter such as Genetic predisposition where individuals inherit a mutation within a set of genes responsible for a particular organ from a relative who possesses the same.
Not all people with a mutation of this sort go on to develop cancer but many studies have shown that most do.
If the trigger factor remains present the cancer spreads with the dead cells usually congregating or coagulating into a lump known as a tumor .
The cancer could develop into a tumor which simply stops growing and remains dormant in activity but may cause other metabolic interferences.
It could also continue to grow until it engulfs and strangles the organ and its functionality,and or develop viral like capability spreading around the body and engulfing/infecting the primary immune system components such as lymph nodes leading to acute immunosuppression and or crumble into pieces which join the bloodstream and cause obstruction to blood vessels either cutting off blood supply and or leading progressively to blood pressure increases and fluctuations until eventually the organ and or the entire body can no longer function.
Treatment usually initially involves a biopsy to check the activity of the tumor ascertaining whether it is active or dormant and depending on results of this removing the tumor/organ and or initiating chemotherapy. Clinical monitors are usually put in place to ensure it does not return or become increasingly aggressive.
If during these monitors the cancer is found to be returning and or spreading and it is non responsive to chemotherapy it may cause the subject organ other organs in the body to shut down causing death or disability.
Cancer can be caused by poor diet, harsh environmental conditions, Exposure to stressful and distressing situations repeatedly, immunological changes and disease, hormonal changes and disease, toxins from food poisoning agents or other materials, general ill health, exposure to hazardous materials, chemicals, bio toxins, radioactivity and much more
Tell us what you know of the innovations, new knowledge and advancements to the ongoing research worldwide by research scientists and drug production companies and the emerging cures and variations in survival rates.
Calling all scientists!!
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Managing food safety using HACCP - Long Needed,Expensive, Complex, Unecessary?
My knowledge practically and otherwise of HACCP (Hazard and Critical Control Point) methods as a microbiologist and observations over the years in the food industry leads me to think that introducing this regulatory factor into the food delivery industry is a good choice.
I have been the disgruntled one for years wondering why I had to go through so much if I fell ill after eating at a food establishment, isn't food poisoning or intoxication, suspected or confirmed reportable in this country anymore?
How and why should the food store or shop or restaurant not have the task of telling me where the food that went into my now empty food bowl came from.
This is where HACCP comes in, at the higher end, the batches of food sold should have a clear track from origin to preparation to sale, the stock should be traceable and the process of investigation when things go wrong which they should not if the system is used properly should really be easy for food safety management personnel.
Economic Implications, my take on the matter is that it forces literacy and acquisition of information and good record keeping on to the food seller. That is good for the consumer.
Also I found a paper by LJ Unnevehr, HH Jensen published in 1999 with over 60 citations
The economic implications of using HACCP as a food safety regulatory standard
and here is a link to the Food Safety Agency HACCP guide
Got any comments on this; join the discussion.
I have been the disgruntled one for years wondering why I had to go through so much if I fell ill after eating at a food establishment, isn't food poisoning or intoxication, suspected or confirmed reportable in this country anymore?
How and why should the food store or shop or restaurant not have the task of telling me where the food that went into my now empty food bowl came from.
This is where HACCP comes in, at the higher end, the batches of food sold should have a clear track from origin to preparation to sale, the stock should be traceable and the process of investigation when things go wrong which they should not if the system is used properly should really be easy for food safety management personnel.
Economic Implications, my take on the matter is that it forces literacy and acquisition of information and good record keeping on to the food seller. That is good for the consumer.
Also I found a paper by LJ Unnevehr, HH Jensen published in 1999 with over 60 citations
The economic implications of using HACCP as a food safety regulatory standard
and here is a link to the Food Safety Agency HACCP guide
Got any comments on this; join the discussion.
Health and Safety and the Construction Industry
I recently visited a warehouse pro com workshop utilised by a metal working company fabricate ventilation ducts and who held offices at the same premises. I wanted to be sure I was not dealing with a cowboy company you see.
For a company in business for so many years I was frightened for the people who might have to work there.
It was impossible to work out how they were able to access the office without slicing their necks off, there were metal sheets, pipes and meshes everywhere. There appeared to be no order to the arrangement or storage and eventually our meeting had to be conducted outside on the street. Their attitude was to say the least not good at all.
In another encounter, I hit a cold trail with another contractor after visiting a premises with their engineers when i asked for a quotation and followed up by asking them to complete and review a pre contract health and safety risk assessment, mind you I had drawn it all up, they just needed to contribute to any areas i had missed out and let me have a works schedule outline telling me what, when and how things would be done. After this time, and my manpower expenditure, the contractor stopped answering my calls and emails to confirm cost and so on.
Although I am not in the building industry, I know of CDM and health and safety regulations monitored and managed by the Health and Safety Executive.
The 2007 CDM regulations are focused on merging previous regulations in the same area and focused on improvements to elicit significant and permanent changes in duty holder attitudes and behaviour. Read more here http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm
Anyone else found people in the building and construction industry blatantly flouting the rules and endangering themselves in such a glaring way?? Join the discussion
For a company in business for so many years I was frightened for the people who might have to work there.
It was impossible to work out how they were able to access the office without slicing their necks off, there were metal sheets, pipes and meshes everywhere. There appeared to be no order to the arrangement or storage and eventually our meeting had to be conducted outside on the street. Their attitude was to say the least not good at all.
In another encounter, I hit a cold trail with another contractor after visiting a premises with their engineers when i asked for a quotation and followed up by asking them to complete and review a pre contract health and safety risk assessment, mind you I had drawn it all up, they just needed to contribute to any areas i had missed out and let me have a works schedule outline telling me what, when and how things would be done. After this time, and my manpower expenditure, the contractor stopped answering my calls and emails to confirm cost and so on.
Although I am not in the building industry, I know of CDM and health and safety regulations monitored and managed by the Health and Safety Executive.
The 2007 CDM regulations are focused on merging previous regulations in the same area and focused on improvements to elicit significant and permanent changes in duty holder attitudes and behaviour. Read more here http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm
Anyone else found people in the building and construction industry blatantly flouting the rules and endangering themselves in such a glaring way?? Join the discussion
Livestock disease in the UK Lets not just blame hikers, food imports and tourists
I read an interesting article today on Science news online. With the BSE and bird flu incidents in the UK I thought I should share what I read and contribute to this important area.
Managing sewage is important in our homes and so it should be in the places we house our livestock especially if they end up serving the human food chain.
This article by Janet Ralof discusses measures that could be taken to manage sewage on farms and in similar establishments. Read more here
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20071103/food.asp
Raw sewage both human and animal contains a high level of microorganisms and can also in the right conditions provide a conducive rapid breeding ground for Thypus sp, Staphylococcus sp, Bacillus sp, Campylobacter sp, Salmonella sp, Escherichia sp, Listeria sp, Pneumococcus sp, and much more.
Anyone got any other suggestions on how the spread of livestock microbial disease can be limited, managed and controlled effectively
Managing sewage is important in our homes and so it should be in the places we house our livestock especially if they end up serving the human food chain.
This article by Janet Ralof discusses measures that could be taken to manage sewage on farms and in similar establishments. Read more here
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20071103/food.asp
Raw sewage both human and animal contains a high level of microorganisms and can also in the right conditions provide a conducive rapid breeding ground for Thypus sp, Staphylococcus sp, Bacillus sp, Campylobacter sp, Salmonella sp, Escherichia sp, Listeria sp, Pneumococcus sp, and much more.
Anyone got any other suggestions on how the spread of livestock microbial disease can be limited, managed and controlled effectively
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