BBC says exposing young toddlers to germs prevent cancer

Just caught a blurb as I was channel surfing.

Last Updated: Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 15:33 GMT E-mail this to a friend Printable version Nursery: a melting pot for infection By Jane Elliott BBC News health reporter Parents feel children often more ill after starting nursery Most parents will agree that nurseries are breeding grounds for coughs, colds, and tummy upsets.When a young child starts at nursery, they seem to suffer an endless cycle of minor ailments, that then seem to infect the whole family. But the jury is still out about whether this is a bad thing, or whether early exposure to germs plays a key role in the development of a child’s immune system. Little research has been done in the UK into how many respiratory infections are caught by children attending nursery – and the knock-on efects this can have on the rest of the family. Risks Dr Nicol Black, a public health expert in Newcastle, has examined the issue in close detail. Pre-school children in day-care are three to four times more likely to have a respiratory infection than a child who stays at home Dr Nicol Black He has just completed an 18-month study to examine whether there is any truth in the anecdotal belief that nursery attendance is linked to a greater risk of infection – and whether there are good grounds for promoting vaccination against certain illnesses. Dr Black collated data from around 100 local nurseries and involving 550 episodes of illness. His findings seem to support his contention that nurseries are a “wonderful melting pot” for infections. “Pre-school children in day-care are three to four times more likely to have a respiratory infection than a child who stays at home,” said Dr Black. “And that fits what, anecdotally, parents are well aware of.” He added that in half the households studied, when a child became sick, others in the house were also ill either just before or just after the child. About 13% of the adults were quite ill and had to have an average of six days off work. Further analysis Dr Black is to analyse the data further to assess further not only the health impact, but the economic impact on families, and the wider population in general. He will look at issues such as whether illness spreads to other members of the household, and how much time off parents need to care for a sick child. He will also look at whether prevention measures, such as vaccinations against serious conditions such as pneumococcal infection and flu, are needed. The completed data from the study, which is expected to be published early next year, will be sent to the Department of Health. But should we keep our children away from nurseries until they are older, or would that just be delaying the inevitable? Leukaemia risk Research from the US has shown that children who attend nursery may be less likely to develop childhood leukaemia and that delaying their exposure to infection may result in them having an underdeveloped immune system, which puts them at a greater risk. Dr Jackie Bucknall, consultant paediatrician at the Homerton Hospital, in London, believes there is no good health ground for not sending children to nursery. “If you have a child that is fit and well and has not got any condition that can make them immunosuppressed, such as receiving cancer treatment, then I would recommend all parents to send their children to a place where they have got a good peer group mix. I would recommend all parents to send their children to a place where they have got a good peer group mix Dr Jackie Bucknall “Although it may often seem that they always have a runny nose this is the way they stimulate their immune system. “There is no problem. Children are going to be exposed to infections at sometime and it is probably better that it happens when they are nursery than when they are older.” Dr Bucknall stressed that toddlers were no more vulnerable to infection than those at school. But she said it was important that children going to nursery were vaccinated against the most important childhood illnesses, such as measles, to protect themselves and others. Exposure Mother Sam Salter, whose three-year-old Daisy goes to a local nursery agrees, saying she would rather Daisy had early exposure to infection. “I would rather she had them now than when she went to school. It is easier for them when they are young and it is usually less serious. “But I have noticed that Sean, my partner, has become more ill. He has had a lot more colds since Daisy started nursery.” Sam, from Surrey, has not had Daisy vaccinated against any illness, but says she does not worry about her becoming exposed to them. She was not vaccinated herself as a child and had most of the illnesses including measles, German measles and whooping cough. “I do not worry about her coming into contact with any of these childhood illnesses. “But when we lived in London I was concerned about Daisy being exposed to TB and when there was an outbreak I would not go on the bus.”

Windmill the you rarely see turning

Our day started on a good note, nobody was cranky or in a hurry so getting to come back to the city seemed effortless this time. As we were driving through the country I noticed an old windmill turning. They don’t turn much anymore, and to see one is like having found a coin on the ground. You just have to smile and enjoy the millisecond before the car drives out of sight. This rare but unique incident is the highlight of my day so far. And as a cancer patient you are greatful for that small moment in time.

computer games for 3 year olds?

This fuzzy stuffed rabbit with a secret code came in the mail. I never heard of a Webkinz before that day. Maybe I am still in the dark, but does a 3 year old need a computer game with passwords and such? The only good thing I see is that she is learning mouse control by making the silly rabbit jump from one part of the screen to another in a virtual room. The little one is happy to me on mommy’s “puter”. And it is an activity that this chemo-Mom can do much better than playing hide and seek. Sitting on Mommy’s lap is never a bad thing. She gets bored quickly and jumps off, but the idea of giving reign over my computer is still very difficult for me. There are many websites to do educational games, but this is like Sims for preschoolers.

Sometimes you just don’t have a choice- Mommy can’t Sweetie

I always have great plans, and sometime they fall through. But every Mother with cancer and young children have to accept their limitations. At 3 years old “catch me if you can” is great fun, but Mommy just can’t keep up with a darting preschooler. I don’t even try. I disengage immediately asking the help to fetch her or find some other more restful game to play.

The result is that she was whisked away to the shops to buy simple things like garbage bags. Another thing I don’t do often is take my child shopping. I on-line shop even for my groceries and have them delivered up my flight of stairs ( well worth the extra 5 bucks).

But today I am feeling lonely wandering what is taking my help so long to get garbage bags? It is a nice day I look out the window and my child is sleeping quietly in her stroller, and my help is sitting relaxed on a park bench and is staring off into space.  They have been to the store alright because I can see the bag from the store hanging from the arm of the stroller.

I want to be that person sitting on the park bench enjoying the sunshine, but I can’t. I can’t sit on hard surfaces for long. I definitely can not afford sun burn or catch something from being out in public. So I watch the world go by from my picture window knowing that my white blood cell count is so low that my doctor personally wrote the emergency number on a memo pad for me. Sometimes you just don’t have a choice.

A Ride in the Mayor’s Limo

Well not technically a limousine but a high end Peugeot, with a driver is what the Mayor of Amsterdam is afforded to drive around in. This time was Love of My Life’s turn to get a ride to an important meeting and have a few quotes in the NRC, a national news paper for Holland. We were all impressed when the doorbell rang and the well polished car sat waiting for Papa to put his coat on and be whisked away. We waved furiously, but to no avail, Love of My Life was already on the telephone conducting business.

3 year old was a bit saddened by the incident. I comforted her with her favorite drink and asked her to wait for his return. In no time, she was jumping and shouting… Papa, Papa is back. Little did I know that our little three year old was also going to get a ride to play school in the chauffeured car. When I say that my hubby did not have his jacket on an only keys in his hand, I knew she was going to get a very special ride today!

It is not everyday your hubby and three year old wave feverishly out the window of the Mayor’s limo. I was not quick enough to put it to film. Life happens so fast some times. But I have a witness and my cleaning lady can later tell the story.

physio (physical therapy named by 3 year old) and chemo brain

Mommy do you have physio today? as she wakes from her groggy sleep. I say yes I do. We get into our normal Monday routine of getting new clothes on and discussing what we will have for breakfast bread or cereal. She sighs and says pasta. Pasta? okay. What is the difference it is biological 4 grain pasta and has just as much nutrients as bread or cereal right? Daddy comes out of the shower to see his girls cooking, and having a bit of a chat in the kitchen. He just shakes his head and moves on to get dressed, because he knows that the day is getting away on him and he has already missed probably an important phone call on his cell phone.
The problem with having a routine and chemo is sometimes you get chemo brain and forget to make the physical therapy appointment on the day you always have it and you have made a switch last week. But on chemo you don’t remember and you are often more forgetful. This was the case today. I went for the first time in months by bike to physical therapy, and quite proud of the achievement when I finally sat down in a nice leather chair in the waiting area. Only to find out the my appointment is for Thursday not the longstanding Monday. What a blunder! I tell her no biggie and return to my bike sheepishly. I guess that I should have looked at the calendar when my baby asked do you have physio. I must assume nothing and check everything while chemo brain is in full force.

Everybody is late today- prevention to avoid

My lunch date with a parlimentarian’s wife is going to be late. She is “between meetings” at her consultant group.  All power to her, I say.

My help is notoriously late and today is no exception. My daughter needs to be picked up at play school. I will wait to get a phone call before I get myself over to the playground. As a cancer patient you have to avoid children and crowds to prevent colds flu and infection. I am not saying live your life in a bubble, but make sure you take active steps to preventive steps to avoidable situations.

I have a scratch on my hand around my knuckle that I could have avoided had I just warn gloves. Gloves, hats scarves, baseball caps, all theses things are a part of a chemo patients every day apparel.  I don’t go out with out a hat on my head, gloves on and sunglasses permanently in my jacket pocket.

mushroom extracts –fox news

A mushroom widely used in oriental medicine may help fight breast cancer by slowing the growth of tumors and starving them of blood, a study has shown.

Extracts of the fungus, Phellinus linteus, have been used for centuries by Eastern healers, who believe it has the power to rejuvenate and extend life.

Recent research has indicated the mushroom can hold back the growth of skin, lung and prostate cancer cells.

Click here to discuss this story.

It is also believed to increase the number of prostate cancer cells killed by the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.

Working with breast cancer cells, scientists at Indianapolis’ Methodist Research Institute found evidence that the mushroom blocks the activity of an enzyme called AKT.

The enzyme, a biological catalyst, is known to control signals that lead to cell growth and the development of new blood vessels feeding tumors.

Cancers need a good blood supply to survive, and send out chemical messages which promote the construction of new blood vessels; scientists are actively looking at ways to block this process.

We saw a number of positive results from our investigation on aggressive human breast cancer cells,” said Dr. Daniel Sliva, who led the research.

“Those included a lower rate of uncontrolled growth of new cancer cells, suppression of their aggressive behavior and the formation of fewer blood vessels that feed cancer cells essential nutrients.

“We’re not yet able to apply this knowledge to modern medicine, but we’re excited that we can begin to explain how this ancient medicine works by acting on specific molecules.

“We hope our study will encourage more researchers to explore the use of medicinal mushrooms for the treatment of cancer.”

However, Dr. Lesley Walker of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom gave a note of caution.

“Although natural products have been used to develop many important drugs, there is no guarantee that they are all safe or will be effective in the clinic,” she said.

“The results from this study are interesting, but it’s certainly too early to advise people to stock up on mushrooms. Further research will be needed before we will know if mushroom extracts can be used to treat cancer patients.”

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351561,00.html

Kimmie doll helps explain cancer to young children

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — Not every mother would allow her hair to be cut by her 4-year-old daughter, but Cindy Hurst thought it was a perfect idea.

Cindy Hurst thought having her daughter, Ellie, help cut Mom’s hair before chemo might help her be less afraid.

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Hurst, a 42-year old single mother from Phoenix, Arizona, has breast cancer and was going to lose her hair anyway during chemotherapy.

Not only was Hurst worried about her own prognosis, but she was afraid of her daughter Ellie’s reaction to the news. “I’m the center of her universe,” Hurst said. “I started thinking about how I would tell her.”

Hurst is among hundreds of thousands of parents in the United States with the same dilemma, the American Cancer Society says. They are faced with the terrifying task of telling their children that Mommy or Daddy has cancer.

The cancer society recommends parents not keep their illness a secret and suggests they find a way to talk about it with their children. The group offers age-by-age advice on its Web site.

Two weeks after her diagnosis last October, Hurst broke the news to Ellie. She tried using vague terms and age-appropriate information. “I was expecting her to ask questions, but she would change the subject, so I didn’t know if I was getting through to her.”

Hurst thought it might help if she involved Ellie in the haircut. “She was so excited,” Hurst recalls. “She got her little kid scissors and I said, ‘Go for it! Cut it short everywhere!’ “

An adult friend shaved the rest of Hurst’s head. Young Ellie was intrigued by the change. “She was calm afterwards and she kept rubbing my head,” Hurst said.

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The hair-cutting session helped, but Hurst said Ellie didn’t open up until she bought a doll aimed at helping children understand cancer, from a group called Kimmie Cares. “I noticed a turning point,” Hurst recalled. “She finally understood.”

The Kimmie doll comes with removable hair and a bandanna, similar to the kind worn by many cancer patients who lose their hair during chemotherapy.

The doll was the brainchild of Kim Goebel, who died of breast cancer nearly four years ago. Her sister, Kris Kalnow of Cincinnati, Ohio, has taken over the project.

Kids and cancer

What children of all ages need to know about cancer:

Nothing your child did, thought or said caused you to get cancer.

You can’t catch cancer from another person. Just because you have cancer does not mean that others in your family will get it, too.

Just because you have cancer does not mean you will die from it. In fact, many people live with cancer for a long time.

Scientists are finding many new ways to treat cancer.
SOURCE: National Cancer Institute

“Kim never had children of her own,” Kalnow said. “But she would see other women going through treatment, and many of them wondered how they would explain what they were going through to their children.”

Kalnow points out that her sister was able to see the first doll completed two days before she died. “Kim’s dream came true,” Kalnow said. “It makes me look up to heaven and say, ‘You did it.’ “

The Kimmie doll is among a growing number of efforts to help children cope with the fear and uncertainty when a parent has cancer. For example, Gilda’s Club, a national support organization for cancer patients and their families, has “Noogieland,” whose programs serve children specifically.

The Children’s Treehouse Foundation serves a similar purpose. The counseling program was started seven years ago in Denver, Colorado, and is now available at 21 cancer centers around the United States.

Through art therapy sessions and hospital tours, the Treehouse program helps the children of cancer patients deal with feelings of sadness, anxiety and anger. Health Minute: Watch more on the Treehouse program. »

During a recent session at the Erlanger Cancer Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, about a dozen children ages six to 12 toured the chemotherapy infusion and radiation rooms.

Guided by oncology nurse Janet Kramer-Mai, herself a breast cancer survivor, the group learned firsthand how tough having cancer can be.

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American Cancer Society: Talking to children
National Cancer Institute: Family matters

“Cancer impacts the entire family,” Kramer-Mai said. “We give kids the tools they need to cope with whatever’s going on with Mom, Dad, Grandma or Grandpa.”

That’s what Chris Johnson of Trenton, Georgia, was looking for when he enrolled his two young sons in the program.

Johnson’s wife, Stacey, learned she had breast cancer four years ago. He says the kids’ support group has taken a lot of pressure off his wife. “The biggest benefit for the kids is just that it’s a safe place to ask questions that are emotional to them.”

Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Cancer

Hayden Johnson, 11, gets something else from the sessions. “I like to know that I’m not the only one going through this,” he said. “You can talk about it and nobody will go out and tell and make fun of you.”

Chris Johnson admits he needs all the help and support he can get in reassuring his children. “You walk a fine line. You don’t want to throw all the medical terms at them and be cold and clinical, but you don’t want to shelter them either from the fact that this is a disease that kills people.” E-mail to a friend

Judy Fortin is a correspondent with CNN Medical News.

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