This study, the largest ever conducted on post-menopausal women, revealed that multivitamins may contribute virtually nothing to reducing risk of common cancers, cardiovascular disease, and overall mortality. Darn!

The message? Please make sure that your diet is a healthy one and that you are taking care of yourself through exercising, following a low-fat diet, and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol. And know that science is now telling us that a multivitamin pill isn’t a magic bullet and is no substitute for living a healthy lifestyle.

Additional research is being conducted to better understand how the body biologically and physiologically processes and metabolizes vitamins and minerals. That will be interesting to read about.

People are spending a lot of money each year on multivitamins. It’s probably time to rethink that purchase and spend that money on a membership to a local gym or on more fresh fruits and veggies.

Therefore, drugs that block hormone production or change the way hormones work, and/or removal of organs that secrete hormones, such as the ovaries or testicles, are ways of fighting cancer. Hormone therapy, similar to chemotherapy, is a systemic treatment in that it may affect cancer cells throughout the body.

Hormone therapy with tamoxifen is often given to patients with early stages of breast cancer and those with metastatic breast cancer (cancer that has spread to other parts of the body). Hormone therapy with tamoxifen or estrogen can act on cells all over the body and may increase the chance of developing endometrial cancer.

Women taking tamoxifen should have a pelvic exam every year to look for any signs of cancer. Any vaginal bleeding, other than menstrual bleeding, should be reported to a doctor as soon as possible.

For the treatment of early stage breast cancer, certain aromatase inhibitors may be used as adjuvant therapy instead of tamoxifen or after 2 or more years of tamoxifen. For the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, aromatase inhibitors are being tested in clinical trials to compare them to hormone therapy with tamoxifen.

Hormone therapy may be used in several situations:

• if you are not able to have surgery or radiation or can’t be cured by these treatments because the cancer has already spread beyond the prostate gland

• if your cancer remains or comes back after treatment with surgery or radiation therapy

• as an addition to radiation therapy as initial treatment if you are at high risk for cancer recurrence

• before surgery or radiation to try and shrink the cancer to make other treatments more effective

Sun damage to the body is caused by invisible ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which reaches us as long wavelengths known as UVA and short wavelengths known as UVB. UVB radiation can cause sunburn. But the longer wavelength UVA is dangerous too, as it can penetrate the skin and damage tissue at deeper levels.

Tanning is a sign of the skin reacting to potentially damaging UV radiation by producing additional pigmentation that provides it with some—but not nearly enough—protection against sunburn.

No matter what our skin color, we’re all potential victims of sunburn and the other detrimental effects of excessive exposure to UV radiation. Although we all need to take precautions to protect our skin, people who need to be especially careful in the sun are those who have

• pale skin.
• blonde, red or light brown hair.
• been treated for skin cancer.
• a family member who’s had skin cancer.

If you have an illness and take medicines, ask your doctor about extra sun-care precautions, because some medications may increase sensitivity to the sun.

Cosmetics that contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) also may increase sun sensitivity and susceptibility to sunburn. Look for FDA’s recommended sunburn alert statement on products that contain AHAs.

Reduce time in the sun

This is especially recommended from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest. Even on an overcast day, up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV rays can get through the clouds. Stay in the shade as much as possible throughout the day.

Dress with care

Wear clothes that protect your body. Cover as much of your body as possible if you plan to be outside on a sunny day. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, long sleeves and long pants. Sun-protective clothing is now available in stores. However, FDA does not regulate such products unless the manufacturer intends to make a medical claim. Consider using an umbrella for shade.

Be serious about sunscreen

Check product labels to make sure you get

• a “sun protection factor” (SPF) of 15 or more—SPF represents the degree to which a sunscreen can protect the skin from sunburn. The higher the number, the better the protection.
• “broad spectrum” protection—sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB.
• water resistance—sunscreen that stays on your skin longer, even if it gets wet. “Water-resistant” does not mean “waterproof.” Water-resistant sunscreens need to be reapplied as instructed on the label.

Tips for applying sunscreen

• Apply the recommended amount evenly to all uncovered skin, especially your lips, nose, ears, neck, hands, and feet.
• Check the label for the correct amount of time to apply it before you go out.
• If the label doesn’t give a time, allow about 15 to 30 minutes.
• If you don’t have much hair, apply sunscreen to the top of your head, or wear a hat.
• Reapply at least every two hours. Read the label to see how often.
• Give babies and children extra care in the sun. Ask a doctor before applying sunscreen to children under 6 months old.
• Apply sunscreen to children older than 6 months every time they go out.

Don’t forget the eyes

Sunlight reflecting off snow, sand or water further increases exposure to UV radiation, increasing your risk of developing eye problems such as cataracts.

Long hours on the beach or in the snow without adequate eye protection also can result in a short-term condition known as photokeratitis, or reversible sunburn of the cornea. This painful condition–also known as “snow blindness”—can cause temporary loss of vision.

• When buying sunglasses, look for a label that specifically offers 99 to 100 percent UV protection. This assures that the glasses block both forms of UV radiation.
• Eyewear should be labeled “sunglasses.” Be wary of dark or tinted eyewear sold as fashion accessories that may provide little or no protection from UV or visible light.
• Don’t assume that you get more UV protection with pricier sunglasses or glasses with a darker tint.
• Be sure that your sunglasses don’t distort colors and affect the recognition of traffic signals.
• Ask an eye care professional to test your sunglasses if you’re not sure of their level of UV protection.
• People who wear contact lenses that offer UV protection should still wear sunglasses.
• Consider that light can still enter from the sides of sunglasses. Those that wrap all the way around the temples can help.
• Children should wear real sunglasses—not toy sunglasses—that indicate the UV protection level. Polycarbonate lenses are the most shatter-resistant.

For more information on Save Your Skin – Sun Safety

Typically the prognosis is poor if some one develops this form of cancer and at that point of time the families need to seek help from a mesothelioma lawyer. This disease is caused by exposure to asbestos and its legacy is a disturbing one.

There are thousands of people who unduly suffer from the effects of asbestos exposure and many more have wrongly died. Asbestos has hazardous effects but the corporations who were using asbestos did not tell their employees of the danger nor did they use alternative materials.

Thousands of people developed this form of cancer in their later years by unnecessarily getting exposed to asbestos. A lawyer of this disease can help those victims to receive compensation if they were wrongly exposed to asbestos.

If you know somebody who has died of this disease then it is very important to ask their family member to contact a lawyer who can recommend whether they can get any compensatory benefits. The disease attacks what are called mosothelial cells of an organ and the most common organ cells affected by it are those in the lungs, heart or abdomen.

The most predominant type of this disease is Pleural mesothelioma. The diagnosis can only be made by taking a biopsy and conducting a pathological analysis. The first signs of this disease are the experience of shortness of breathes. This is noticeable when they put forth energy or effort in actions such as light exercise, making a bed, and yard work etc.

The treatment options for this disease include chemotherapy, radiation, surgical intervention, and intra-operative photodynamic therapy; which is the latest drug and light treatment that is usually used in the early stages.