As a cancer survivor, you may be at risk for the occurrence of a second cancer. After treatment is completed it's great to have a break from all of the medical appointments. However, it's important to keep in mind prevention strategies and screening practices for the future.

As a cancer survivor, your risk for developing another cancer may be higher than the average person. This risk may be due to:

Chemotherapy drugs — Some may put you at risk for developing secondary leukemia. Radiation therapy may put you at risk for developing second cancers that are solid tumors. People at increased risk are those who have received high doses of radiation over a large area.Genetic mutations — Some people have inherited gene changes or mutations that increase the chances of getting a second cancer. If you feel that your family has a higher than average incidence of cancer, seek out a genetics specialist to review your family history and evaluate your risk.

What's important to keep in mind?

You may need more frequent or earlier screening than the recommended practice. Ask your health care provider what's recommended for you personally. Understand your risk for a second cancer. If you had treatment for cancer ask your cancer treatment team what your risk is for developing a second cancer. Be aware of changes in your body. Pay attention to new or unusual symptoms including: skin changes, swollen lymph nodes, unusual bleeding, pain, and excessive fatigue. Practice healthy habits for cancer prevention. Don't use tobacco, protect your skin from sun exposure, limit alcohol intake, incorporate exercise into your routine, and eat a healthy, low-fat diet (fruits, vegetables and whole grains).

Celebrate your life by remembering your risk and understanding what's best for your future. If you're not sure what you need, ask your cancer treatment team or primary care provider to help you plan for your future screening. Many of you have mentioned that you're dealing with a second cancer. Use this blog to share your experiences with each other.

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The whole field of protection before sex is “red-hot cool right now,” said Sharon L. Hillier, a gynecology professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s medical school and principal investigator of the Microbicide Trials Network. “People are really energized.”

Although the gel offered only about 40 percent protection against the virus, it was the first form of protection that women could use without men knowing, which is crucial because so many men around the world absolutely refuse — sometimes violently — to wear condoms when having sex with their wives or girlfriends.

Other clinical trials will report their results in 2011 and 2012 and, if all goes well, researchers hope to have a product or two ready to enter the market by 2013.

The first may not be a gel, however.

In the next few months, said Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, an advocacy group for AIDS prevention, “we’re going to see a cascade of results” from trials of what is called “oral pre-exposure prophylaxis,” or “oral prep” for short. In them, men and women who are not infected with the AIDS virus but who regularly engage in high-risk sex, like anal sex without condoms or sex for money with strangers, take a daily dose of one or two of the antiretroviral drugs normally taken by infected people. If many fewer of those subjects become infected than subjects taking a placebo, a second breakthrough will have been achieved.

Should that happen, regulatory authorities may approve pills faster than a gel, because they have already been found safe and effective for treatment.

But that doesn’t mean a gel isn’t still worth pursuing, said Dr. Salim Abdool Karim, a professor of epidemiology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and a leader of the microbicide trial for which results were released in July.

Gels have advantages. The drug in them stays in the vaginal tissue, so it is unlikely that anyone who gets infected anyway would develop a drug-resistant form of the virus. And unlike pills, gels also protect against herpes.

Also, as several experts pointed out, women like having choices in birth control: some prefer a daily pill, some prefer condoms, or IUDs, or shots that last three months, or skin implants that last three years. Presumably, they will also want choices in AIDS prevention.

“The simple truth is: one size does not fit all,” Dr. Karim said.

Because 95 percent of gay American men and 40 percent of heterosexual American women have had anal sex at least once during their lifetimes, according to surveys, rectal versions of the gel are being developed. Tests of new, less viscous formulations that are less likely to draw water into the rectum, making use unpleasant, will begin soon, said Dr. Ian McGowan, another leader of microbicide trials at the University of Pittsburgh’s medical school.

Gay and bisexual black and Hispanic men, who are now the highest AIDS risk groups in the United States, will be recruited soon in Boston, Pittsburgh and Puerto Rico to see if they find the gels acceptable, he said.

But first it is crucial to make sure gels don’t inflame the rectal lining, which is more fragile than the vagina’s. Since H.I.V. zeros in on activated immune cells, inflammation increases infection risk. Brief tests of irritation and acceptability will be done on people advised to remain celibate during the tests, he added. Larger trials, in which thousands of men and women regularly practicing anal sex are given gel or placebo will not begin for two to three more years.

“The rectal microbicide field is about 10 years behind the vaginal one,” Dr. McGowan said.

That is partly due to misconceptions.

“When you mention rectal microbicides, a lot of people say ‘Oh, come on,’ because they think you have to protect the whole colon, and it’s meters long,” Dr. McGowan said. In fact, researchers believe protecting only the last six to eight inches will suffice.

A 2008 British study showed that rectal tenofovir gel was very protective in monkeys that were then given anal doses of the virus that causes simian AIDS.

Farther over the horizon, another method is being tested for possible deployment by 2015 or so. Next year, a trial will begin of a vaginal ring containing a new antiretroviral drug, dapivirine. Dapivirine was never approved as a pill because the body doesn’t absorb it well, but it can build up in vaginal tissue. Also, it is so concentrated that a month’s worth fits in a ring that allows a tiny amount to trickle out each day.

Female Hair Loss
Hair loss is a common problem amongst all the men and women. Many of the women of our society are facing the problems of hair fall and even going almost bald. The cause may be any but sometime it affects the confidence of women more in comparison to their male counterparts.

Female Pattern Baldness: Diagnosis and Treatments
Clinical features of pattern baldness in women usually occur during early teens and late middle age. This is shown by the gradual thinning of hair over the frontal area. Usually, pattern baldness in women is not accompanied by increased shedding of hair, but unlike telogen effluvium, hair loss may be seen from the start.

Female Hair Loss Affects 30 Million
Having great hair plays a key role in a woman's self-confidence and self-esteem. Yet according to the American Academy of Dermatology, 30 million women -one in four - experience thinning or hair loss at some stage of their lives, most commonly during menopause or post-pregnancy.

Female Hair Loss Treatments and Why Hair Loss Is Different On Venus
Female hair loss treatments often differ to men's, for a number of reasons. The main prescription hair loss treatment for men, the drug propecia, is generally not as effective in women, although an Italian study seemed to show some promise with it.

Female Pattern Baldness
Female pattern baldness a.k.a. alopecia in women is the most common form of hair problem that women come across. It involves a typical hair loss pattern, resulting from hormones, aging and genetic predisposition.

There are Many Choices for Female Hair Loss Treatment
There any many different reasons women might suffer from hair loss. One main cause is when a woman's body makes more testosterone than it normally does, or maybe certain medical conditions involving their hormones could cause baldness to occur.

The Shocking Truth About Female Hair Loss
When you talk about genetic hair loss most people think about the most common form of hair loss: male-pattern baldness. This is the type of hair loss that is passed on genetically to offspring from their mothers. Most often the recipients of this type of hair loss are men, but sometimes the gene can result in female hair loss.

Vitamins For Female Hair Loss Prevention
In today's image conscious society, physical appearance is more important than ever to a woman's self-esteem. Imagine the heartache caused when a woman notices her hair thinning? It is estimated that over 25 million women experience thinning hair in the United States.

Finding a Hair Loss Solution
Androgenetic alopecia is the hereditary form of baldness that affects 50 percent of men, and some women after 40. Female hair loss usually starts after menopause although it can begin earlier. The main reason for this is that estrogen levels decline. Hormonal changes cause hair to thin.

Female Hair Loss And Menopause
Menopause is one of the most common causes of female hair loss and one of the least happily endured symptom. Female hair loss can be pretty devastating to any woman in today’s modern society, which emphasizes the importance of an attractive hairdo. Just think on the thriving multi-billion dollar in the hair care industry and the numerous advertisements on shampoo, styling products and hair loss treatments.

A Look at 7 Common Causes of Female Hair Loss
Although the causes of women’s hair loss vary from person to person, by understanding the common causes of female hair loss, this can help you find the right potential treatment or solution...

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