Natural Health Care

According to researchers at the Childrens Hospital Boston, surgery used to remove breast cancers can sometimes promote the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) that can contribute to metastatic cancer development later on. This hypothesis is congruent with the tendency for younger women who develop breast cancer to experience early recurrences of their cancers.

Researchers looked at data from 1,200 women who had surgery to remove breast cancers. They found that the two most common periods for recurrence was at 18 months and five years post-surgery. They also found that 20 percent of premenopausal women with breast cancer whose cancer had spread to their lymph nodes experienced recurrence within 10 months of surgery to remove their primary breast cancer tumours. Read more

A study published in the July 5th, 2006 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that taking the maximum recommended dose of Tylenol (acetaminophen) for fourteen consecutive days can cause acute liver damage.

Medical researchers who co-ordinated this study had 106 participants take 4 grams of acetaminophen (the equivalent of eight 500 mg tablets of extra-strength Tylenol) every day for two weeks. Thirty-nine participants received placebo pills. Read more

A study published in this month's Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that psychotherapy sessions can be more effective for treating insomnia than a sleeping drug called zopiclone, sold under the commercial name, Imovane. Read more

From Our Mailbag:

Dear Dr. Kim,

I have been receiving your weekly newsletter for several months now and would like to ask you for some advice on choosing a career in the natural health field. I can't decide between chiropractic, naturopathy, traditional medicine, and oriental medicine.

I know you are busy, but if possible, could you share your thoughts on what you would choose if you were to do it all over again? Read more