Breast Implants - Potentially Putting You At Risk For ALCL

Micrograph of an ALCL.
Photo Credit: Nephron 

Plastic surgery has become more and more common over the years now that society tends to believe that appearance is everything. This is has caused ethical limits to be stretched by plastic surgeons to help those who are willing to go under the knife to try and achieve this perfect body image. One of the most common types of plastic surgery to this day are breast augmentations. In a recent study done by the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, a link between anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and breast implants has been found. ALCL is typically found in the lymph nodes, skin, lungs, liver and soft tissue but in 71 documented cases, it has been found in the breast regions of those who have had breast surgery in the past. This form of lymphoma typically develops tumors 10 years after the operation. Although implant-related ALCL is very rare, the reasons as to why implants can cause lymphoma remains unknown and scientists are working towards determining these unknown reasons. Regardless of how rare this form of lymphoma is, people should still be aware of the risks of ALCL when opting to get breast implants. However, until society can learn that imperfection is beauty, breast augmentations will continue to remain a common elective surgery and people will continue to be put at risk for this rare form of lymphoma. 

References:

Editors of Publications International, Ltd..  "20 Most Common Plastic Surgeries" HowStuffWorks.com, 20 September 2007. http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/surgeries-procedures/20-most-common-plastic-surgeries3.htm#page=0 

University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna. "Link between breast implants, cancer under investigation." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 October 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141006094620.htm 

Photo Credit:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anaplastic_large_cell_lymphoma_-_cropped_-_very_high_mag.jpg 

Related Articles:

BMJ-British Medical Journal. "Cosmetic breast implants may adversely affect survival in women who develop breast cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 April 2013. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130430194312.htm 

RAND Corporation. "Link between breast implants and rare form of cancer confirmed, but cause remains unclear." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 April 2011. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419121355.htm 

Allergies - Putting a Damper on Summer

Microscopic view of pollen from many plants. Pollen is a very 

common allergen. Photo Credit: Gustavo Bittencourt – 

Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility

During the summer, the last thing you want to be is sick. I, for one, absolutely hate being sick during the summer because let's face it, summer is supposed to be filled with relaxation and fun activities, especially for those of us on summer vacation. Unfortunately however, when this season does roll around, so do pesky summer allergies. This could mean a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes and nose for those who suffer from these allergies triggered mostly by grass pollens. Because these symptoms tend to closely resemble those of a summer cold, they are commonly mistaken for just that. Thanks to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), determining what summer ailment you are suffering from has become a whole lot easier. Listed below are 4 questions that will help you determine if you are in fact suffering from a summer cold or summer allergies:

• Symptoms for two weeks? If yes, you most likely have allergies. Colds tend to be less persistent than allergies.
• Escalating symptoms? If your symptoms evolve, you most likely are suffering from a summer cold. Colds usually start with a stuffy nose, throat irritation and fever, then you experience the sneezing and the runny nose. 
• Green or clear mucus? Mucus that turns yellow or green can be associated with allergies. Clear mucus can be either a cold or allergies.
• Have an itch or wheezing? Itchiness along with sneezing usually means allergies.

If you are in fact suffering from summer allergies, the symptoms listed above aren’t the only ones you could be displaying. In fact, summer allergies can leave you looking like you just fought Mike Tyson. With that being said, other cosmetic symptoms can be noted. These include:

• Allergic Shiner: Dark circles under the eyes caused by congestion of small blood vessels beneath the skin. 
• Allergic Face: Swelling of the adenoids results in a tired and droopy appearance.
• Nasal Crease: Line across the bridge of the nose. This is usually the result of rubbing your nose upward to help relieve nasal congestion.

If you display any of these unusual symptoms, the ACAAI suggests visiting a board-certified allergist, especially if the symptoms are persistent. By visiting an allergist, you can be properly tested, diagnosed and treated for these allergies. The bright side of choosing to do so is you could potentially enjoy your summer undesirable cosmetic symptom free. 

References:

American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "Sudden allergies: When a summer cold is much more." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 June 2013. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130611111511.htm 

American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "The ugly truth about summer allergies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 June 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140610100259.htm 

Photo Credit:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Misc_pollen.jpg

Related Articles:

American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "The rise of spring allergies: Fact or fiction?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 March 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140306130050.htm 

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "Is it just a cold or is it allergies?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 April 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140407164556.htm 

Tanning - The Ultimate Risky Behavior

As many of us know, tanning is linked to  skin damage which can lead to skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States. We are also familiar for the most part that indoor tanning raises the risk of developing melanoma, which is the most dangerous and aggressive form of skin cancer when left untreated. According to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 76% of melanomas found in women between the ages of 18 and 29 are associated with tanning bed use. Some studies have even shown that indoor tanning before the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma by 75%. Even though we are made aware of the risks that are associated with indoor tanning, whether it’s a warning label on a tanning bed or basic common knowledge, most still continue to do it anyways. Despite knowing the risks, why do people still continue to use tanning beds?

In a recent study done by the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, reasons as to why people use tanning beds, despite knowing the risks, were discovered. Appearance improvement was the biggest reason followed by the convenience factor. Many participants also reported that using tanning beds helped reduce stress levels and made them feel relaxed. By determining the top reasons as to why people use tanning beds, perhaps improved efforts and more efficient ways to try and decrease the amount of people who turn to tanning beds will be discovered. 

With that being said, a study done by the University of Colorado Cancer Center discovered a way to motivate teens to wear sunscreen and to eliminate or make changes to their behaviors that put them at risk for skin cancer. In this study, two groups watched videos regarding UV light and sun-protective behaviors, with one group watching a video that described the increased skin cancer risk of UV exposure and the other group watching a video describing the effects of UV exposure on appearance. It was discovered that although both groups learned the same amount of knowledge about UV exposure, only the teens who watched the appearance based video changed their behaviors rather than those who watched the health based video.

Appearance seems to be the biggest reason as to why people choose to use tanning beds and it also serves as the most effective way to get people to stop using tanning beds. These two studies ultimately show that in order to decrease the amount of people using tanning beds and to increase the amount of people that use sunscreen, the appearance route rather than health route is the better way to go. As someone who likes to sit in the sun on hot sunny days and go tanning occasionally, I can definitely say that in this day in age, telling people that UV exposure can lead to premature wrinkles and aging will scare them more than telling them it puts them at ricks for skin cancer. We live in a society where appearance is everything so why not take advantage of that and decrease the amount of skin cancer incidences while doing so.

Tips from the American Academy of Dermatology for preventing skin cancer:

1. Apply sunscreen every day.
2. Use one ounce of sunscreen, an amount that is about equal to the size of your palm, and rub into skin.
3. Seek shade, especially between 10 am and 2 pm. 
4. Use extra caution near water, sand or snow as they reflect and intensify the damaging rays of the sun.
5. Get vitamin D safely by eating a healthy diet that includes foods naturally rich in vitamin D, or take vitamin D supplements. 
6. Consider using a self-tanning product.
7. Do not use tanning beds.
8. Regularly check your skin for signs of skin cancer.

References: 

American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). "Quick and simple ways to reduce risk from the most common form of cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 June 2013. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130611082225.htm 

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. "Looks really can kill you: Protect yourself against skin cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 May 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140501100924.htm 

University of Colorado Cancer Center. "Beauty, not disease, motivates teens to wear sunscreen." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 February 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140213095046.htm 

University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "Young women continue using tanning beds, despite awareness of health risks." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 February 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140205165541.htm

Related Articles:

American Association for Cancer Research. "Increased tanning bed use increases risk for deadly skin cancers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 October 2011. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024172646.htm

Oxford University Press USA. "Indoor tanning, even without burning, increases the risk of melanoma." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 May 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140528163743.htm 

Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego. "Preventing skin cancer in children begins with the right sunscreen." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 June 2013. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130625140931.htm 

Texas Biomedical Research Institute. "Conclusive evidence that sunscreen use in childhood prevents development of malignant melanoma in adults." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 June 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140619111407.htm 

Getting Rid of Migraines One Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery at a Time.

Have you ever had such a bad migraine headache that no matter how much medicine you took, the pain would still not go away? As someone who suffers from migraine headaches, I can tell you that sometimes pain medicine does not even come close to touching the radiating pain I’ve experienced from these nauseating headaches. I have even tried sleeping in pure darkness and silence for hours at a time which has not helped either. If you are someone who is also included in the 17% of women and 5% of men in the United States who suffer from migraine headaches (Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 2014), perhaps you are a candidate for a new surgical migraine treatment technique which also serves as a bonus cosmetic eyelid surgery. 

In a recent study conducted by a team of researchers from LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and plastic and reconstructive surgeons from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, a new nonedoscopic technique to release and deactivate nerves involved in migraine headaches has shown an overall positive response rate of 90.7% (LSU Health Sciences Center, 2014), which is pretty impressive. By decompressing the nerves that trigger migraines using this new cosmetic technique, migraines were completely eliminated in 51.3% of the patients and in 20% of the patients, symptoms were reduced by up to 80% (LSU Health Sciences Center, 2014). Although this can be considered a cosmetic surgery, it is not for everyone. The 35 patients who participated in this study all suffered from chronic nerve compression migraine headaches and had cases that were suitable for this new technique (LSU Health Sciences Center, 2014). However, because this is a fairly new technique, it will most likely only be a matter of time before another technique that can be offered to a wider range of patients will be discovered. This new technique is also particularly useful for surgeons who have little experience with endoscopes (LSU Health Sciences Center, 2014) which means more surgeons will be able to perform this surgery. The more surgeons that can perform this cosmetic eyelid surgery technique, the more relief among those who suffer from migraine headaches.  

References:
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. "Surgeons report significant migraine relief from cosmetic eyelid surgery technique." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 July 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140731095314.htm

Related Articles:
American Academy of Neurology (AAN). "Migraine in children may affect school performance." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 October 2012. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121029170810.htm 

Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR). "The cause and effect of migraines." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 March 2012. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120320114516.htm 

UT Southwestern Medical Center. "Surgery brings relief for chronic migraines for one patient." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 January 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140109091736.htm