Cancer treatment can include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and biological therapy. Some patients may worry that side effects of treatment are worse than disease. However, patients and doctors discuss treatment options, weighing benefits of killing cancer cells against risks of possible side effects. Doctors can also suggest methods to reduce or eliminate problems that may occur during and after some treatments.

Having cancer does not always mean having pain. Whether a patient suffers from pain depends on type of cancer, extent of disease, and patient's tolerance for pain. Most pain occurs when cancer grows and presses against bones, organs, or nerves.

People facing cancer are naturally concerned about what future holds. Understanding cancer and what to expect can help patients and their loved ones plan treatment, think about lifestyle changes, and make decisions about their quality of life and their finances. The best way prevent cancer or to conquer it once it has been diagnosed, is to arm yourself with as much information as possible. As has been said many times, "Knowledge is Power."

And ask questions of your health care providers! When you are facing this major health menace, there are no "dumb" questions. Get a second opinion about your diagnosis and proposed treatments. In battle against cancer, there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution for all patients. Whether you choose surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy or a combination of methods, you and your loved ones should be actively involved in decision-making process.

I'm concerned enough about possible danger of BPA that I am no longer purchasing bottled water in plastic bottles.

Health concerns aside, plastic is also not good for environment. Americans use about 10 million tons of plastic every year, but recycle only about two percent of it. A plastic milk jug takes about one million years to biodegrade. And, getting back to health concerns, manufacture of plastics produces toxic wastes that return to us indirectly through polluted air, water, and soil.

But we also have to use common sense and choose greatest benefit at any given time. If your choice was to drink spring water in polycarbonate bottle or drink tap water or drink no water at all on a hot summer day, I would say drink purer spring water in polycarbonate bottle. Once in a while, a single exposure will not do much harm. But you don't want to be using water contained in a Lexan polycarbonate resin bottle as your everyday source of water supply, or drink from these bottles all day long, every day.

There are other options.

BETTER OPTIONS

My best recommendation is to get a good water filter that is right for your water and filter your water at home. That way there is no questionable leaching at all. Even though this may be expensive, it is one of best investments you can make in your health and will save thousands of dollars in medical expenses in long run.

For those of you who carry or purchase water in small, single-serving Lexan polycarbonate bottles, you can purchase plastic-free refillable bottles in various sizes to suit your needs. They are lightweight and much more attractive than disposable plastic bottles.

It's a good idea, particularly in summertime, to carry clean water with you, as your body needs water throughout day for good health. The Mayo Clinic suggests you divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces of water every day. So if you weigh 128 pounds, that would be 64 ounces or 8 8-ounce glasses of water per day. It's better to carry your own clean water in a safe container than drink tap water or water in a plastic bottle.

For sources of water filters and reusable plastic-free refillable bottles, visit http://www.debraslist.com/water/index.html.