3-D radiation treatment planning reduces feeding-tube useNovember 06, 2006

Although current surgical techniques and multi-modality treatment regimens allow organ preservation for a growing number of patients with head and neck cancers, remaining dependent on a feeding tube after treatment is a major problem for these patients. An analysis by Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers sought to identify which treatment-related factors are more likely to avoid feeding-tube dependency.

"Three-dimensional treatment planning appears to have a significant impact on improving quality of life by reducing feeding tube dependency," said medical intern Linna Li, M.D., who presented the results today at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Philadelphia.

The retrospective study analyzed treatment records since 1997 for patients receiving definitive radiation therapy-with or without surgery and chemotherapy-for squamous-cell carcinomas of the throat, including oropharynx, hypoharynx and larynx. Definitive radiotherapy is a curative course of radiation treatment designed to eradicate a known cancer.

Eligible patients-a total of 90-had either stage III or IV cancer with no prior surgery or radiation therapy in the head and neck region and remained cancer-free 18 months or more after completing radiation therapy. The majority of patients were men (82 percent) who had oropharyngeal cancer (63 percent) with a T stage (extent of primary tumor, including size, at diagnosis) of either T2 or T3 (71 percent).

Only 44 percent had neck surgery, but 58 percent had concurrent chemotherapy. Only 10 percent had radiation treatments using altered fractionation schemes. Sixty percent had two-dimensional treatment planning for radiation therapy while 40 percent had three-dimensional CT-based treatment planning.

A feeding tube was placed in 56 of these 90 patients (62 percent): 19 before radiation therapy; 26 during radiation therapy; and 11 after radiation therapy. Two-thirds of the men had the feeding tube removed during the follow-up period, with only 15 percent retaining the tube after 18 months.

"In analyzing the factors associated with feeding tube dependency at 18 months, only the higher T stage and 2-D treatment planning were independent predictors," Li said. "Of the 54 patients who had 2-D treatment planning, 20 were feeding-tube dependent at 18 months compared to just five of the 36 who had 3-D treatment planning. Of the three patients who had intensity-modulated radiation therapy instead of conventional radiation, none were feeding-tube dependent.

"Three-dimensional treatment planning can help patients avoid feeding tube dependency," Li concluded. "Possible explanations may be improved tumor targeting with smaller areas receiving high doses or more evenly distributed doses in large radiation fields.\\\

Fox Chase Cancer Center

 

Courtesy of Brightsurf.com

Ever Wonder How Salary.com gets their results? Well Wonder No More!



Methodology
The Source of Salary.com's Online Data

The source of Salary.com's data is one of the questions people ask most frequently about the company. The following presents, first in highlighted form then in detail, the sources of the company's data and the methodology for deriving the numbers (including why someone's salary might be higher or lower than the figures in the Salary Wizard™). It also explains how Salary.com makes money from the information it publishes for free, and the difference between the free data and the premium data.

Methodology and sources How the premium data differs from the free data My salary is lower My salary is higher
About the data in the Salary Wizard

Salary.com's team of compensation consultants reviews available, applicable market pay data to determine the true market for each job in the Salary Wizard. All of Salary.com's data is proprietary and is based on employer-reported data. It does not contain data from individual site users, placement agencies, job postings, nor any other sources that would traditionally be characterized as "unreliable" by compensation or human resource professionals. To determine the market pay ranges, Salary.com's compensation consultants have collected and reviewed data covering more than 29 million individuals working at more than 16,000 companies. More than 90 percent of the jobs in the Salary Wizard report market pay levels based on more than 100 incumbent salaries. Salary.com compensation consultants will only report a market pay level if there are multiple sources reporting reasonably consistent information. The data in the Salary Wizard represents national average practices; metro or ZIP code level data is based on a geographic salary equivalent factor (similar to a cost-of-living adjustment factor). One of the most significant benefits of Salary.com's proprietary methodology for determining pay ranges based on national averages and geographic pay differentials is that Salary.com is able to publish a fair pay range for any market, even when actual survey data for employers in a specific industry and region is limited. Salary Wizard data is based strictly on fact; it is neither inflated nor conservative to appease any group. The data reflects simply what companies report paying today.
About the Salary.com methodology

The Salary.com methodology is a state-of-the-art process for benchmarking and analyzing jobs that builds on professional industry standards. Salary.com purchases the most current compensation survey reports from well-recognized, reputable compensation consulting firms. Salary.com's compensation consultants match our job descriptions to the most applicable jobs (if any) from each available data source. The compensation consultants create a composite view for each job using a proprietary mathematical model built by Salary.com. The model takes into account the statistical reliability of each data point, the robustness of the data within each data point, the effective date of the data reported, and the industry, geography, or company size biases within each survey. For a reality check, Salary.com's compensation consultants validate the data points by comparing them with other market indicators such as government data (e.g., the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has excellent data that however is older than commercially published survey data). The Salary.com consultants' composite view is then a "best-of-the-best" analysis of the compensation market for each job for which the data is sufficient to report. The team updates the database every month to incorporate the most current reports available and to reflect the general movement of salaries.
Methodology and sources

The Salary Wizard is an interactive database of up-to-date market compensation information. Unlike compensation surveys, which report data effective as of a fixed date, the Salary Wizard is a report of a continual research study. It includes data on approximately 1,200 unique jobs and 4,000 job titles that can be mapped to those jobs. The data is intended to provide a reasonable range for typical cash compensation earned by the typical person working in that job. The data used to develop the pay levels shown in the Salary Wizard is based on the pay practices of companies of all industries, companies of all sizes, and companies from all around the United States.

The source of the job descriptions and answers in the Salary Wizard should be cited as "Salary.com," since they are the copyrighted work of our team of compensation consultants based on the review of multiple salary surveys, and our own research, analysis, and proprietary mathematical model.

Every job in the Salary Wizard has been thoroughly researched and validated by Salary.com's team of compensation consultants who have combined experience of over 40 years in the compensation and statistical analysis fields. Salary.com purchases the most current salary surveys available from well-recognized, reputable compensation consulting firms. This survey data is used for analysis and benchmarking by extracting and reporting the market salary data for each position that matches to one of the jobs reported in the Salary Wizard. To ensure jobs are appropriately matched, our analysts benchmark the jobs based on job content, not job title. Note that all data used in researching salary levels for the Salary Wizard has been reported by human resource professionals. Salary.com does not use any salary information from individual site users, placement agencies, job postings, nor any other sources that would traditionally be characterized as "unreliable" by compensation or human resource professionals.

The Salary.com research database includes information on more than 1.3 million incumbents and 5,000 companies. Most jobs in the Salary Wizard are based on 100 or more incumbent salaries.

The salary data is presented in two pieces: base pay and total cash compensation (base pay plus annual incentives). The market pay level is based on the median, or 50th percentile, of all salaries reported for a given job. This represents the midpoint of the competitive market rate for that job. To provide perspective on scope and distribution of pay amounts, the Salary Wizard also shows the range around the median that includes the half of the people in that job who are paid closest to the market median – and thus excludes the lowest 25 percent and the highest 25 percent by pay.

Results for each piece are displayed in a graph to show visually this "interquartile range." The minimum of the range is the 25th percentile, which means only 25 percent of salaries reported for a particular job fall below this level; the maximum of the range is the 75th percentile, which means 75 percent of all salaries reported for that job fall below this amount (i.e., 25 percent fall above this amount). Although this interquartile range roughly equates to the typical market range for the position, there are a reasonable number of people whose pay is higher or lower than the interquartile range – in fact, 25 percent of those in any given job are expected to be paid above the 75th percentile and 25 percent are expected to be paid below the 25th percentile.

Although the data sources we use are the most recent available, there is a lag between the effective data of the salary information they report and today – sometimes more than a year. To recognize that salaries increase faster than studies are printed, Salary.com uses the industry standard approach of modifying the data by applying an aging factor to adjust the data to a common date and to accommodate the movement of salaries over time. Not all salaries move at the same rate. For instance, in the last few years, salaries in the information technology field have increased much faster than salaries in other jobs (5 to 15 percent for IT versus 2 to 5 percent in general). Therefore, IT salaries are adjusted at a higher rate than non-IT jobs.

Geography

The Salary Wizard data represents the typical person in a job based on national average information. The Salary Wizard lets the user specify a metropolitan region that applies a geographic differential to reflect differences in pay levels in different cities or geographic areas. These differences are similar to, but not the same as, differences in the cost of living. The national average salary for a job (which is returned if the user does not enter a ZIP code or region) is given a weight of 100.0, and salaries in other regions are expressed in relation to the national average based on cost of living and purchasing power. The adjustments range from 75 percent of the national average for San Juan, Puerto Rico, to 124 percent of the national average in Fairbanks, Alaska. Toledo, Ohio is at approximately the national average.

For entrepreneurial organizations siting business in new areas, Salary.com is sometimes the only available source of compensation information. Salary.com's geographic adjustment factors provide a good approximation of a fair pay range for a given job regardless of how many people have that job today. This research can be very useful in determining the value of a job that has not been offered in a given area before. For example, if a new factory is opening in a rural area, there might be no comparable pay information for many of the factory worker jobs, but they nevertheless need to be filled. Without estimations like those used in the Salary Wizard, neither the entrepreneurs nor the potential employees would have a source of fair pay data. It would probably be well over a year before that data became available. In fact, the data might never be published in a conventional compensation survey if the new factory were the only such employer in the area.

We periodically compare our geographic adjustment factors to actual market data for given geographies to ensure that our adjustment factors reasonably reflect the market. As we find a geographic area speeding or slowing relative to the national market, we modify the adjustments for that geography and review the surrounding geographies for similar potential adjustments.

Job Titles

A job title is a quick way of describing a collection of tasks, responsibilities, and duties. Please be sure to read the job description for each job you look up in the Salary Wizard. The job descriptions outline the skills, experience, and knowledge needed to perform the job. The descriptions will provide you with a much clearer sense of what the job entails than just the job title. This will allow you to choose the best match for your job or any other job you're interested in.

Note that if a job description is a "pretty good" match but not perfect, the differences in the skills, experience, and knowledge could translate into a difference in market compensation. Keep this in mind when reviewing the numbers presented in the Salary Wizard.

There are two important cautions to remember when comparing a job description to a job descriptor in the Salary Wizard. First, be honest about the skills and abilities of the person whose job you are reviewing, especially if it's your own – for example, being able to use a spreadsheet doesn't make someone a programmer. Second, if a person has skills greater than those required for the job, it is important to assess whether those added skills are of added value to the company.

 

How the premium data differs from the free data

The data in Salary.com's premium products (e.g., the Personal Salary Report, Compensation Market Studies, and the Job Valuation Report) is fully scoped. This means the underlying survey data for a given benchmark job has been segmented to reflect pay practices specific to various locations, company sizes, and industries. These are factors known to strongly affect pay and are essential when making professional salary decisions for a given job.

Furthermore, the Personal Salary Report and Job Valuation Report may be used to account for differences in estimated market value arising from personal attributes such as years of experience, performance, education, and other compensable factors known to have some influence on an individual's pay.

In contrast, the Salary Wizard's free answers are based on salary values averaged across survey responses from all company sizes, all industry types, and all locations, and offer no personal customization. The Salary Wizard applies a geographic adjustment factor based on the city or ZIP code specified in order to give users an initial sense of local market conditions and to give some confirmation that the correct job title and description have been selected.

To ensure comparability between the free and premium products, each Personal Salary Report and Job Valuation Report includes a chart showing how differences in pay arise as data is scoped to reflect specific locations, company sizes, and industries.

 

My salary is lower

There are a number of valid reasons why your current compensation may be lower than the market data in the Salary Wizard.

Recent promotion to new job Lesser job responsibilities Limiting pay grades and pay structures A company that pays lower cash and higher benefits Small company Low-paying industry Less-than-expected performance Other
Please remember that most companies do try to compensate their employees fairly - being lower than the market numbers shown does not necessarily mean you are "under paid." Half of the people in a given job are paid below the median and 1-in-4 is below the 25th percentile.

Recent promotion to new job
If your current compensation is below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be because you were recently promoted.

Companies often compensate newly promoted employees at lower salary levels than the levels of pay for incumbents with the typical experience for that particular position. The rationale is that as a new person at a given level, you probably have less experience and value in that role than the typical incumbent has. As time passes and you become more proficient and experienced in this new position, your pay likely will move up to the typical level for the job.

Lesser job responsibilities
If your current compensation is below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, you may have chosen a job match that incorporates greater responsibilities than the position you currently hold.

Matching your job to the most appropriate position in the Salary Wizard is crucial in obtaining the correct market salary data. To ensure that you are making an accurate comparison, please review the job description provided by the Salary Wizard and make sure that it closely reflects your own job. (If you don't currently have a job description, you may want to contact your human resource department.) You may also want to look for a job title that has slightly lesser responsibilities than the one you've selected in the Salary Wizard - you may find that this job description more closely matches what you do.

Limiting pay grades and pay structures
If your current compensation is below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be a result of your company's current pay grade/structure.

Often, companies incorporate pay grades or pay structures to determine appropriate levels of pay for individual jobs. These structures help assure that people are paid fairly compared to others in the organization. If you are currently at the top - or above the top of your particular pay grade, your company has very limited options with regard to increasing your current compensation. As a result, even though you may be at the top of a particular pay range within your company, your pay may be lower than the salary market data in the Salary Wizard for your particular position.

A company that pays lower cash and higher benefits
If your current compensation is below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be a result of your particular company's human resource philosophy of conservatively paying cash compensation and offering better-than-average benefit programs and/or long-term incentive grants.

Companies sometimes provide conservative cash compensation levels in conjunction with aggressive benefit packages and/or long-term incentive grants (e.g., stock options). For example, Internet startups often compensate their employees with low cash compensation and large stock option grants. Similarly, educational organizations often compensate their employees with low cash compensation and generous perquisite and benefits programs. If your current cash compensation is below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, you may want to review your entire compensation & benefits package. You may be surprised to discover the breadth or value of the benefits your company offers.

Small company
If your current compensation is below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be because you work for a small company.

The Salary Wizard data represents the typical person in a job. This data is based on incumbents from companies of all sizes. Not all salaries are closely related to the size of the employer, but sometimes it is a consideration. It is most common for the size of the company to influence the pay levels of more senior employees. If you are looking at a management or an executive position, the size of the company is one key measure to determine pay levels. Senior people in small companies, under normal circumstances, often earn less than the salary market data in the Salary Wizard because the scope and responsibilities are less than his/her typical peer. Middle level positions within a company are also impacted by the size of the company, but to a lesser degree than executives. Clerical and lower level positions are, as a rule, affected only slightly. Regardless of your role in the company, a small company may have revenue or cash flow restrictions that affect the payroll.

Low-paying industry
If your current compensation is below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be a result of the type of company you work for.

The Salary Wizard data represents the typical person in a job. This data is based on incumbents from companies of all industries. Not all salaries are closely related to the industry of the employer, but sometimes it is a consideration. It is most common for the industry of the company to influence the pay of senior employees and those whose skills are less transferable to other industries. If you are looking at a management or an executive position, the industry is very relevant to how much you're paid. For example, senior people in the manufacturing industry historically have been paid lower than people with comparable jobs in the financial sector. If your industry is a high paying one, you may expect your pay to be higher than the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, whereas if your industry is a lower paying one, you may expect your pay to be lower than the salary market data in the Salary Wizard. Middle level positions within a company are also impacted by industry, but to a lesser degree than executives. Clerical and lower level positions are, as a rule, affected only slightly.

Less-than-expected performance
If your current compensation is below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be a result of either an unsatisfactory performance assessment(s) or lack of a recent performance review.

Simply stated, most companies will compensate employees who are below-average performers with below-average compensation. If your performance has been assessed as unsatisfactory or below established performance goals, or if a review has not been performed recently, your salary could be below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard. If your performance is not up to the organization's expectations, you should be sure to discuss those expectations with your manager to make sure you understand what is expected and what you can do to improve your performance and, ideally, increase your compensation.

Other
If your current compensation is below the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be possible that you are underpaid; however, don't automatically assume this is true. You may want to consider contacting your manager or your human resources department to discuss how your pay relates to the market. Remember that most companies do try to compensate their employees fairly.

 

My salary is higher

There are a number of reasons why your current compensation may be higher than the market data in the Salary Wizard.

Long tenure or proximity to promotion Greater job responsibilities Greater-than-expected performance Company's compensation philosophy Large company High-paying industry Hot jobs
Please remember that being higher than the market numbers shown does not necessarily mean you are "over paid"; half of the people in a given job are paid above the median and 1-in-4 is above the 75th percentile.

Long tenure or proximity to promotion
If your current compensation is above the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be a result of your tenure or "seniority" in your current job.

Often, incumbents who are strong performers and have been in the same position for extended periods of time, will master the responsibilities along with the concepts and practices of the position. They are performing on a higher level than the typical person with the same title. As a result, they are often paid accordingly - which could be well above the levels of a typical person working in that same job.

Also, some companies expect employees to work at the next level before they can be promoted to that level. In some of these cases, salaries are increased - in part or in full - prior to an actual promotion.

Greater job responsibilities
If your current compensation is above the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, you may have chosen a job match that incorporates fewer responsibilities than the position you currently hold.

Matching your job to the most appropriate position in the Salary Wizard is crucial in obtaining the correct market salary data. To ensure that you are making an accurate comparison, please review the job description provided by the Salary Wizard and make sure that it closely reflects your own job. (If you don't currently have a job description, you may want to contact your human resource department.) You may also want to look for the job title that has slightly greater responsibilities than the one you've selected in the Salary Wizard - you may find that this job description more closely matches what you do.

Greater-than-expected performance
If your current compensation is above the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be a result of an excellent performance assessment(s).

Simply stated, most companies will compensate employees who are above-average performers with above-average compensation. If your performance has been assessed as excellent or above established performance goals, your salary could be above the salary market data in the Salary Wizard - and you've earned it.

Company's compensation philosophy
If your current compensation is above the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be a result of your particular company's compensation philosophy.

In today's current economic environment where unemployment is low and companies are competing for talented individuals to meet their staffing needs, some companies are paying larger compensation amounts to attract and retain employees. The philosophy is to pay top quartile salary to get and keep top quartile performers. Some companies will outwardly state this, while others will just quietly do it.

Large company
If your current compensation is above the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be a result of the size of company you work for.

The Salary Wizard data represents the typical person in a job. This data is based on incumbents from companies of all sizes. Not all salaries are closely related to the size of the employer, but sometimes it is a consideration. It is most common for the size of the company to influence the pay levels of more senior employees. If you are looking at a management or an executive position, the size of the company is one key measure to determine pay levels. Senior people in large companies, under normal circumstances, often earn more than the salary market data in the Salary Wizard because the scope and responsibilities are greater than his/her typical peer. Middle level positions within a company are also impacted by the size of the company, but to a lesser degree than executives. Clerical and lower level positions are, as a rule, affected only slightly.

High-paying industry
If your current compensation is above the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be a result of the type of company you work for.

The Salary Wizard data represents the typical person in a job. This data is based on incumbents of companies from all industries. Not all salaries are closely related to the industry of the employer, but sometimes it is a consideration. It is most common for the industry of the company to influence the pay of senior employees and those whose skills are less transferable to other industries. If you are looking at a management or an executive position, the industry is very relevant to how much you're paid. For example, executives in the manufacturing industry historically have been paid lower than executives in the financial sector. If your industry is a high paying one, you may expect your pay to be higher than the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, whereas if your industry is a lower paying one, you may expect your pay to be lower than the salary market data in the Salary Wizard. Middle level positions within a company are also impacted by industry, but to a lesser degree than executives. Clerical and lower level positions are, as a rule, affected only slightly.

Hot jobs
If your current compensation is above the salary market data in the Salary Wizard, it may be because your current position is considered a "hot job."

In today's job market, if your are in a job family which is well sought after, companies are willing to place a premium on the value of scarce skill sets relating to these jobs (e.g., IT professionals). As a result, if you currently possess certain scarce skills, your employer may be compensating you at a premium to market salary for the position to keep you from leaving for another offer.

Calculate a Career in Medical Dosimetry by Megan Malugani

 

Precision is the professional credo of medical dosimetrists, a little-known but growing group of healthcare workers who calculate radiation doses and develop complex treatment plans to destroy patients' cancerous tumors.

"We really have to limit our mistakes to none," says Mark Reid, senior dosimetrist at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vermont, and president of the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (AAMD). "The consequences of what we do can have a huge impact on the patient in the long run."

Medical dosimetry is still in its infancy, Reid says, and there are only a few thousand dosimetrists in the US. However, more, earlier cancer diagnoses mean demand is growing for all professionals involved in providing radiation therapy, including dosimetrists.

Delicate Balancing Act

Reid spends his days generating radiation treatment plans via computer and reviewing patient cases with radiation oncologists, oncology nurses, medical physicists and radiation therapists. Once or twice a week, he accompanies patients to CT diagnostic scans, which serve as the basis for his calculations and dose distributions. Because he makes frequent patient contact, Reid says he "can't be just a physics nerd. You need some sensibilities about what is going on with patients. You use a lot of different skills to do your job."

Dosimetrists craft their treatment plans using sophisticated 3-D computers that enable them to give higher doses of radiation to a tumor and lower doses to sensitive structures nearby. One of the job's trickiest aspects is maintaining the delicate balance between delivering the radiation dose prescribed by the oncologist while ensuring healthy organs aren't affected, says Juan Peña, senior medical dosimetrist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Another challenge of the job is accepting that there is no "magic bullet" for curing cancer patients, Peña says. "We sometimes have to acknowledge the limits of the profession," he explains. "Despite our advanced medical technologies, we are limited in what we have available and what we can do."

Body of Knowledge

Like most medical dosimetrists, Peña started his career as a radiation therapist, aka radiation therapy technologist. He was recruited and trained for the dosimetry job by a medical physicist at his facility. Medical dosimetrists who do not start out as radiation therapists may be graduates of one of the handful of one- to two-year dosimetry programs across the country. Another way to enter the profession is by earning a bachelor's degree in physics and completing extensive on-the-job training.

Dosimetrists must be critical thinkers capable of working with mathematical formulas, according to Peña. They must also be willing to learn new technologies. "This field is constantly evolving," he says. "We are always getting new types of treatment modalities."

Dosimetrists must also have knowledge of anatomy, physiology and oncology, Reid says. "You need to know the natural history of tumors -- where and how they spread -- and how that will influence the treatment plan," he explains.

Although the field requires a considerable amount of specialized knowledge, medical dosimetrists do not have to be licensed or certified. However, Congress is currently considering an AAMD-supported bill that would set minimum educational requirements for those in the radiation-therapy professions, including medical dosimetry. In the meantime, many medical dosimetrists voluntarily become certified through the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board.

Strong Outlook

The demand for medical dosimetrists grows every time a new cancer center opens, Reid says, making dosimetry a stable, well-compensated career. Medical dosimetrists earn average annual salaries of $79,500, according to a 2004 AAMD salary survey.

However, the few medical-dosimetry education programs in the US graduate only 12 to 15 students a year, while 78 to 80 new dosimetry positions become available in the country annually, Reid notes. The AAMD is encouraging more universities to offer dosimetry degrees, he explains, but it's a hard sell, because the number of students who enroll is often too small to justify the resources necessary to run a program. "It's a real daunting task to try to increase the number of trained dosimetrists," he says.


Courtesy of Megan Moulgani and Monster.com

Top 25 Careers to Pursue in a Recession

 

If you want to recession-proof your career, the key is to focus on work that continues even when most people don't have disposable income to spend. So while consumers may not hit the mall as often, you can guarantee that people will continue to get sick, pay taxes and use energy. These are just a few of the careers and industries that can be expected to thrive in a down economy.




101 Reasons Freelancers Do It Better The HR World Recruitment Solutions Buyer's Guide 20 Jobs That Are (Much) Better or Worse Than You Thought Fill Job Openings Faster

Health Care: People will always get sick — sometimes even more so when they don't have the insurance or money to take preventative measures or eat healthy food.
Energy: Although consumers are likely to cut back, they're not going to stop using energy. In fact, this industry may grow, as companies look for more efficient ways to deliver using less energy.
Education: No matter how dire the economy is, there are always jobs for teachers. Kids will still go to school, and many out-of-work adults may decide to continue their education.
Utilities: Just like the energy sector, it's safe to assume that people are not going to stop lighting their homes. So utility administration, maintenance and other related jobs should remain intact.
International Business: Even when the economy is doing poorly in the U.S., other countries may be doing well. So if you are involved in international business, you can expect your career to stay safe.
Public Safety: Police layoffs are very rare, especially at a time where public safety is threatened by desperate criminals. A career in public safety is almost guaranteed to be secure.
Funerals: Just like people won't stop getting sick, they'll continue to die as well, so as morbid as it is, morticians will always have customers.
Accounting: Death and taxes are a sure thing. In a recession, people and companies are likely to get desperate for more deductions and a hard look at their books.
Federal Government: Most federal-government jobs end only when workers retire. Additionally, government services tend to step up in times of recession, so your chances of getting and keeping a government job are good.
Pharmaceuticals: As long as doctors prescribe them, people are still going to take drugs. So whether you're behind the pharmacy counter or in the lab, you can rest easy.
Sales: As a general rule, anyone who is a source of income for a company will be safe, so salespeople — especially in recession-proof industries — have little to worry about.
Military: The military is always hiring, especially during wartime. Also, consider that most of your living expenses are covered, so cost-of-living expenses are not really a concern.
Gambling: When times get tough, people seek an outlet. One of those outlets is gambling, especially because it offers a chance to turn financial troubles around.
Alcohol: Alcohol is another outlet for troubled times, so distributors and manufacturers in this industry will continue to thrive.
Politics: Even in a recession, public officials are still around earning tidy sums, which are often tied to the cost of living.
Skilled Services: Hair will always grow, and drains will always clog, so you can expect steady work in skilled services like plumbing and hairstyling.
Debt Management: Recessions mean crunch time for debtors, and they're sure to need some guidance.
Consulting: Recessions are crunch times for companies as well, and they're likely to bring in consultants for advice on efficiency and squeezing the most out of their resources.
Bankruptcy Law: It's sad, but true: As companies and individuals go bankrupt, they'll need a lawyer to help them work through it all.
Government Contracting: Despite money troubles, roads must be maintained and schools must be built. Contract your work out for government functions for job security.
Food: People need food to survive, and it's not likely that anyone is going to just stop eating — no matter how bad the economy gets. Beauty, Health and Erotic Services: Regardless of a recession, people who enjoy being pampered will seldom give up the simple pleasures in life.  Debt Collection: As budgets get squeezed, people will fall behind on payments, and companies will look to debt collectors to recoup their costs.
Ultraluxury Items: If you're in a business that caters to the ultrarich, you can expect to be safe, as this type of consumer is likely to have measures in place to weather the recession.
Multifaceted Careers: If you don't put all of your eggs in one basket, you should be able to ride out a recession by relying on secondary income. So if you juggle a career that involves a regular job, plus other sources like online income, freelancing and investing, numerous failures have to happen before you're really in trouble.

Although today's job market may be bleak, there are some bright spots if you know where to look. While recessions hit some sectors hard, others go on like clockwork — or even experience growth. So whether you're hunting for a job or still feeling ostensibly secure, now is a good time to evaluate your options and consider one of the aforementioned recession-proof careers.


Article Courtesy of hrworld.com

Herbal Tonic Recipe for Prostate Cancer and Prevention Monday, November 26, 2007 by: Leslee Dru Browning

(NaturalNews) Nearly a quarter-million American men each year are diagnosed with prostate cancer and many more are diagnosed with BPH or Prostatitis; an inflammation of the prostate. Prostate Cancer and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) used to be diseases of old age and was usually diagnosed around the age of 80. Today, prostate cancer is now being diagnosed in men as young as 55.

Symptoms of prostate cancer and BPH are similar:

Urinary problems including:

Not being able to urinate. Difficulty in starting urination Having a hard time starting or stopping the urine flow. Needing to urinate often, especially at night. Weak flowof urine Urine flow that starts and stops. Pain or burning during urination.

Blood in the urine or semen.

Frequent pain in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.

Conventional Prostate Cancer Treatment:

Surgery to remove the prostate, surrounding tissue and lymph nodes in the pelvis.

Chemotherapy

Radiation therapy that uses radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer.

Impotence and urinary problems may occur in men treated with radiation therapy.

Hormone therapy used in the treatment of prostate cancer may include the following:

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists can prevent the testicles from producing testosterone.

Antiandrogens can block the action of androgens (hormones that promote male sex characteristics).

Orchiectomy is a surgical procedure to remove one or both testicles, the main source of male hormones, to decrease hormone production.

Science Daily on October 10, 2007 reported the risks of hormone therapy — The use of androgen deprivation therapy to treat localized prostate cancer is associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease, according to a study published online October 9 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The use of androgen deprivation therapy can also lead to the development of metabolic syndrome, which increases both the risk of type II diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Alternative Prostate Cancer Treatment:

The October issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention suggests that prostate cancer may respond quickly and markedly to significant changes in weight and diet. The report found that dramatically cutting back on dietary fats and carbohydrates actually alters the levels of genes in prostate tissues that can potentially regulate cancer growth.

Strikingly, the changes occurred after four of the men spent just six weeks on a low-fat, low-carb diet, said Dr. Daniel Lin, assistant professor of urology at the University of Washington and the paper's lead author.

I recommend tomatoes and tomato products to help protect against prostate cancer along with fresh organic fruit and vegetables. Brown rice. Vitamin A, D, E and Selenium. Omit dairy products and fatty meats. Add a good herbal tonic to your daily health regime that supports the blood, the kidneys, the immune system, that has anti-inflammatory properties and that balances hormone levels.

Browning’s Male Supreme tonic is an excellent herbal formula for prostate health, for prostate cancer, high PSA levels and BPH. If you are unable to make your own tonic purchase a tonic with similar ingredients.

About the herbs in the Male Supreme tonic:

Astragalus: Research shows it stimulates the immune system in many ways. It increases the number of stem cells in bone marrow and lymph tissue and encourages their development into active immune cells. It appears to help trigger immune cells from a resting state into heightened activity. It also enhances the body's production of immunoglobulin and stimulates macrophages. Astragalus can help activate T-cells and natural killer (NK) cells. In other studies, polysaccharides were shown to potentiate the immune-mediated antitumor activity of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and the activity of monocytes, improve the responses of lymphocytes from normal subjects and cancer patients.

BloodrootShowing results as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic, antioxidant, anti-periodontic, anti-plaque, antiseptic, fungicide, and more. Showing promise in fighting cancers

Burdock Root: Burdock root is rich in vitamins, B-complex, E and P. It also contains, in high amounts, chromium, cobalt, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, zinc, sodium and potassium. In animal experiments, burdock root extracts have been shown to destroy bacteria and fungus cultures, as well as showing strong anti-tumor activity.

Chaparral: Tumor inhibitor. Antibacterial, antiviral, anti-cancer.

Devil’s Claw: An excellent anti-inflammatory. It is also a deep tissue cleanser and healer.

Hydrangea Root: Its primary chemical constituents include glycosides, saponins, resins, rutin, essential oils, and flavonoids. It contains no tannins and is well recognized in the treatment of inflamed or enlarged prostate glands.

Isatis: This herb has the compound indirubin that possesses strong antitumor activity. (can be purchased from 1st Chinese Herbs)

Licorice Root: Anti-inflammatory, anti-hepatotoxic, anti-spasmodic, rejuvenative, sedative, tonic. Phytoestrogens. Antibody production is enhanced by glycyrrhizin, possibly through the production of interleukin.

Pau d’ Arco: For problems like cancer, colitis, cystitis, fungus and prostatitis.

Pygeum: The phytosterols, including beta-sitosterol, have anti-inflammatory effects by interfering with the formation of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins that tend to accumulate in the prostate of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The ferulic esters reduce levels of the hormone prolactin and also block cholesterol in the prostate.

Red Clover: Clinical evidence shows that there is a basis for its long standing tradition in treating any type of cancer and studies looking at the extracts' specific effectiveness against prostate enlargement and prostate cancer have now begun. Phytoestrogens.

Saw Palmetto: The saw palmetto extract prevents testosterone from converting to dihydrotestosterone. It also inhibits DHT from binding to cellular receptor sites and so increases DHT's breakdown and excretion. In several double blind studies Saw Palmetto extract was an effective treatment for BPH. It was found to be superior to finasteride (Proscar). Most patients reported obtaining some relief of symptoms within the first 30 days of the treatment with the Saw Palmetto extract.

Suma: Normalizing influence on your body and can help regulate and enhance your endocrine, nervous, digestive, cardiovascular and immune system. Nutritionally it contains essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids and trace elements plus high amounts of the trace element germanium, which is a powerful immune stimulator. The germanium in Suma may be partly responsible for Suma's powerful ability to bring more oxygen to the cells. The overall effect is to give you an increased resistance to stress while having a cell-building and regenerating effect. Suma is also beneficial for treating cardiovascular disease, depression, chronic fatigue and inflammatory conditions.

Turmeric: In recent studies show promising results on the use of turmeric to treat cancer. Curcumin found in turmeric possesses liver protective activity, detoxifying dangerous carcinogens, stimulating the gall-bladder and acting as a free-radical scavenger.

The dried herbal ingredient amounts you will need make Browning’s Male Supreme:

(Whole herbs are easier to strain than powdered herbs – you can use either)



2 oz. Astragalus Root (A. membranaceus)

1 oz. Bloodroot (sanguinaria canadensis)

2 oz. Burdock Root (arctium lappa)

2 oz. Chaparral (larrea tridentate)

3 oz. Devil’s Claw Bark (oplopanax horridus)

2 oz. Hydrangea Root (hydrangea arborescens)

3 oz. Isatis Root (iatidis tinctoria)

3 oz Licorice Root (glycyrrhiza glabra)

2 oz. Pau d’ Arco (tabebuia impetiginosa)

5 oz. Pygeum Bark (pygeum Africana)

2 oz. Red Clover (trifolium pretense)

5 oz. Saw Palmetto Berry (serenoa repens)

2 oz. Suma (pfaffia paniculata)

1 oz. Turmeric (curcuma longa)

What cooking tools and other ingredients you will need:

2 stainless steel or glass 20 quart or larger pots with lids. One pot for cooking and one pot for straining liquid into after cooking.

A large strainer.

A candy or water thermometer.

Cheesecloth.

4 gallons of distilled water

32 oz of vegetable glycerin

32 oz of black strap molasses

Citric acid

For bottling you can use regular canning jars. If using pint jars you will need about 24 – 28 jars. If using quart jars you will need about 14 jars. This is a large recipe that will provide one year worth of tonics for the cancer patient, or, if using for a preventative go together with friends or family and share it. You can cut recipe in ½ for a smaller batch.

In pot add:



In 1 pot add astragalus root, bloodroot, burdock root, chaparral, devil’s claw, hydrangea root, isatis, licorice root, pau d’ arco, pygeum, saw palmetto, suma, turmeric and cover with 4 gallons of distilled water. Stir. Cover pot with lid and simmer for about 6 hours.

After simmering for 6 or more hours turn heat to warm/low heat and add the red clover to the above pot and turn heat down to warm to steep (not boil) the herbs like you would a cup of tea. Steep overnight.

The next morning/day strain the liquid from the herbs by laying a couple of layers of cheesecloth over your strainer. Strain liquid into a clean container then heat herbal liquid and bring to a boil for 15 minutes to kill any bacteria.

Compost the strained herbs in your garden.

Then add:

32 oz of vegetable glycerin, 32 oz black strap molasses 4 tablespoons of citric acid

Stir and let the mixture mingle for 15 minutes or so. When ready to bottle use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of the liquid. You want the temperature at 190* to prevent any bacteria to grow in the tonics. Maintain this heat temperature throughout bottling.

While waiting for your liquid to reach the accurate bottling temperature prepare your canning jars. Sterilize jars and lids.

Once your bottles are sterilized and your herbal liquid is at the right temperature add the tonic liquid to the hot jars. Fill to ½” from top of jar and cap. Let cool overnight. Check to make sure all the jars sealed properly the store them. Tonics can be stored for 1 year.

Once you open a jar of tonic for use you must Refrigerate it. The tonic will last for 2 months in the refrigerator once it has been opened. Sediment in the bottom of the jars is normal. Give the jar a little shake or stir to mix the sediment before taking.

How much to take:

Adult Folklore Dosage: 1 Tablespoon 1 time a day for preventative health. 1 Tablespoon 2 times a day for BHP or Prostatitis. 2 Tablespoon 2 times a day for prostate cancer. Refrigerate after opening.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing

Resource:

Science Daily>http://www.sciencedaily.com:80/releases...




About the author Leslee Dru Browning is a 6th generation Medical Herbalist & Nutritionist from the ancestral line of Patty Bartlett Sessions; Pioneer Mid-Wife & Herbalist. Leslee practiced Medical Herbalism and Nutritional Healing for over 25 years and specialized in Cancer Wellness along with Chronic Illness. She now devotes her career to teaching people, through her writing, about Natural Healing from An Herbal Perspective.

7 tips for job hunting in a tougher market Landing a new position in the months ahead will likely take some extra effort and flexibility. Fortune's Anne Fisher has advice to help you get the job you want. By Anne Fisher Fortune senior writer  

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- With the U.S. economy apparently getting ready to take one of its cyclical snoozes, employers are more hesitant to take on new hires than they were even just three or four months ago - and the recent uptick in unemployment means more competition for each opening. That doesn't mean you need to give up on the idea of looking for a new job. In fact, if your company is going through a merger or seems likely to announce layoffs, your best bet may be to start your job search right away.

What's different about job hunting during a slowdown? Sure, the fundamentals - a resume that highlights your achievements and is easy to read, customized cover letters that succinctly tell why you're the best candidate for a particular job, and diligent follow-up (including prompt and impeccable thank-you notes) - never change.

But when the market's tough, you have to work harder at job hunting and be more flexible, say Annie Stevens and Greg Gostanian, managing partners at Boston-based executive coaching firm ClearRock (www.clearrock.com). They've come up with seven tips to help you get the job you want.

1. Request more face-to-face meetings. During boom times, it might be okay to rely on phone conversations and e-mails with networking contacts and recruiters. But right now, "people need to have more in-person meetings, in order to gather more information and make a better impression," says Stevens.

2. Step up your job-search activity. "The sheer numbers of letters and phone calls also need to increase," says Greg Gostanian. "Plan on making up to 40 phone calls a week, and sending out between 15 and 20 letters to prospective employers, recruiters, and others. It's important to keep quality in mind when developing these contacts, but there's no question that part of this process is a numbers game. In a slower economy, you need to better your odds by making more contacts."

3. Try to be as flexible as you can. With so much uncertainty in the air, employers may not be jumping to offer you a full-time job at the salary you have in mind. Instead, they might propose contract or project work, bringing you on-board part time, or hiring you full time at less than what you were hoping to earn. If you can possibly afford to, at least for a few months, accept what they're offering, especially if it's at a company where you see growth and the potential for bigger opportunities later. Once you have a foot in the door, says Stevens, "show what you can do, and how you can help them achieve their goals."

4. Consider relocating. Job candidates who are willing to move are in even shorter supply than usual these days - partly because tumbling real estate values in many places mean that relocating involves selling a current residence at a bargain-basement price (in some cases, for less than is owed on it). But being open to the idea of moving improves your chances for success, Gostanian notes. "When you expand the geography where you're willing to live, you have a bigger playing field with more opportunities," he says.

5. Scour the hidden job market. "In good times, only about 20% of available positions are ever advertised or posted. In a slower economy, even fewer jobs than that are publicly announced in any way, because employers don't want to be inundated with resumes," Stevens says. So dig deeper into uncovering unadvertised openings through networking, and by contacting potential employers directly. Whenever possible, register on companies' web sites to receive e-mail updates about new openings that fit your experience and skills.

6. Spend very little of your time on Internet job boards and help-wanted ads. It's fine to keep an eye on the job boards and post your resume on job sites, especially niche sites that specialize in your industry or your area of expertise. But don't fritter away too many hours online. "Fewer job openings mean more people are chasing the same advertised and posted positions," notes Gostanian.

7. Take advantage of social networking sites. If you aren't already using web sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Friendster, and MySpace to re-connect with old acquaintances and make new ones, this would be a good time to start.

As the name "social networking" implies, these sites aren't designed primarily to help people develop professional contacts (except for LinkedIn, which is the most business-oriented of the bunch) - but, hey, you never know. Besides, the sites can be fun. Between working harder at your current job and trying to figure out where to go next, you could probably use a little fun, couldn't you?

Have you ever landed your dream job during a downturn? How did you do it? What tricks do you have for finding a job when the market's tougher?


Courtesy of money.cnn.com and Anne Fisher

  Common sense tips for keeping your job when layoffs loom by Tracy Coenen May 20th 2008 @ 4:00PM

Filed under: Career

Layoffs and cutbacks at work are a reality for everyone lately. Gone are the days when you would work 30 or 40 years for one company and then retire. Neither companies nor employees have the same loyalty that they used to. (And I'm not complaining about it. I say that this has created a lot of opportunities for good employees to try new things and move up if they're capable.)

Human resource managers offer up some fairly common sense tips for being more likely to keep your job when layoffs creep up at your company:

Don't be the loner who doesn't get along well with others
Don't come in late or shirk your responsibilities
Make sure that you're really earning your paycheck, especially if you're one of the higher-paid people
If you're in a leadership role, make sure you've developed good relationships with your colleagues and subordinates
Make sure your boss knows what you're accomplishing and that you're adding value

I don't think any of these are shockers for most people Companies are looking for the most value from their employees, as well as those who are most flexible and can work with many different people. Job cuts aren't always fair, but following these tips can definitely increase your chances of keeping your job.

And if you're a valuable employee and you still get laid off? Consider this your opportunity to find an even better position that highlights your skills and abilities.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.  

Article courtesy of WalletPop.com and Tracy L Coenen.

What is Radiation Therapy?

The essence of radiation therapy is killing off cancerous cells in the body without causing harm to normal healthy tissue. The way this is done is through what is referred to as a radiation treatment plan.

 

Basically, once its established that a patient has cancer a CT is taken of the region where cancerous cells were found in biopsy. This scan is then given to a professional referred to as a dosimetrist who in conjunction with the radiation oncologist designs the treatment plan. The plan is based on the cancers shape, cell type and surrounding tissue. Based on how much dose and what volume we would like to cover, we give a set dose per day and the number of days we would like to treat the patient. The plan is then reviewed and given to a radiation therapist who executes the plan daily by delivering the planned dose and all of the parameters with accuracy and precision.

Strong Percentage of New Cancer Treatments Prove Beneficial


Allison Gandey --> Information from Industry Prostate Cancer Treatment –
Learn more about your patients' risk of prostate cancer recurrence.


March 31, 2008 — Between 25% and 50% of new cancer therapies succeed when tested in clinical trials, a new study shows. In the March 24 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers report that Americans are receiving a good return on investment in publicly funded trials.

"The success rate in terms of statistical significance of the trials is 25%," lead author Benjamin Djulbegovic, MD, from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, in Tampa, Florida, told Medscape Oncology. "But when we look at the numbers from a risk-benefit perspective, the rate is even better, at 41%." He said the success rate jumps to 50% when measured in terms of reducing death.

Cancer is the only disease for which the National Institutes of Health has consistently funded a cooperative clinical-trial infrastructure. But despite this investment, little has been known until now about the proportion of clinical trials that have led to the discovery of successful new treatments.

"It is a deceptively simple question," Dr. Djulbegovic said. "And how we go about answering it is complex. For this reason, there have been few answers."

The investigators point to a variety of ethical, public policy, and scientific issues pertaining to the success of new treatments in randomized controlled trials.

Success Rate Promotes Clinical-Trial System

Dr. Djulbegovic emphasized to Medscape Oncology that there is a tricky, almost counterintuitive, balance between having a high number of successful clinical trials and promoting participation among patients.

"A key ethical precept is that a randomized controlled trial should be done only if the physicians and the patients are uncertain about the relative effects of the new and standard treatments being compared," write the researchers.

On one hand, they note, a continuing increase in scientific discoveries will be possible only if the drive, enthusiasm, and knowledge of the researchers who invest in lengthy, time-consuming, and expensive experiments, such as clinical trials, are maintained. This means that those researchers probably need to have some belief in the likely success of the new treatments they assess.

"But it is clear that new discoveries cannot be made without the willingness of patients to enroll in clinical trials," he said. And patients want to know that they have a reasonable chance of enjoying therapeutic benefit by enrolling in the trial.

If the odds are too heavy in one direction or the other, patients might be reluctant to enroll in the trial. They might fear the numbers are stacked against them.

Dr. Djulbegovic said the treatment success rate they saw — ranging from 25% to 50% — seems to be optimal for most people to accept and support the clinical-trial system.

Largest Survival Seen in Gastrointestinal and Hematologic Malignancies

Dr. Djulbegovic and his team extracted data from all completed — published and unpublished — phase 3 randomized controlled trials conducted by the National Cancer Institute cooperative groups since their inception in 1955.

They determined therapeutic successes by:

assessing the proportion of statistically significant trials favoring new or standard treatments; determining the proportion of the trials in which new treatments were considered superior to standard treatments according to the original researchers; and quantitatively synthesizing data for main clinical outcomes — overall and event-free survival.
The researchers analyzed data from 624 trials involving 216,451 patients. Sensitivity analysis according to the type of treatment and disease indicated that some areas were more successful than others. Breakthrough interventions were discovered in 15% of trials.

The researchers found that the use of experimental curative and adjuvant therapies were, on average, associated with the largest survival benefits. Similarly, the largest survival improvements were seen in gastrointestinal and hematologic malignant neoplasms.

"However," the researchers write, "a number of other significant advances, which did not necessarily improve survival, were captured by our second measurement method." Lumpectomy instead of mastectomy, for example, resulted in dramatic improvement in the quality of life of women with breast cancer.

"This pattern of successes has become more consistent over time," write the investigators. "However, our results also indicate that the absolute number of discoveries might be improved if the proportion of inconclusive trials is reduced."

The study was supported by the research program on research integrity from the Office of Research Integrity and National Institutes of Health. Senior author Charles Bennett, MD, PhD, MPP, from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Center for Management of Complex Chronic Conditions, in Chicago, Illinois, received consulting fees and grant support from Sanofi-Aventis and AMGEN. Coauthor Gerold Bepler, MD, PhD, from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, received consulting fees and grant support from Sanofi-Aventis and Eli Lilly.

Arch Intern Med. 2008; 168:632-642. Abstract

 

Article Courtesy of Medscape.

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