Cancer gives no signs or symptoms that exclusively explain the nature of disease. But however, if you have any of the symptoms mentioned below, you should consult your doctor/cancer specialist as soon as possible.
Here are some symptoms of common cancer:
*Continual Cough or blood tinged saliva- These could be symptoms of cancer in the head, lung (bronchitis) or neck. Even a general cough can become a symptom of cancer if it lasts for more than a month. If that is the case, you should consult your doctor immediately.
* Changes in bowel habits- If you observe changes in your bowel movement or feel abnormality even after you have had a bowel movement should see a doctor.
* Blood in stools- A doctor must always investigate the blood in the stools. These can be observed through X-rays. But sometimes, when the source is known, these steps may not be necessary.
*Unexplained anemia- Anemia is a condition when the actual number of RBCs (Red Blood Cells) is lower than the desired number. Your doctor must investigate anemia also.
Anemia can be caused my many cancers, but the bowel cancer can cause iron deficiency. Your upper and lower intestinal tracts should be either evaluated by endoscopy or x-rays.
* Breast discharge or breast lump-All breast lumps need to be investigated thoroughly. A negative mammogram isn't sufficient to evaluate breast lumps. Generally, diagnosis requires biopsy or needle aspiration. Most of these forms of discharges and lumps may be causes of cancer, so if there is blood discharge from only one nipple, then it must be evaluated as soon as possible.
* Testicle lumps- Most of the men having cancer have uncomfortable or painless lump in their testicles. Some may even have enlarged testicles. The lumps and other conditions like swollen and infectious veins need to be continuously evaluated.
Cancer is caused by several ways. Sometimes, doctors have to battle the disease using several methods at once, and sometimes they use one method step wise of sequentially.
Cancer can be treated by a number of ways, thanks to improvement and success of modern treatments. There are basically four method of treatment of cancer. Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy and biological therapy. In some cases, clinical trials may prove effective but everything depends on the type of cancer the person suffers from. There are other ways of treatment also which are not approved by the FDA and which are often given in countries other than USA.
When initially you’re diagnosed with cancer, the specialist/doctor will explain you how he will go with the treatment processes. But before that, he may also give you the treatment options. Generally a good doctor always gives you the best treatment which is based on the type of cancer you’re suffering from. Along with the treatment options, he or she will also give you details on how far its spread and the treatment duration etc.
But everything depends on your decision which usually depends on doctor’s opinion, alternative methods, information, treatment process and details gathered from specialists.
The actual goal of the treatment process is the complete removal of cancer without any adverse or side effects to the body. But the effect is often limited in the case of radiation therapy or by surgery due to toxicity of other tissues in the system. In fact, radiation can often lead to damage of normal tissues. Till date, there hasn’t been any 100 % effective cure for cancer, as cancer is a class of diseases. Radiation therapy is used to destroy cancer cells with X-rays or particles from radioactive elements such as cobalt 60.
Cause and Treatment for Cancer
Cancer basic
Cancer is a disease of the body cells in which their functioning and reproduction is uncontrolled. When a cell turns cancerous or malignant, it will not work properly, and it divides rapidly to produce more cells. A collection of cancerous cells is called a tumor. These cells are able to break away and are carried in the blood to other parts of the body, where they continue to grow.
Cancer can affect people of all ages, including fetuses, but the amount of risk increases with age. Cancer causes about 14% of the deaths all over the world. According a survey held in USA, 2.3 million people died of cancer in USA in 2007. Cancer can also affect all animals.
Usually, cells are replaced as they become old and inefficient. The development of these new cells is controlled so that the new cells are identical to the old ones. In cancer, so many abnormal cells are produced that they interfere with normal body functions and if untreated may cause very severe illness or death. The causes are not clear, but chemicals such as tar from cigarettes and many other substances are known to change normal cells into cancer cells. Cancer can be treated by surgery, or by very powerful DRUGS, or by radiation which damages the affected cells. Though people still die from cancer, many are surviving due to the improvement and success of modern treatments.
Some of the terms related to cancer are:
Carcinogen- A cancer causing substance. It attacks normal cells, and may eventually cause some of them to turn cancerous i.e. uncontrolled growth of cells.
Carcinoma- Cancer that starts to grow in tissue that forms the skin and lining of inner organs.
Sarcoma- Cancer that starts to grow in the tissue that forms the body’s supporting structures, such as the bones and the cartilage.
Cancer Vs Vegetarian
You might have a general idea that eating a vegetarian diet is healthy for you. But do you really know how much lower the incidence of certain forms of cancer among vegetarians?
Vegetarian diets - "naturally low in saturated fats, high in fiber and packed with cancer-protective phytochemicals� �" contribute to the prevention of cancer. Large studies in England and Germany have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less chance of developing cancer compared with carnivores. In the U.S., studies of the Seventh-Day Adventists, who are largely lacto-ovo vegetarians, have shown significant reduction in the risk of cancer in those who avoided meat. Also breast cancer rates are dramatically lower in countries such as China, which relies on a vegetable diet. Interestingly, Japanese women who follow Western-style meat-based diets are eight times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who have a more traditional plant-based diet. Meat and dairy products contribute to many forms of cancer, including cancer of the colon, breast, ovaries and prostate.
Harvard studies that included tens of thousands of women and men have shown that regular consumption of meat increases the risk of colon cancer approximately 300 percent. Vetrijke food to the body's production of oestrogen. Increased levels of this sex hormone have been associated with breast cancer. A recent report noted that the rate of breast cancer in premenopausal women who ate the most animal (but not vegetable) fat was a third higher than that of women who ate the least animal fat. A separate study by the University of Cambridge also linked diets high in saturated fat to breast cancer. A study linked dairy products to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. The process of degradation of lactose (milk sugar) apparently damages the ovaries. Daily consumption of meat triples the risk of prostate enlargement. Regular consumption of milk doubles the risk and not to consume vegetables regularly nearly four the risk.
Vegetarians avoid the animal fat linked to cancer and get abundant fiber, vitamins and phytochemicals that contribute to the prevention of cancer. In addition, blood analysis of vegetarians indicates a higher level of "atural killer cells", specialized white blood cells that attack cancer cells.
Cancer
Cancer (medicine) is not just a disease, but each one of more than 100 diseases characterized by excessive, includes a large group of diseases, all of which are characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells, which penetrate and destroy other tissues. Cancer is not a contagious disease, but it is one of the cells of the fight against the body itself. In cancers, normal cells are transformed into malignant cells' "that grow, reproduce and spread in an abnormal, uncontrolled fashion. If the spread is not controlled, cancer can lead to death.
Despite the fact that there are several hundred different types of cancer, producing very different symptoms, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has the following symptoms as possible warning signs of cancer:
(1) changes in the size, color or shape of a wart or a mole;
(2) a wound that does not heal;
(3) persistent coughing, hoarseness, sore throat;
(4) a lump or thickening in the breast or elsewhere;
(5) unusual bleeding or discharge;
(6) chronic indigestion or difficulty in swallowing;
(7) any change in bowel or bladder habits.
Cancer usually occurs gradually over many years, the results of a complex mix of environmental, nutritional, behavioural and hereditary factors. In addition, the researcher also noted that there are four hypotheses about the causes of cancer are
(1) a relationship of stress, tension and negative emotions such as hopelessness, self-effacement, and fear;
(2) an environmental theory, which relate to the relationship between cancer, chemicals, poison, and the like;
(3) a virus theory which states that a virus takes over the functioning of a normal cell and leads to changes in the surrounding cells, and (4) a genetic theory that holds that there oncogenes in organisms which, if activated, such as by environmental events, may lead to specific forms of cancer.
There are three possible causes of spontaneous regression in cancer patients also good health, the influence of hormones, and the action of immune organs. There is no evidence of a relationship between stress and the disruption of the immune system that may precede cancer. But because stress does not affect the immune system, the immune system may in turn affect the growth of tumors. This event caused by the stressful events influence existing tumors through central and peripheral neurotransmitter activity and the secretion of hormones.
In the course of the stress response, the hormone cortisol is released and consumed fat and protein to ensure that the body has sufficient energy for the fight against threats. Immuno-suppression happens, because if cortisol move proteins in energy, there is no longer enough protein for the manufacture of new cells. White blood cells drop dramatically during chronic stress, weakening of the immune system. In this way, stressful life events may affect other disorders. So, stressors may affect the development of psychiatric disorders, which in turn may affect the immune system, perhaps promoting the development of cancer.
The laboratory investigation has confirmed that experimentally induced tumors in animals can be affected by specific environmental and behavioural variables. It is now possible to some extent to predict how an already existing tumor will respond to stress. Stressors may affect viral tumors grow faster. The cancer patients who often anger, fear, hopelessness, depression and feelings of powerlessness, sorrow, guilt and self-blame, the cancer. They may suffer from a feeling of loss of welfare and strength, and reduced self-efficacy and control and face treatments.
Hans Eysenck (1991) has concluded that the combination or interaction of cigarette smoking and stressors, it is especially important in the development of cancer. Psychological effects of cancer can be alleviated by the use of Stress Management Methods. Patients who are trained in techniques for relaxation and pictures have significantly decreased the tension, anger, depression and self-reported nausea, and physiological arousal. Leisure and images are often effective techniques in decreasing stress reactions, psychological effects, and psychological reactions in patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatment of cancer.
The treatment of cancer in many different forms, and it is always tailored to the individual patient. The decision on what type of treatment is best suited depends on the nature and location of cancer, the extent to which it has already spread across the patient's age, gender, general health status and treatment of personal preferences. Forms of medical treatment of cancer through includes surgery, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These treatments are aimed at reducing or eradicating the disease. In addition, there are nonmedical treatments are available, the person taking � � �attitude and imagery. A positive attitude towards life is thought by some to be correlated with positive results of the treatment of cancer
Applications in Cancer Treatment
A cure for cancer exists through the use of yoga, San Antonio, Texas, cancer specialist said during a seminar in Oklahoma City in the years 1980.
But doctors refused to admit that they heal, said Col. Hansa Raval, MD, a pathologist with the United States army. Dr. Raval said her work in cytotechnology _ a diagnostic branch of medicine, designed to identify early stages of cancer _ was fruitless until she began research into the use of non-conventional methods of treatment.
The specialist said she witnessed the use of Raja yoga and meditation to cure crippling arthritis, headaches and even cancer.
And although
Raval offers proof that she said was collected during two years of study at the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University in India, having been dismissed by other members of the medical profession as a boil.
Yoga for the success as a treatment method is due to another hypothesis Raval suggests that 98 percent of all cancer is psychosomatic.
This is no singing or reciting mantras, the doctor said. It is not based on the writings. It is not a cult. It is not biofeedback. It is deeper than that. This is a full-proof method of meditation, a detailed understanding of what the soul is.
Raval says that the medical training trivialised the study of non-conventional methods of cancer treatment in favor of the conventional methods such as radiation, chemotherapy, and treatment through machines. "
Medical schools teach students that man is just a body. But the spirit is the power to heal the body. By definition, psychosomatic: a combination of spirit or soul and body.
The soul creates the disease, but the body suffers. If the psyche created the disease, the only way to heal is through the psyche. It is a very simple formula: treating the seed of the problem.
Further studies parapsychology any point on the treatment of the disease by the treatment of the soul.
The World Spiritual University, which has offices in 30 countries, teaches peace and perfection for health and happiness through the use of Raja yoga. The university was given the status as a non-governmental member of the United Nations and has offices in the UN building in New York.
Raja yoga teaches students to search their souls for answers to the world where they came from and why the cancer that their bodies. They learn what role religion, stress, family and lifestyle play in cancer.
How to keep the normal weight preventing cancer
At present, more and more persons pay attention to one's own health problems,in all diseases, cancer has a high mortality and takes difficult cure rate, It is the question that more than more people care about How do we prevent suffering from cancer and living a healthy and happy life, And if your body becomes to fat or thin may increase the emergence of many kinds of cancers. During all one's life keep health may be one of the most important methods to prevent cancer and other chronic diseases.
Keep the normal weight by setting up and insisting on a health diet way to prevent surfing from cancer is beneficial to everyone who want to know how keep your health. I have summed up eight and given protection against cancer to propose as follows, and hopes you can benefit from this:
1. Keep your figure Thin as much as possible within the range of normal weight
2.Take sports every day as a part of daily life
3.Don’t eat high-energy food and sugary drinks
4. In your Part of the daily life, take more food of the plant
5. Restrain red meat and avoid eating process meat products
6. Drink few beverages containing alcohol
7. Eat little salt; avoid eating the stale cereal or beans
Breast Cancer - Prognosis
A prognosis is the medical team's "best guess" in how cancer will affect a patient. There are many prognostic factors associated with breast cancer: staging, tumour size and location, grade, whether disease is systemic (has metastasized, or traveled to other parts of the body), recurrence of the disease, and age of patient.
Stage is the most important, as it takes into consideration size, local involvement, lymph node status and whether metastatic disease is present. The higher the stage at diagnosis, the worse the prognosis. Larger tumours, invasiveness of disease to lymph nodes, chest wall, skin or beyond, and aggressiveness of the cancer cells raise the stage, while smaller tumours, cancer-free zones, and close to normal cell behaviour (grading) lower it.
Grading is based on how cultured biopsied cells behave. The closer to normal cancer cells are, the slower their growth and a better prognosis. If cells are not well differentiated, they appear immature, divide more rapidly, and tend to spread. Well differentiated is given a grade of 1, moderate is grade 2, while poor or undifferentiated is given a higher grade of 3 or 4 (depending upon the scale used).
Younger women tend to have a poorer prognosis than post-menopausal women due to several factors. Their breasts are active with their cycles, they may be nursing infants, and may be unaware of changes in their breasts. Therefore, younger women are usually at a more advanced stage when diagnosed.
The presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the cancer cell, while not prognostic, is important in guiding treatment. Those who do not test positive for these specific receptors will not respond to hormone therapy.
Likewise, HER2/neu status directs the course of treatment. Patients whose cancer cells are positive for HER2/neu have more aggressive disease and may be treated with trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets this protein.
Psychological aspects of diagnosis and treatment
The emotional impact of cancer diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and related issues can be severe. Most larger hospitals are associated with cancer support groups which can help patients cope with the many issues that come up in a supportive environment with other people with experience with similar issues. Online cancer support groups are also very beneficial to cancer patients, especially in dealing with uncertainty and body-image problems inherent in cancer treatment.
Not all breast cancer patients experience their illness in the same manner. Factors such as age can have a significant impact on the way a patient copes with a breast cancer diagnosis. For example, a recent study conducted by researchers at the College of Public Health of the University of Georgia showed that older women may face a more difficult recovery from breast cancer than their younger counterparts. As the incidence of breast cancer in women over 50 rises and survival rates increase, breast cancer is increasingly becoming a geriatric issue that warrants both further research and the expansion of specialized cancer support services tailored for specific age groups.
Racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment
Several studies have found that black women in the U.S. are more likely to die from breast cancer even though white women are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Even after diagnosis, black women are less likely to get treatment compared to white women. Scholars have advanced several theories for the disparities, including inadequate access to screening, reduced availability of the most advanced surgical and medical techniques, or some biological characteristic of the disease in the African American population. Some studies suggest that the racial disparity in breast cancer outcomes may reflect cultural biases more than biological disease differences. Research is currently ongoing to define the contribution of both biological and cultural factors.
Breast Cancer - Treatment
The mainstay of breast cancer treatment is surgery when the tumor is localized, with possible adjuvant hormonal therapy (with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor), chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. At present, the treatment recommendations after surgery (adjuvant therapy) follow a pattern. This pattern is subject to change, as every two years, a worldwide conference takes place in St. Gallen, Switzerland, to discuss the actual results of worldwide multi-center studies. Depending on clinical criteria (age, type of cancer, size, metastasis) patients are roughly divided to high risk and low risk cases, with each risk category following different rules for therapy. Treatment possibilities include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immune therapy.
In planning treatment, doctors can also use PCR tests like Oncotype DX or microarray tests like MammaPrint that predict breast cancer recurrence risk based on gene expression. In February 2007, the MammaPrint test became the first breast cancer predictor to win formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration. This is a new gene test to help predict whether women with early-stage breast cancer will relapse in 5 or 10 years, this could help influence how aggressively the initial tumor is treated.
Lung Cancer - Staging
Staging is the extent of the spread of cancer definition method. Staging is very important, it is because of your recovery and treatment may depend on the profile of your cancer staging. For example, a period of cancer may be the best treatment, while the other would be preferable in the treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Small-cell and non-small cell lung cancer staging system is not the same.
Patients with lung cancer treatment and prognosis (survival may Overview) depends largely on the stage of cancer and cell types. CT, MRI, scans, bone marrow biopsy, mediastinal microscope and hematology checks can be used for cancer staging.
Be sure to let your doctor you can understand the way in which you explain your view, to decide which treatment best suited to your personal medical situation.
Non-small cell lung cancer staging:
Most often used to describe non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the growth and spread of the TNM staging system, also called the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). In the TNM staging, combined with the tumor, nearby lymph nodes and distant organs transfer of information, which used to refer to specific phases of the TNM grouping. Packet staging and the use of digital 0 Roman numerals I to IV to describe.
T representative tumor (in the lungs, as well as the size and extent of the spread of approaching organ), the representative lymph node spread of N, M said metastasis (spread to distant organs).
Non-small cell lung cancer staging T: T classification according to the size of lung cancer in the lungs and the proliferation of location, spread to the extent of approaching organizations.
Tis
- Cancer confined to the airway lining cells pathway. Not spread to the other lung tissue, lung cancer is often called carcinoma in situ.
T1
- Tumors less than 3 cm (slightly less than 11 / 4 inches), did not spread to visceral pleural (lung wrapped with the membrane), and did not affect the main bronchus.
T2
- Cancer one or more of the following characteristics:
- greater than 3 cm
- main bronchial involvement, but from the carina (trachea into place around the main bronchus) more than 2 cm (about 3 / 4 inches).
- Already spread to the visceral pleura
- Cancer partial obstruction of the airway, but did not cause lung or in proper pneumonia
T3
- Cancer one or more of the following characteristics:
- Spread to the chest wall, diaphragm (to be separate from the chest and abdominal respiratory muscle), mediastinal pleura (the gap between the lungs wrapped with the membrane), or layer of pericardial (heart wrapped membrane).
- Side of the main bronchial involvement from the carina (trachea into place around the main bronchus) less than 2 cm (about 3 / 4 inches) but do not include the carina.
- Into the airway has been long enough to cause lung or all in proper pneumonia.
T4
- Cancer one or more of the following characteristics:
- Spread to mediastinal (sternum after the gap in front of the heart), heart, trachea, esophagus (connecting hose pipe and the stomach), spine, or carina (trachea into place around the main bronchus).
- With a lobe, there are two or more independent of tumor nodules
- With malignant pleural effusion (fluid around the lung, cancer cells contain).
Non-small cell lung cancer classification N
N staging of cancer depends on the violation of the lymph nodes near.
N0: cancer has not spread to lymph nodes
N1: the proliferation of lymph node cancer confined to the lungs, hilar lymph nodes (located in bronchial pulmonary enter the local environs). Limited to the lymph node metastasis from lung ipsilateral.
N2: carina cancer has spread to lymph nodes (around tracheal bronchus into position around), or mediastinal lymph node (sternum after heart before the gap). Limited to the lymph nodes involved with ipsilateral lung.
N3: Cancer has spread to the ipsilateral or contralateral supraclavicular lymph node, and (or) from spreading to the contralateral lung hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes.
Table 1: Non-small cell lung cancer group stages
Non-small cell lung cancer staging M
M phases depends on whether the cancer organization or transferred to distant organs.
M0: no distant proliferation.
M1: cancer has spread to one or more distant sites. Other sites include distant lobe, exceeding by more than N staging, and the lymph nodes or other organs, such as the liver, bone or brain.
Non-small cell lung cancer staging groups: Once the T, N and M phases clear, and the combination of these messages (phased organization) would be a clear integrated phases 0, I, II, III or IV period (see table 1). Staging relatively low patient survival prospects good.
Stage small cell lung cancer
Although small cell lung cancer can be as non-small cell lung cancer the same stage, but doctors found that the vast majority of physicians two more simple system in the treatment of a better option. The system will be divided into small-cell lung cancer, "the deadline" and "extensive" period (also called the proliferation of period).
Deadline that the cancer is limited to the lung and lymph nodes only side in the same side of the chest.
If the cancer spread to the other side of the lung, chest or contralateral lymph nodes or distant organs, or is enveloping the pulmonary malignant pleural effusion, called extensive period.
Breast Cancer - Staging
Breast cancer is staged according to the TNM system, updated in the AJCC Staging Manual, now on its sixth edition. Prognosis is closely linked to results of staging, and staging is also used to allocate patients to treatments both in clinical trials and clinical practice. The information for staging is as follows:
TX: Primary tumor cannot be assessed. T0: No evidence of tumor. Tis: Carcinoma in situ, no invasion T1: Tumor is 2 cm or less T2: Tumor is more than 2 cm but not more than 5 cm T3: Tumor is more than 5 cm T4: Tumor of any size growing into the chest wall or skin, or inflammatory breast cancer
NX: Nearby lymph nodes cannot be assessed N0: Cancer has not spread to regional lymph nodes. N1: Cancer has spread to 1 to 3 axillary or one internal mammary lymph node N2: Cancer has spread to 4 to 9 axillary lymph nodes or multiple internal mammary lymph nodes N3: One of the following applies:
Cancer has spread to 10 or more axillary lymph nodes, or Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the clavicle (collar bone), or Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes above the clavicle, or Cancer involves axillary lymph nodes and has enlarged the internal mammary lymph nodes, or Cancer involves 4 or more axillary lymph nodes, and tiny amounts of cancer are found in internal mammary lymph nodes on sentinel lymph node biopsy.
MX: Presence of distant spread (metastasis) cannot be assessed. M0: No distant spread. M1: Spread to distant organs, not including the supraclavicular lymph node, has occurred
Summary of stages:
Stage 0 - Carcinoma in situ
Stage I - Tumor (T) does not involve axillary lymph nodes (N).
Stage IIA – T 2-5 cm, N negative, or T <2 cm and N positive.
Stage IIB – T > 5 cm, N negative, or T 2-5 cm and N positive (< 4 axillary nodes).
Stage IIIA – T > 5 cm, N positive, or T 2-5 cm with 4 or more axillary nodes
Stage IIIB – T has penetrated chest wall or skin, and may have spread to < 10 axillary N
Stage IIIC – T has > 10 axillary N, 1 or more supraclavicular or infraclavicular N, or internal mammary N.
Stage IV – Distant metastasis (M)
Breast lesions are examined for certain markers, notably sex steroid hormone receptors. About two thirds of postmenopausal breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and progesterone receptor positive (PR+).[83] Receptor status modifies the treatment as, for instance, only ER-positive tumors, not ER-negative tumors, are sensitive to hormonal therapy.
The breast cancer is also usually tested for the presence of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, a protein also known as HER2, neu or erbB2. HER2 is a cell-surface protein involved in cell development. In normal cells, HER2 controls aspects of cell growth and division. When activated in cancer cells, HER2 accelerates tumor formation. About 20-30% of breast cancers overexpress HER2. Those patients may be candidates for the drug trastuzumab, both in the postsurgical setting (so-called "adjuvant" therapy), and in the metastatic setting.
Lung Cance - Early symtoms (Must Read)
Implicit gradually lung cancer, and its early symptoms not much, and some people even without detectable, but only occasionally found in the physical examination. Once a significant symptom, often already close to the late, when treatment has been very difficult, and patients with high mortality rates. So for lung cancer, in your its diagnosis and treatment.
Following the early symptoms and signs of early diagnosis of lung cancer have some help:
1. A dry cough, choking over two weeks, and the anti-inflammatory treatment ineffective, or the original nature of chronic cough suddenly change;
2. Bloody sputum and sudden chest pain is just unbearable, and no obvious reasons to explain;
3. Lung auscultation, there are limitations Wheezing audition Diyin, Han and the sound does not change because of coughing;
4. Repeated a place in the lung inflammatory changes;
5. And we can not explain the limitations of the general tracheitis Feiwenli increase or limitations emphysema;
6. Long-term smoker, change cough, sputum and blood.
Lung cancer - Common Sign & Symtoms
Common lung cancer sig and symptoms
Sign
1. Cough
The most common initial symptoms. Due to tumor size, location can be different for the performance of dry cough, cough RUF, with the sound of wheezing cough and cough with metal sound.
2. Expectoration
About 15% since the beginning of expectoration, mostly white sputum. Vascularized tumor rupture, sputum, hemoptysis sustainable, but also for intermittent. 25 ~ 40% of patients with lung cancer hemoptysis.
3. Chest pain
Early to chest discomfort. When tumors involving the chest wall could lead to a sustained, intense chest pain.
4. Wheeze
Some obstruction due to bronchial asthma, making breathing sound.
5. Shortness of breath
Common bronchial spasm, obstruction, pulmonary infection, pulmonary diseases such as pleural effusion or different degrees of shortness of breath.
6. Fever
Because of bronchial obstruction, stasis secretions caused varying degrees of inflammation.
Symptoms
1. Hoarseness
When the tumor can cause violations of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, dumb pronunciation, speaking in a "whisper-like."
2. Facial swelling
Tumor suppression on the inferior vena cava, causing facial swelling, skin Purpurin, dizziness, vertigo, stuffy nose and other symptoms increase when supine. Another upper extremity, neck swelling often occurred.
3. supraclavicular lymph nodes: in the supraclavicular fossa visible enlarged lymph nodes, advanced mass can be formed.
4. Dysphagia
To mediastinal lymph node metastasis of lung cancer, esophageal oppression from eating difficulties.
5. Clubbed fingers, toes and lung Osteoarthropathy
Patients with lung cancer can occur clubbed fingers and toes of. Some patients showed early migration of large joints deep burning sensation.
6. The transfer of lung cancer caused by other symptoms
Transfer to the brain can cause headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and hemiplegia; bone metastasis, such as bone pain caused.
Lung cancer - major factors
Lung cancer mainly on the occurrence of lung cancer smoking, occupational (in close contact with asbestos, radon gas, mustard gas, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons compounds, chlorine ether, chromium, nickel, inorganic arsenic compounds, as well as radiation, etc.), air pollution (the air pollution contains a large number of motor vehicle exhaust, burning waste) factors. There are other factors: dietary vitamin A and other analogues (vitamin A) in the content related to the occurrence of lung cancer, chronic lung diseases (such as chronic bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis), genetic factors.
The incidence of lung cancer is very complex factors. However, the two major factors ca be summarized as below:
First, environmental carcinogens factors.
With industrial development, air pollution has become a major problem, such as nitrosamines, asbestos, chrome, nickel, mustard gas, arsenic, bitumen, oil and other emissions…… spread in the air, the water enters the human body has become an important factor carcinogenic ;
Second, the individual factors to smoking is the most important factor.
Smoking index greater than 400 and obviously the incidence of lung cancer, smoking index for smoke daily count by the number of years of smoking. Some scholars study, smokers than non-smokers of lung cancer 8.8 times the rate. Tobacco-specific carcinogenic substances containing N-nitroso drop smoke pH, it is a Central nitrosamines, after activation, can be carcinogenic substances, carcinogenic mutations performance.
Breast Cancer - Classification
Breast cancers are described along four different classification schemes, or groups, each based on different criteria and serving a different purpose:
Pathology - A pathologist will categorize each tumor based on its histological (microscopic anatomy) appearance and other criteria. The most common pathologic types of breast cancer are invasive ductal carcinoma, malignant cancer in the breast's ducts, and invasive lobular carcinoma, malignant cancer in the breast's lobules.
Grade of tumor - The histological grade of a tumor is determined by a pathologist under a microscope. A well-differentiated (low grade) tumor resembles normal tissue. A poorly differentiated (high grade) tumor is composed of disorganized cells and, therefore, does not look like normal tissue. Moderately differentiated (intermediate grade) tumors are somewhere in between.
Protein & gene expression status - Currently, all breast cancers should be tested for expression, or detectable effect, of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2/neu proteins. These tests are usually done by immunohistochemistry and are presented in a pathologist's report. The profile of expression of a given tumor helps predict its prognosis, or outlook, and helps an oncologist choose the most appropriate treatment. More genes and/or proteins may be tested in the future.
Stage of a tumour - The currently accepted staging scheme for breast cancer is the TNM classification.
There are five tumor classification values (Tis, T1, T2, T3 or T4) which depend on the presence or absence of invasive cancer, the dimensions of the invasive cancer, and the presence or absence of invasion outside of the breast (e.g. to the skin of the breast, to the muscle or to the rib cage underneath):
Tx - Primary tumor cannot be assessed.
T0 - No evidence of primary tumor.
Tis - Carcinoma in situ.
Tis(DCIS) - Intracuctal Carcinoma in situ.
Tis(LCIS) - Lobular Carcinoma in situ.
Tis(Paget's) - Paget's disease of the nipple with no tumor.
T1 - Tumor 2cm or less in its greatest dimension.
T1mic - Microinvasion 0.1cm or less in greatest dimension.
T1a - Tumor more then 0.1cm but not more than 0.5cm in its greatest dimension.
T1b - Tumor more than 0.5cm but not more than 1.0cm in its greatest dimension.
T1c - Tumor more than 1.0cm but not more than 2.0cm in its greatest dimension.
T2 - Tumor more than 2.0cm but not more than 5.0cm in its greatest dimension.
T3 - Tumor more than 5cm in its greatest dimension.
T4 - Tumor of any size with direct extension to (a) chest wall or (b) skin as described below:
T4a - Extension to chest wall.
T4b - Edema (including peau d'orange) or ulceration of the breast skin, or satellite skin nodules confined to the same breast.
T4c - Both T4a and T4b.
T4d - Inflammatory breast cancer.
Lymph Node - There are four lymph node classification values (N0, N1, N2 or N3) which depend on the number, size and location of breast cancer cell deposits in lymph nodes.
Nx - regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed. Perhaps due to previous removal.
N0 - no regional lymph node metastasis.
N1 - metastasis to movable regional axillary lymph nodes on the same side as the effected breast.
N2 - metastasis to fixed regional axillary lymph nodes, or metastasis to the internal mammary lymph nodes, on the same side as the effected breast.
N3 - metastasis to supraclavicular lymph nodes or infraclavicular lymph nodes or metastasis to the internal mammary lymph nodes with metastasis to the axillary lymph nodes.
Metastases - There are two metastatic classification values (M0 or M1) which depend on the presence or absence of breast cancer cells in locations other than the breast and lymph nodes (so-called distant metastases, e.g. to bone, brain, lung).
Originally from Wikipedia.org
Breast Cancer - Introduction
Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the breast.
Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer (10.4% of all cancer incidence, both sexes counted) and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. Worldwide, breast cancer is by far the most common cancer amongst women, with an incidence rate more than twice that of colorectal cancer and cervical cancer and about three times that of lung cancer. However breast cancer mortality worldwide is just 25% greater than that of lung cancer in women. In 2005, breast cancer caused 502,000 deaths worldwide (7% of cancer deaths; almost 1% of all deaths).The number of cases worldwide has significantly increased since the 1970s, a phenomenon partly blamed on modern lifestyles in the Western world.
The incidence of breast cancer varies greatly around the world being lower in less developed countries and greatest in the more developed countries. In the twelve world regions the annual age standardised incidence per 100,000 women are in Eastern Asia 18, South Central Asia 22,
sub-Saharan Africa 22, South-Eastern Asia 26, North Africa and Western Asia 28, South and Central America 42, Eastern Europe 49, Southern Europe 56, Northern Europe 73, Oceania 74, Western Europe 78, and in North America 90. In the United States the incidence is 141 among white women and 122 among African American women.
North American women have the highest incidence of breast cancer in the world. Among women in the U.S., breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second-most common cause of cancer death (after lung cancer). Women in the U.S. have a 1 in 8 (12.5%) lifetime chance of developing invasive breast cancer and a 1 in 35 (3%) chance of breast cancer causing their death. In 2007, breast cancer was expected to cause 40,910 deaths in the U.S. (7% of cancer deaths; almost 2% of all deaths).
In the U.S.,
both incidence and death rates for breast cancer have been declining in the last few years. Nevertheless, a U.S. study conducted in 2005 by the Society for Women's Health Research indicated that breast cancer remains the most feared disease, even though heart disease is a much more common cause of death among women.
Because the breast is composed of identical tissues in males and females, breast cancer also occurs in males. Incidences of breast cancer in men are approximately 100 times less common than in women, but men with breast cancer are considered to have the same statistical survival rates as women.
Originally from Wikipedia.org
Breast Cancer - History
Breast cancer may be one of the oldest known forms of cancer tumors in humans. The oldest description of cancer was discovered in Egypt and dates back to approximately 1600 BC. The Edwin Smith Papyrus describes 8 cases of tumors or ulcers of the breast that were treated by cauterization.The writing says about the disease, "There is no treatment."[95] For centuries, physicians described similar cases in their practises, with the same sad conclusion. It wasn't until doctors achieved greater understanding of the circulatory system in the 17th century that they could establish a link between breast cancer and the lymph nodes in the armpit. The French surgeon Jean Louis Petit (1674-1750) and later the Scottish surgeon Benjamin Bell (1749-1806) were the first to remove the lymph nodes, breast tissue, and underlying chest muscle. Their successful work was carried on by William Stewart Halsted who started performing mastectomies in 1882. He became known for his Halsted radical mastectomy, a surgical procedure that remained popular up to the 1970s.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma - Summary, Diagnosis & Treatment
[Summary]
Peritoneal malignant mesothelioma, also known as primary peritoneal mesothelioma, and originated in peritoneal mesothelial organizations epithelial tumors. This rare disease than pleural mesothelioma, slightly higher than the male female. Etiology and asbestos exposure, the incidence and contacts for a long interval, and often in more than 30 years. Mesothelioma often benign single, located in the fallopian tubes, uterus top of the peritoneum, rare in other parts. Often diffuse malignant mesothelioma, covering all or part of peritoneal
[Diagnosis]
1. History questions
The exact cause of the abdominal pain, abdominal distension and gastrointestinal disorders, abdominal pain may be in for diversification, but the pain of the stubbornness of its common characteristics. The high incidence of ascites, in more than 90 per cent, in a longer or shorter period of abdominal pain, ascites suddenly appeared, but also in the early ascites appeared individually. The amount of ascites and stubborn. General situation in the longer term, little change, loss of appetite can be maintained, wasting not obvious, no fever, sometimes spontaneous hypoglycemia can occur. Can be associated with chest pain, difficulty breathing, coughing and other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
2. Medical examination found
Peng Long abdomen, or a frog belly, mobility voiced positive abdominal palpation can be touched on the size ranging from single or multiple masses, the general tenderness not obvious. As with pleural mesothelioma, pleural effusion can be found positive signs.
3. Laboratory examination
B-ultrasound and CT, can be found thin sheet of images and ascites tumor. Ascites for exudate, but also for the courage and uprightness. Hyaluronic acid such as ascites increased to 120 ug / ml, very helpful in the diagnosis. Ascites find new biological diagnosis of mesothelioma cells, but also the middle of the mesothelial cells of ascites chromosome analysis, help diagnosis. Laparoscopic seized visible peritoneal surface filled with plaques and nodules, and biopsy examination to confirm the diagnosis. It must be noted and tuberculous peritonitis, peritoneal metastasis of identification.
[Treatment]
General chemotherapy and radiotherapy are not satisfied with the results. Some reports in recent years with adriamycin treatment, 50% of cases of extended survival period, but there are also reports considered invalid. It was also advocate the use of immune therapy, needed further observation. General in the diagnosis of 1 ~ 2 years after death.
Lung Cancer - Diet
Lung cancer and diet.
(1) to enhance the nutrition: lung cancer patients with swallowing difficulties, should be the freedom to choose their food, in the treatment does not affect the situation, we should eat some protein, carbohydrate rich foods, such as lean meat, chicken, duck, rabbit, fish , shrimp, bean products, as well as cereals, not generally restrict food intake and ensure good nutrition for the operation and create good conditions. If the nutritional status of poor tolerance to the trauma of surgery, postoperative healing slow, vulnerable to surgery rehabilitation is extremely unfavorable. This requires preoperative improve the quality of meals.
(2) supply of food elements: lung cancer surgery in the first half of the patients, in addition to three meals a day, plus auxiliary elements to diet. Elements diet containing nutrients necessary for the human body, because nutrients can be fully meet the needs of the body, can not digest the top of absorption in the small intestine may be oral or possession of the feed. Elements of the meal can add protein nutrition, sufficient heat supply, promote muscle protein synthesis, in the heat supply shortage, branched-chain amino acids can also provide more heat. Many elements of the type of meal, the oral or tube feeding. Applications, from low concentrations, typically 5% of the concentration of gradual increases, in the absence of diarrhea, vomiting, and can be added to 10 to 20 per cent, if the oral should pay attention to drink slowly, drink too fast, as elements of the meal for high exudate, easy to produce diarrhea and vomiting. Attention should be paid to appropriate temperature, the cooler to prevent diarrhea caused. If the daily dose of 100 g elements of the meal, will increase 400 kcal calories, 16 grams of protein. At the same time increase the body immunity, able to tolerate surgery.
(3) diet after deployment: under condition after surgery to determine the diet, and some surgical patients can eat on the next day, but from a clean, light food, valuables, easy didest is the major because surgical trauma will be from the digestive system dysfunction, and in the food choices, not impatient for success.
From the most simple, if the gastrointestinal tract without adverse reaction, then the transition to a half-food, fresh Pu. In the week after surgery, with the exception of food clean, semi-flow, would add elements of the meal, in the supplementary nutrition. To be able to eat normally, to cancel elements of the meal. Both before and after surgery should eat fresh vegetables and fruits, Such as green, yellow, and red vegetables, mushrooms, black fungus, asparagus, lemon, red dates, and so on, because fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C, is the tumor suppressor substance, can block cancer cell formation. Do not eat or eat less irritating food, including fried foods. May often eat garlic, garlic contains compounds. Otherwise smoking and drinking alcohol. Adoption of a healthy lifestyle and eating habits, regular physical check-ups, timely diagnosis and treatment, will be able to prolong life.
For example recipes on the 1st of lung cancer (surgery recovery)
Breakfast: milk (fresh milk 250 g, 10 g sugar), a boiled eggs (eggs 50 grams), steamed bread (50 g flour), and vegetable mix (70 g celery, yuba 10 grams)
Desert: fruit (Pear 250 grams)
Lunch: rice (rice 100 grams), Rumo tofu (Rumo 100 g, 100 g tofu), green pepper shredded radish (200 g green pepper, shredded radish 50 grams) Jiacan: fresh fruit juice (200 g fresh Jushi ) Dinner: small watery gruel (millet 25 grams), Fagao (75 g flour), fried bean sprouts (bean sprouts 200 grams), steamed fish (carp 75 grams)
Only 40 grams of cooking oil.
Lung Cancer - Treatment
Treatment for lung cancer depends on the cancer's specific cell type, how far it has spread, and the patient's performance status. Common treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
Surgery
If investigations confirm lung cancer, CT scan and often positron emission tomography (PET) are used to determine whether the disease is localised and amenable to surgery or whether it has spread to the point where it cannot be cured surgically.
Blood tests and spirometry (lung function testing) are also necessary to assess whether the patient is well enough to be operated on. If spirometry reveals poor respiratory reserve (often due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), surgery may be contraindicated.
Surgery itself has an operative death rate of about 4.4%, depending on the patient's lung function and other risk factors. Surgery is usually only an option in non-small cell lung carcinoma limited to one lung, up to stage IIIA. This is assessed with medical imaging (computed tomography, positron emission tomography). A sufficient pre-operative respiratory reserve must be present to allow adequate lung function after the tissue is removed.
Procedures include wedge resection (removal of part of a lobe), segmentectomy (removal of an anatomic division of a particular lobe of the lung), lobectomy (one lobe), bilobectomy (two lobes) or pneumonectomy (whole lung). In patients with adequate respiratory reserve, lobectomy is the preferred option, as this minimizes the chance of local recurrence. If the patient does not have enough functional lung for this, wedge resection may be performed. Radioactive iodine brachytherapy at the margins of wedge excision may reduce recurrence to that of lobectomy.
Chemotherapy
Small cell lung carcinoma is treated primarily with chemotherapy and radiation, as surgery has no demonstrable influence on survival. Primary chemotherapy is also given in metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma.
The combination regimen depends on the tumor type. Non-small cell lung carcinoma is often treated with cisplatin or carboplatin, in combination with gemcitabine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, etoposide or vinorelbine. In small cell lung carcinoma, cisplatin and etoposide are most commonly used. Combinations with carboplatin, gemcitabine, paclitaxel, vinorelbine, topotecan and irinotecan are also used.
Adjuvant chemotherapy for non-small cell lung carcinoma
Adjuvant chemotherapy refers to the use of chemotherapy after surgery to improve the outcome. During surgery, samples are taken from the lymph nodes. If these samples contain cancer, then the patient has stage II or III disease. In this situation, adjuvant chemotherapy may improve survival by up to 15%. Standard practice is to offer platinum-based chemotherapy (including either cisplatin or carboplatin).
Adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage IB cancer is controversial as clinical trials have not clearly demonstrated a survival benefit. Trials of preoperative chemotherapy (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) in resectable non-small cell lung carcinoma have been inconclusive.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is often given together with chemotherapy, and may be used with curative intent in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma who are not eligible for surgery. This form of high intensity radiotherapy is called radical radiotherapy. A refinement of this technique is continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (CHART), where a high dose of radiotherapy is given in a short time period. For small cell lung carcinoma cases that are potentially curable, in addition to chemotherapy, chest radiation is often recommended. The use of adjuvant thoracic radiotherapy following curative intent surgery for non-small cell lung carcinoma is not well established and controversial. Benefits, if any, may only be limited to those in whom the tumor has spread to the mediastinal lymph nodes.
For both non-small cell lung carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma patients, smaller doses of radiation to the chest may be used for symptom control (palliative radiotherapy). Unlike other treatments, it is possible to deliver palliative radiotherapy without confirming the histological diagnosis of lung cancer.
Patients with limited stage small cell lung carcinoma are usually given prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI). This is a type of radiotherapy to the brain, used to reduce the risk of metastasis. More recently, PCI has also been shown to be beneficial in those with extensive small cell lung cancer. In patients whose cancer has improved following a course of chemotherapy, PCI has been shown to reduce the cumulative risk of brain metastases within one year from 40.4% to 14.6%.
Recent improvements in targeting and imaging have led to the development of extracranial stereotactic radiation in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer. In this form of radiation therapy, very high doses are delivered in a small number of sessions using stereotactic targeting techniques. Its use is primarily in patients who are not surgical candidates due to medical comorbidities.
Interventional radiology
Radiofrequency ablation should currently be considered an investigational technique in the treatment of bronchogenic carcinoma. It is done by inserting a small heat probe into the tumor to kill the tumor cells.
Targeted therapy
In recent years, various molecular targeted therapies have been developed for the treatment of advanced lung cancer. Gefitinib (Iressa) is one such drug, which targets the tyrosine kinase domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) which is expressed in many cases of non-small cell lung carcinoma. It was not shown to increase survival, although females, Asians, non-smokers and those with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma appear to derive the most benefit from gefitinib.
Erlotinib (Tarceva), another tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been shown to increase survival in lung cancer patient, and has recently been approved by the FDA for second-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma. Similar to gefitinib, it appeared to work best in females, Asians, non-smokers and those with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma.
The angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab (in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin) improves the survival of patients with advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma. However this increases the risk of lung bleeding, particularly in patients with squamous cell carcinoma.
Advances in cytotoxic drugs, pharmacogenetics and targeted drug design show promise. A number of targeted agents are at the early stages of clinical research, such as cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors, the apoptosis promoter exisulind, proteasome inhibitors, bexarotene and vaccines. Future areas of research include ras proto-oncogene inhibition, phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibition, histone deacetylase inhibition, and tumor suppressor gene replacement.
Originally from Wikipedia.org
Lung Cancer - Screening
Screening refers to the use of medical tests to detect disease in asymptomatic people. Possible screening tests for lung cancer include chest x-ray or computed tomography (CT) of the chest. So far, screening programs for lung cancer have not demonstrated any clear benefit. Randomized controlled trials are underway in this area to see if decreased long-term mortality can be directly observed from CT screening.
Originally from Wikipedia.org
