Cancer Research Blog

Blank asked:


Colon cancer is a dangerous form of cancer that starts in the colon, and then if nothing is done to treat it, it will start to spread. The causes of colon cancer have not been discovered yet, but scientists are researching its causes and new treatments that can help cure colon cancer and metastatic colon cancer.

The colon and the rectum for the large intestine. First, a tumor appears in the colon or sometimes in the rectum, and then it starts to grow, and the cancerous tissue spreads. In time it can reach other organs, such as the liver or the lungs.

In its early phases colon cancer can be treated quite easily, and the survival rate for patients diagnosed with stage 2 or 3 colon cancer is over 80%. However, if the cancer advances to the third or fourth stage, it will be really hard to cure it, the survival rate drops under 10%, but there still is hope.

This is why it is important to learn the signs and symptoms of colon cancer, and detect them early in order to start the treatment as soon as possible. The problem is that stage 1 or 2 colon cancer has almost no symptoms at all, and it’s hard to detect this disease until it has already advanced too much.

These are the common symptoms that may indicate an early colon cancer or a high risk of developing colon cancer:

-stool that contains small amounts of blood

-bleeding from the anus, which appears more rarely, and may just be a coincidence, but it can also be a sign

If colon cancer has advanced, then many symptoms appear. The most commonly encountered ones are:

-pain in the abdomen
-vomiting and nausea

-larger amount of blood in the stool

-change in bowel habits

-sudden weight loss

-thin stool

-stomach cramps

-diarrhea

-fatigue or tiredness

If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above then immediately consult a doctor. Some of them can be cause by other affections, but in either case it’s important to seek medical attention. The doctors will perform some tests and clinical trials which will determine if you have or haven’t got colon cancer,and how far has it spread.

If it has not spread much then it can easily be treated with a colon cancer surgery, that removes the parts of the large intestine where tumors are.

A stage IV colon cancer diagnose is a very bad news, and it will probably change your life, but remember that there still is hope.

For more resource on different colon cancer subjects please click this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com. You can also find valuable information about colon cancer diet or even about stage3 colon cancer



Posted by Nikhil Gupta

Groshan Fabiola asked:


Over 100,000 people will find out that they have colon cancer just in the United States alone. Colon cancer is one of the most spread cancer types in the U.S. while being the second and third factor of cancer death. But, thanks to new screening methods cancer can be diagnosed in its earliest stages resulting in a rising number of people being cured of this disease.

Since an abnormal cell needs 10-15 years to evolve into colorectal cancer, regular cancer testing would help diagnose and cure it before becoming a problem.

It is recommended that routine colonoscopies should be made every ten years since the age of 50. If you know that in your family someone had colon cancer or any other cancer forms you should start regular screenings more frequently and since at an earlier age.

The reason thatcolon cancer emerges is unknown and since it’s useless to prevent the abnormal cells from appearing there are measurements you can do to prevent it.
Two kinds of risk factors cause colorectal cancer: the ones you can do something about and the ones you can’t control. The last type of factors includes:

* Age. The risk of getting colon cancer increases with the age. Sure, the risk exists even if you are young but it’s way smaller.

* Family history. If some close relative of you has adenamotous polyps or colorectal cancer while they are still young your doctor will recommend colorectal cancer screenings before you are 50 years old because of the increased risk of developing the disease.

* Other risk increasing diseases. If you have Crohn’s disease or any other chronic inflammatory bowel disease the risk for developing colon cancer increases. It is recommended having regular screenings after you have been diagnosed with any inflammatory bowel disease. If you have diabetes your risk of having colon cancer increases by 40 percent.

* Ethnic Background. Eastern Europeans, Jewish population and the African Americans tend to have an increased factor risk for colorectal cancer due to a genetic mutation.

Your doctor should be informed if you think you have some of these factors. Depending on these factors your doctor will advise you to begin the colorectal screenings earlier.

The risk factors that you can control include:

* The diet. Animal fats increase the risks of colon cancer. It is known that many fruits and vegetables lower the risk of cancer formation so it’s recommended to have them every day and trying to substitute animal based food with “green” products.

* Exercise. Exercising will increase your fitness and in the same time lower the risk of most diseases including colorectal cancer.

* Obesity. Overweight is increases the chances of dying from colorectal cancer. You need to speak with your doctor about helping you lose some weight.

* Smoking. This is responsable for 12 percent of all deaths caused by colorectal cancer. Besides, the chemicals contained by cigarettes are responsable for all sorts of cancer.

* Alcohol. You can lower the risk of colorectal cancer by consuming less alcohol because, large alcohol intake increases the risk.

It really doesn’t matter what your risk factor is. You can change the development of colon cancer by maintaining a healthy life. This includes exercising, having care of your diet and weight and limiting smoking and drinking.

For more resource on different colon cancer subjects please click this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com. You can also find valuable information about metastatic colon cancer or even about colon cancer treatment



Content

Blank asked:


Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in both the USA and Europe, and colon cancer is the most dangerous cancer besides lung cancer. It can be easily cured when it is in its early stages, but the problem is that is rarely shows any signs and symptoms when the tumor is isolated, so it’s hard to detect it before it spreads. When it reaches metastasis, or stage IV, the chances of survival drop under 10% because in this phase it has already spread to at least one more organ. It usually spreads to the liver first, and then to the lungs.

It is hard to eliminate the cancer cells when it is in stage four. The medical approach is chemotherapy, because it can treat cancer that has spread, but it has severe side effects and it doesn’t always succeed.

Few people know that diet has an important role in cancer, in all types of cancer and in colon cancer too. But remember that diet can prevent it or help the treatment, it can not cure colon cancer alone.

Diet is important for those who don’t have colon cancer, because if it is used properly it can prevent it by decreasing the risk factors, or if it’s neglected it can seriously increase the risk factors.

One of the main food types that increases the risk factors has proven to be red meat. Doctors were suspecting this for a long time, and recent research has shown that the assumption is correct.

The western diet unfortunately contains too many types of food that increase the risk not only of colon cancer, but of other diseases and disorders too.

The best diet that can prevent a colon cancer or can help the body fight it is a vegetarian diet that contains no fats, and involves eating a lot of fruits and grains, which are natural cancer-fighting substances. Of course, many refuse to eat a fully vegetarian diet. Well at least try to reduce the amount of red meat and fat that you eat to a minimum.

If you just can’t stay away from fat foods you can enter a support program that is designed to help people with eating disorders solve their problems.

Remember that diet has an important role in cancer and somewhere later in life you may regret that you haven’t followed a healthy diet.

For more resource on different colon cancer subjects please click this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com. You can also find valuable information about colon cancer or even about colon cancer symptoms



Content

peterhutch asked:


Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer. It is estimated that over 1 million new cases occur annually. The annual rates of all forms of skin cancer are increasing each year, representing a growing public concern. It has also been estimated that nearly half of all Americans who live to age 65 will develop skin cancer at least once.

Cancer that forms in tissues of the skin. There are several types of skin cancer. Skin cancer that forms in melanocytes (skin cells that make pigment) is called melanoma. Skin cancer that forms in basal cells (small, round cells in the base of the outer layer of skin) is called basal cell carcinoma. Skin cancer that forms in neuroendocrine cells (cells that release hormones in response to signals from the nervous system) is called neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin.

Basal cells are round in shape and are found in the lower portion of the outer layer of skin also known as epidermis. One out of every three new cancers is a skin cancer, and the vast majority are basal cell carcinomas, often referred to by the abbreviation, BCC.Until recently, those most often affected were older people, particularly men who had worked outdoors. Although the number of new cases has increased sharply each year in the last few decades, the average age of onset of the disease has steadily decreased.

Cancer that begins in squamous cells — thin, flat cells that look under the microscope like fish scales. Squamous cells are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin, the lining of hollow organs of the body, and the passages of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Squamous cell carcinomas may arise in any of these tissues.

The numbers of skin cancers vary from country to country. In tropical countries with large white populations, the numbers are proportional to the amount of sunlight. Most skin cancers can be treated by removal of the lesion, making sure that the edges (margins) are free of tumor cells. The excisions provide the best cure for both early and high-risk disease. Squamous cell carcinoma is a skin cancer also related to sunlight exposure. It starts as a small, firm, painless lump occurring most often on the lip, ear or back of the hand. It enlarges fairly rapidly and then will often break down in the centre to form a crater.

Like many cancers, skin cancers start as precancerous lesions. These precancerous lesions are changes in skin that are not cancer but could become cancer over time. Medical professionals often refer to these changes as dysplasia.

Treatment

Surgery: Surgery for skin cancer involves cutting the skin area which is affected. Surgery can be most effective if the affected area is cut from the skin in the early stage of skin cancer.

Cryosurgery: In this type of treatment, the affected area is cooled to a very low temperature. The affected tissues/cells are frozen and killed with the help of liquid nitrogen. Depending upon the complexity and the affected area, this treatment can be repeated number of times.

Laser Therapy: A high intensity narrow beam of laser is used to destroy the cells in the affected area. This therapy is used in most of the cases where the cancer has not reached deeper inside the skin.



Content

bbcworldnews asked:

Jade Goody has vowed to live the rest of her life in the media’s glare after doctors told the reality TV star her condition is terminal.

Posted by Nikhil Gupta

Groshan Fabiola asked:


Cancer is the name for a disease that can affect cells from all the organs and body’s structures and is considered to be life threatening. The colon and rectum are a part of the large intestine and their function is to absorb nutrients and water from the food that passes through the intestine before it goes out of the body. Colorectal cancer is the disease that affects the cells from the colon and rectum creating a malign or benign tumor.

Treatment is possible for those who suffer of colon cancer. The treatment is based of three procedures: surgery, using radiations, and chemotherapy.

Generally the colon cancer is treated with surgery and this depends on the stage of the cancer. If the cancer is in an early stage then the doctor will take the tumor out by putting a tube that passes the rectum until it reaches the colon and only then cutting the tumor. This means that the doctor performs a local excision when the cancer is localized on a polyp than the procedure will be classified as a polypectomy. If the cancer is in a more advanced stage the doctor will have to cut that tumor out along with a part of the healthy colon. Then the two parts of healthy colon will be sewed together. The lymph nodes around the affected area will also be removed and analyzed at the microscope.

Sometimes the doctor can not sew the two heads of the colon and will be forced to make a hole on the surface of the body in order to create another anus, also known as a colostomy. This second anus will not be kept forever, it will be kept until the colon heals and can be sewed back. Sometimes if the situation is bad and the colon can not be saved, this colostomy will be permanent. The patient will further need a special bag made for collecting the body wastes. These bags are only for one use and are not able to be seen due to clothing and are easy to replace even by the patient.

Another procedure to treat cancer is radiotherapy. This therapy uses x-rays for killing cancerous cells and making the tumor stop its evolution and even shrink. Radiation therapy can be performed by special machines situated near the body and by special tubes that contain radioactive material and are placed inside the body near the intestines. The radiation therapy can be combined with surgery and other procedures for treating cancer.

Chemotherapy is also used in treating cancer. Chemotherapy uses pills or substances that go by vein in the organism. As these drugs travel the blood stream and can kill cancerous cell all over the body the chemotherapy is known to as a systemic therapy. Chemotherapy can be associated with surgery. While the surgeon removes the tumors that can be seen with by a naked eye, chemotherapy destroys those small cells that the surgeon can not remove.

Also, biological therapy can be used as it increases the forces of the organism to fight cancer and will help the body increase its defenses.

For greater resources on colon cancer or especially about colon cancer treatment please visit this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com/colon-cancer-treatment.htm



Posted by Nikhil Gupta

John Critz asked:


With prostate cancer estimated to affect as many as 1 in 6 men, any new research developments that may affect treatment are extremely noteworthy. Because the risks of having prostate cancer increase dramatically with age, every generation is in a race against the clock to find the most effective treatment methods, or prevention methods, possible.

Recently a medical study on men with prostate cancer introduced very interesting news that contradicted some previously held beliefs in the medical community. Some physicians have withheld potentially curative treatment in older men because of a concern about side effects of radiation or surgery. Other physicians have used hormone therapy as a means of delaying cancer progression instead of offering potentially curative treatment.

This new study by Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, however, suggests that drug treatment alone does not improve survival rates of men taking it, and might actually be hindering their improvement. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in July.

The prostate cancer information generated by this article studied about 20,000 men, including Medicare patients, whose prostate cancer had not spread to other areas of the body. The study took 6 years to complete, as information was gathered and the men were studied. All study participants were over the age of 66, which means that the data drawn from the study is particularly relevant to older men, but not necessarily accurate for younger men. Average age of a study participant was 77.

Researchers found that the typical treatment of testosterone-blocking drugs might have more drawbacks than benefits. The testosterone-blockers are meant to keep cancer cells from growing, but also have side effects such as bone loss, impotence, and increased risk for diabetes and heart disease. Ultimately, a treatment plan of the testosterone-blocking drugs alone, in older men, didn’t appear to be effective.

For men considering Georgia prostate cancer surgery, this study does not influence the need for curative surgery or radiation. Often the antihormone drugs can be very effective when they are paired with surgery or radiation. To maximize the effectiveness of a cancer treatment plan for Georgia men, prostate cancer might require surgery or radiation, rather than drug treatment alone.

Researchers theorized that many men felt they were improving their health by taking the drugs without surgery or radiation, because it was a better course of action than doing nothing. Now that their research has shown this to be an ineffective method of treatment by itself, the researchers hope that doctors will avoid the drug treatments except in combination with radiation and/or surgery.

For older men looking for information about Georgia prostate cancer treatment, the study offers an important topic to bring up with their doctors. While surgery and radiation can seem scary, the solution to prostate cancer doesn’t appear to be as easy as popping a pill or receiving an injection, at least for older men. For Georgia men, prostate cancer treatment might require surgery, rather than the simpler approach of a drug treatment.

With the continued research and studies being done, advances in Georgia prostate cancer treatment are continually being made. At this point in time, however, drug treatment alone doesn’t seem to be an effective method in the fight against prostate cancer.



Posted by Nikhil Gupta

Radha Kishan asked:


Medical tourists from different countries travel for health care purposes to those countries having quality healthcare services at reasonable prices. So they spend extra money on travel, health care and accommodations on the places of treatment. Medical tourism is an old concept because thousands of years ago people traveled for medical purposes or for spiritual treatments to different countries. Many factors are considered while choosing a destination place for medical tourism such as high healthcare services and costs, waiting for certain procedures, availability and affordability of international travel, quality and latest technology used in the treatment.

Some of the most popular places include Europe, Japan, Middle East, UK, United States, Canada and Costa Rica. These places are popular due to the quality of their health care services, technology and competency of physicians. The hospitals of Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba and Turkey are popular for Cosmetic surgery treatments. Surgeons of South American countries like Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Argentine lead in plastic surgery due to their experience and knowledge. Plastic surgery is very common in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Colombia and US. Slovakia, Belgium and Poland are entering in the business of health care and medical tourism.

A large number of Americans are going abroad for health care although the facilites of health in US are also availabe. There are many intermediary companies which provide help in medical tourism. These companies offer global health care at reasonable costs. There are different commissions and societies which care for the quality and standards of the hospitals available for medical tourism. Counteries such as Malaysia, Thailand, India and Costa Rica have many infectious diseases as compare to Norht America and Europe . So medical tourists need to stay for some time in the country which they choose for health care because travel soon after surgery can create many complexities. Tourists having breath and heart related problems avoid long flights and combine their vacation tours with medical tours.

th American Places

The quality of healthcare in Canada is not less than that of America but medical tourists can save 30 to 60 percent of their costs as compare to America. Medical tourists can save up to 80 on healthcare services in Costa Rica as compare to US. Costa Rica is popular for cosmetic procedure, dental, weight-loss and orthopedic surgeries. Knee replacement surgery is very cheap so patients travel to Costa Rica for medical tourism. Patients from all over the world travel to cuba for the best quality of healthcare services and fine reputation of their doctors. Medical tourists of Europe and Latin America travle to this destination because of its situation and save up to 60 to 80 percent as compare to the charges in US. The hospitals of cuba are best known for cancer treatment, cosmetic surgery, joint replacement, eye surgery and addictions rehabilitations. the government of cuba has taken many steps to increase income from medical tourism and patients of US, Canada and UK visit cuba for medical treatments. Dominincan Republic is very popular destination for hip replacement, bariatric surgeries, plastic surgeries, knee replacement, eye surgeries and all other medical treatments. Medical tourists can save from 50 to 75 percent as compare to the costs in US. The plastice surgery and dentistry healthcare services of Mexico are appreciated by all the world. The costs of these treatments are one-fourth to one-fifth of American costs. The quality of health care services in Mexico is very high and medical tourists are satisfied.

Quality health services, location and dollar as the official currency are the reasons that Panama is famous for its medical services. The medical professionals of Panama are trained by US and use the latest technology to provide quality healthcare services. Medical tourists can save more than 50 percent of healthcare costs as compare to Europe and US. Dental implants, assisted reproduction, cosmetic dentistry, plastic surgery, cardiology, orthopedics and pulmonology are the popular procedures in medical treatments. Surgeons of Brazil have gained world wide fame in cosmetic surgery.

South American Places

Orthopedic surgeries , Cosmetic surgery, transplant surgery, eye surgery and cardiovascular are popular procedures in Colombia. Healthcare services in Colombia are cheap and foreigners can get human organs from Colombia. The doctors of colombia are experienced and have worked in many counteries of Europe and US.

Asian Places

China has gained popularity in stem cell treatments. The medical professionals of India are popular for hip resurfacing, heart surgery and areas of advanced medicine. The treatment costs in India are very low which is nearly one-tenth to the treatment costs of US. The healthcare service in Malaysia are also very popular and the doctors of Malaysia are trained in the hospitals of US and UK. New Zealand is a popular medical tourism destination for fertitlity treatments and non-acture surgical procedures. The doctors are trained in the hospitals of UK and US. The costs of healthcare services are very low as comparet to US. Thailand is popular in organ transplant and cardiac surgery at lower prices.

Europe

Moreover British and Canadian medical tourists don’t wait long and travel to Germany for medical treatments. Novel cancer and spine surgery are well treated in Germany at lower prices. Dentistry services in ukraine are provided at lower costs. High class material and equipment is used in dental clinics and hospitals. There are many suitable places for medical tourism but a medical tourist chooses according to his own choice and afforability.



Posted by Nikhil Gupta

Thomas Johnson asked:


Blood has several components like-red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma -and the cells of the blood are produced at the bone marrow. When the cells of the blood grow abnormally, it is called blood cancer or leukaemia. The whole system of production of blood cells is a controlled activity and when cancer occurs in the bone marrow, it affects the process of regulation of cell production. The abnormal growth of the blood cells weakens the body’s defence mechanism. There are two types of blood cancer-acute leukaemia and chronic leukaemia. 

Acute leukemia:  

Acute leukemia is a type of blood cancer in which the cells develop rapidly. The immature white blood cells gather in and consequently enter the other different parts of the body. Depending on the affection of white blood cell type, in clinical terms acute leukaemia is called either acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The symptoms of acute leukaemia are 

Generalized weakness and fatigue (this may be due to anaemia) Fever Weight loss Frequent infections Excessive bruising Bleeding (of the gums or nose) Blood in the urine or stools Pain in the bones and joints Breathlessness (can be due to anaemia) Enlarged lymph glands, liver and/or spleen.  

Chronic leukemia: 

In chronic leukemia, the white blood cells of cancer develop slowly than acute leukaemia and they gradually could not do their function well. An increased number of lymphocytes, which make up one of the main sub-groups of white cells in the blood, are seen in chronic leukaemia. This blood cancer has a slow process of development of cancer cells. Depending on the affection of white blood cells, chronic leukaemia is called either chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The peak age for CLL is 65 and it is rare in people under the age of 45.

The following signs may oocur due to chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL):

Abdominal discomfort (this could be the result of an enlarged spleen) Infections caused by not having enough healthy white blood cells Fever Night sweats Swollen lymph glands Bone pain Weight loss Headaches and vision problems Tiredness Anaemia

Our medical team will guide one to quality blood cancer treatments in Apollo Hospitals. We offer quality treatments at an affordable price with free consultation and no waiting periods. Blood cancer treatment in India for foreign clientele will become easy under the guidance of our medical team. Present scenario of medical treatments in India attracts a good number of health tourists from all over the world.



Posted by Nikhil Gupta