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Malignant Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma

July 16th, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Majority of (cancerous tumor affecting mesothelial cells of organs) cases come under the classification ‘pleural ’. This is a cancer that originates in the pleura, the delicate membrane covering the lungs. Out of these, seventy five percent are diffuse malignant pleural mesethelioma. The balance is localized or benign.

Diffuse malignant pleural is, in most cases, caused by unprotected exposure to asbestos. The symptoms include shortness of breath and/or chest pain, loss of weight, cough, fatigue, swelling on the face, neck and arms, reduced appetite, and coughing up blood. There would be collection of fluid in the thoracic cavity. It may take from twenty to forty years or more after contact with asbestos for the symptoms to emerge. Because of the time lag, diagnosing is often difficult. Moreover, many doctors are not familiar with the disease.

Diagnostic procedure consists mostly of imaging with Computed Tomography (CT scan), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Position Emission Tomography (PET), and laboratory tests and analysis. Thoractomy, which means making an incision through the chest wall to look into the pleura (the membrane lining the lungs and the thoracic cavity) and pleural biopsy provide conclusive evidence.

Diffuse malignant pleural tumor is very aggressive and spreads fast. There are several methods to gauge the stage of the cancer. The most common is known as TNM. T is for the size of the tumor, N for the number of lymph nodules involved, and M for metastasis (spread of the cancer). There are basically four different stages. Correct grading helps the doctors to decide on the course of treatment. If the affliction is detected at an early stage, the chances of longer survival are better.

But generally the prognosis (response to treatment) is not good in diffuse malignant pleural cases. Surgery during Stage I may help. If detected during the later phases of the cancer the survival rate is four months to twelve months. Radiotherapy and do not seem to improve the survival rate. The reality is that currently there is no effective curative treatment. Research is on to find new management methods and more effectual medicines.

e-pleuralmesothelioma.com Pleural Mesothelioma provides detailed information on Malignant Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Survival Rate, Mesothelioma Pleural Brachytherapy and more. Pleural Mesothelioma is affiliated with e-peritonealmesothelioma.com Peritoneal Mesothelioma Lawyers.

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Types of Inherited Colon Cancer

July 16th, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Colon cancer is becoming more common. There will be around 125,000 new cases diagnosed in America this year. Many of these cases are in people more than 50 years old and are random. A small percentage, approximately 10%, however are not random, they have an inherited form of . This could be caused by four different hereditary conditions, hereditary non-polyposis , familial adenomatous polyposis, juvenile polyposis (this may also be nonhereditary) and Peutz-Jegher’s syndrome.

Colon cancer is caused by damage to the genes in your colon cells. These damages can cause the cells to grow unrestricted. This unrestricted growth becomes a polyp, which will become cancerous if it’s not removed. Usually it takes a long time for polyps to develop and even longer to become cancerous. That’s why is rare in people less than 50 years old. The cases in people less than 50 are frequently caused by an inherited condition.

Inherited colon cancers are difficult to accurately diagnose. It is first considered when a person has a strong family history of and the affected family members are from separate generations. For example - a man has two uncles and a cousin that have been diagnosed, this would be a strong family history. With a bit of research into that patient’s family tree, many more cases of may be found and documented.

The two most common inherited colon cancers are hereditary non-polyposis (HNPCC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Recently the genes that cause each of these conditions were identified and now a blood test has been developed that tells you if you have inherited the disease. Thanks to these blood tests, a person who has inherited the disease can begin getting tested for at an earlier age than most people. This early testing allows physicians to catch the disease in the early stages, when it is most treatable. It also allows a doctor to determine if a course of chemoprevention is appropriate, or if other prevention strategies are more appropriate.

Hereditary non-polyposis occurs when the gene damage interferes with cell repair. HNPCC causes about 5% of all diagnoses, but it can cause other cancers as well. HNPCC can also cause cancers in the urinary system (kidney, bladder, or ureter), the female reproductive system (uterus, endometrium, or ovaries), or the rest of the gastrointestinal tract (the stomach, small intestine, or pancreas). A person with HNPCC has an 80% chance of developing . Even with this high risk, regular checkups and cancer screenings can save your life by preventing or catching cancer early on.

Familial adenomatous polyposis causes hundreds, even thousands, of polyps to develop in a person’s digestive tract. Because a person affected by FAP begins developing colon polyps at an early age - he or she often develops by age 40, ten years earlier than most physicians even begin screening for it. This is why it is recommended that people with a family history get the blood test for FAP.

Not much is known about juvenile polyposis. Some forms of juvenile polyposis are hereditary, but there isn’t a commercial genetic test yet. The only test available is used strictly for research purposes. Juvenile polyposis often causes polyps in the colon and small intestine. If there are any symptoms present, they are usually caused by the polyps in the colon. Surgery is often the suggested treatment in such cases.

Peutz-Jegher’s syndrome is a genetic condition that causes intestinal polyps and freckles on the skin of the mouth. There are no recorded cases of Peutz-Jegher’s freckles developing into . The main risk of comes from the intestinal polyps. These polyps are usually found in the small intestine and can become so large that they cause an intestinal blockage. Around half of all Peutz-Jegher’s sufferers require surgery for a blockage by the age of 20. Peutz-Jegher’s has also been associated with an increased risk of other cancers and it is recommended that all Puetz-Jegher’s sufferers begin cancer screenings at an earlier age than the general population.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to colon-cancer-guides.com/ Colon Cancer

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There Is More Than One Kind Of Breast Cancer: The Silent Killer (IBC)

July 16th, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of IBC is certainly no exception.

Ladies have been told and frequently reminded by advertisements, Doctors, Women’s Magazines and so on, that they should regularly check their breasts for a lump or lumps.
If anything is found they should immediately seek medical advice. This is still true, see your doctor as soon as possible.

There is another kind of , it is called Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC), it is an accelerated type of , and it usually does not show on a mammogram or ultrasound.
It is a rare form of , but it accounts for approximately 1% to 3% of all breast cancers.

It is a that many ladies have never heard of, but it can be so serious that everyone should learn about it and what signs or symptoms to look for in its early stage of development.

Inflammatory causes the breast to appear swollen and inflamed. This inflammation occurs, not because of an infection, but because the cancer cells block the lymphatic vessels in the skin of the breast, this blocks the lymph flow, which usually causes a red inflamed condition of the breast.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and IBC experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to IBC.

Some ladies have IBC even when they are seeing their doctor regularly, and they may remain undiagnosed for quite some time, which can be very unfortunate. The symptoms are very often similar to mastitis, a breast infection and doctors frequently fail to recognise that it is IBC, and will often prescribe antibiotics, if it has not cleared or showing signs of clearing within a week of taking the antibiotics, it is time to take further action, by seeing a specialist.

It appears that IBC can happen at a reasonably young age, in fact some ladies had the first symptoms during pregnancy or lactation. It is important to be aware of this disease, as younger ladies are thought to be at a lower risk for , remember that IBC is the most aggressive form of , and ignorance can result in metastases.

Typical Symptoms Of IBC

Swelling, quite sudden, as large as a cup in a few days. Itching. Pink, Red, or dark colored area sometimes with a texture similar to orange skin. Ridges and thickened area of the skin. Looks like bruising, but does not go away. Nipple retraction, or inverted. Discharge from the nipple.
Breast is warmer than usual when touched. Pain in the breast. Color or a change in texture of the areola. One breast larger than the other. Rash. Swollen lymph nodes under the armpit. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

Because IBC progresses rapidly, it is so important that ladies seek medical advice as soon as possible, don’t ignore things in the hope that it will go away. Time is of the essence with this disease.

More information is available through the search engines, and I will add a link in the box below, where you can see a short video, or you can email me through my websites, and I will send you the video by email, so you can see the seriousness of this disease yourself. Tell all the ladies you know, because in this case knowledge is king.

Now you can understand why there ought to be more interest in IBC. When people start looking for more information about IBC, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

Article by Alfred Jones, Information Advisor for Health Related websites sugarsr4u.com sugarsr4u.com and rusweetenuf.com rusweetenuf.com

Article may be freely used without permission as long as it is shown in its entirety.

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Assessment and Management of Prostate Cancer

July 16th, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men other than nonmelanoma and the second most common cause of cancer deaths in American men older than 55 years of age.

About one in five men in the United States develop . According to the 2002 statistical reports of the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that 189,000 new cases of prostate and 30,200 deaths occur annually.

Prostate cancer rates are twice as high in African American men than in Caucasian men, and African American men are more likely to die of than men are in any other racial or ethnic group.

To address this issue, experts have assessed knowledge of and the use of screening services among 108 African American men.

Results showed how men were unable to answer most of the 21 questions on the test with more than 70% accuracy, although individuals younger than 40 years of age were more knowledgeable than older men.

Despite their increased risk for , only 47% of the men in the sample who were 40 years or older had screening as part of their annual physical examination.

Knowledge abut was found to be negatively correlated with education, income, and age. A culturally sensitive promotional campaign has been identified as an important strategy to increase awareness of the racial disparities in the incidence of and mortality rates.

Risk factors for include increasing age: the incidence of multiplies fast past the age of 50 years, and more than 70% of cases occur in men who are more than 65 years of age.

African American men have the highest incidence of in the world. Prostate cancer is common in the Unite States and northwestern Europe but is rare in Asia, Africa, Central America, and South America.

A familial predisposition may occur in 5% to 10% of cases of . If you have a brother or a father with , chances are, your risk is doubled. The risk increases further if several relatives have had .

Furthermore, research shows that a diet high in red meat and fat increases the risk for . Large-scale studies are in progress to determine if can be prevented by use of selected supplements or “finasteride.”

Clinical Symptoms

Cancer of the prostate in its early stages rarely produces symptoms. The symptoms that develop from urinary obstruction occur late in the disease.

Prostate cancer tends to vary in its course. If the neoplasm is large enough to encroach on the bladder neck, signs and symptoms of urinary obstruction occur; difficulty and frequency of urination, urinary retention, and decreased size and in the urinary stream.

Other symptoms may include blood in the urine or semen and painful ejaculation. Hematuria may result if the cancer invades the urethra or bladder, or both. Prostate cancer can metastasize to bone and lymph nodes.

Symptoms related to metastases include backache, hip pain, perineal and rectal discomfort, anemia, weight loss, weakness, nausea, and oliguria or decreased urine output. Unfortunately, these symptoms may be the first indications of .

Treatment

Treatment is based on the stage of the disease and the patient’s age and symptoms. However, since most cases of rarely produce symptoms, it is better to render some dietary modifications to help men pause the growth and development of the disease and stop it from becoming acute.

Hence, to prevent , proper nutrition and sound health regimen is needed.

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Prostate Cancer Treatments.

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