Causes ,Incidence and Risk Factor
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.
Alternative Names
Carcinoma; Malignant tumor
Cells are the building blocks of living things. Cancer grows out of normal cells in the body. Normal cells multiply when the body needs them, and die when the body doesn't need them. Cancer appears to occur when the growth of cells in the body is out of control and cells divide too quickly. It can also occur when cells “forget” how to die.
There are many different kinds of cancers. Cancer can develop in almost any organ or tissue, such as the lung, colon, breast, skin, bones, or nerve tissue.
There are many causes of cancers, including:
Benzene and other chemicals
Certain poisonous mushrooms and a type of poison that can grow on peanut plants (aflatoxins)
Certain viruses
Radiation
Sunlight
Tobacco
However, the cause of many cancers remains unknown.
The most common cause of cancer-related death is lung cancer.
The three most common cancers in men in the United States are:
Prostate cancer
Lung cancer
Colon cancer
In women in the U.S., the three most common cancers are:
Breast cancer
Colon cancer
Lung cancer
Some cancers are more common in certain parts of the world. For example, in Japan, there are many cases of gastric cancer, but in the U.S. this type of cancer is pretty rare. Differences in diet may play a role.
Some other types of cancers include:
Brain cancer
Cervical cancer
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Kidney cancer
Leukemia
Liver cancer
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Ovarian cancer
Skin cancer
Testicular cancer
Thyroid cancer
Uterine cancer
Friday, December 18, 2009
Symptoms Of Cancer
Symptoms of cancer depend on the type and location of the tumor. For example, lung cancer can cause coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain. Colon cancer often causes diarrhea, constipation, and blood in the stool.
Some cancers may not have any symptoms at all. In certain cancers, such as gallbladder cancer, symptoms often do not start until the disease has reached an advanced stage.
The following symptoms can occur with most cancers:
Chills
Fatigue
Fever
Loss of appetite
Malaise
Night sweats
Weight loss
Some cancers may not have any symptoms at all. In certain cancers, such as gallbladder cancer, symptoms often do not start until the disease has reached an advanced stage.
The following symptoms can occur with most cancers:
Chills
Fatigue
Fever
Loss of appetite
Malaise
Night sweats
Weight loss
Signs And Test
Signs and tests
Like symptoms, the signs of cancer vary based on the type and location of the tumor. Common tests include the following:
Biopsy of the tumor
Blood chemistries
Bone marrow biopsy (for lymphoma or leukemia)
Chest x-ray
Complete blood count (CBC)
CT scan
Most cancers are diagnosed by biopsy. Depending on the location of the tumor, the biopsy may be a simple procedure or a serious operation. Most patients with cancer have CT scans to determine the exact location and size of the tumor or tumors.
A cancer diagnosis is difficult to cope with. It is important, however, that you discuss the type, size, and location of the cancer with your doctor when you are diagnosed. You also will want to ask about treatment options, along with their benefits and risks.
It's a good idea to have someone with you at the doctor's office to help you get through the diagnosis. If you have trouble asking questions after hearing about your diagnosis, the person you bring with you can ask them for you.
Like symptoms, the signs of cancer vary based on the type and location of the tumor. Common tests include the following:
Biopsy of the tumor
Blood chemistries
Bone marrow biopsy (for lymphoma or leukemia)
Chest x-ray
Complete blood count (CBC)
CT scan
Most cancers are diagnosed by biopsy. Depending on the location of the tumor, the biopsy may be a simple procedure or a serious operation. Most patients with cancer have CT scans to determine the exact location and size of the tumor or tumors.
A cancer diagnosis is difficult to cope with. It is important, however, that you discuss the type, size, and location of the cancer with your doctor when you are diagnosed. You also will want to ask about treatment options, along with their benefits and risks.
It's a good idea to have someone with you at the doctor's office to help you get through the diagnosis. If you have trouble asking questions after hearing about your diagnosis, the person you bring with you can ask them for you.
Cancer Treatment
Treatment
Treatment also varies based on the type of cancer and its stage. The stage of a cancer refers to how much it has grown and whether the tumor has spread from its original location.
If the cancer is confined to one location and has not spread, the most common goals for treatment are surgery and cure. This is often the case with skin cancers, as well as cancers of the lung, breast, and colon.
If the tumor has spread to local lymph nodes only, sometimes these can also be removed.
If surgery cannot remove all of the cancer, the options for treatment include radiation, chemotherapy, or both. Some cancers require a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Although treatment for cancer can be difficult, there are many ways to keep up your strength.
If you have radiation treatment, know that:
Radiation treatment is painless.
Treatment is usually scheduled every weekday.
You should allow 30 minutes for each treatment session, although the treatment itself usually takes only a few minutes.
You should get plenty of rest and eat a well-balanced diet during the course of your radiation therapy.
Skin in the treated area may become sensitive and easily irritated.
Side effects of radiation treatment are usually temporary. They vary depending on the area of the body that is being treated.
If you are going through chemotherapy, you should eat right. Chemotherapy causes your immune system to weaken, so you should avoid people with colds or the flu. You should also get plenty of rest, and don't feel as though you have to accomplish tasks all at once.
It will help you to talk with family, friends, or a support group about your feelings. Work with your health care providers throughout your treatment. Helping yourself can make you feel more in control.
Treatment also varies based on the type of cancer and its stage. The stage of a cancer refers to how much it has grown and whether the tumor has spread from its original location.
If the cancer is confined to one location and has not spread, the most common goals for treatment are surgery and cure. This is often the case with skin cancers, as well as cancers of the lung, breast, and colon.
If the tumor has spread to local lymph nodes only, sometimes these can also be removed.
If surgery cannot remove all of the cancer, the options for treatment include radiation, chemotherapy, or both. Some cancers require a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Although treatment for cancer can be difficult, there are many ways to keep up your strength.
If you have radiation treatment, know that:
Radiation treatment is painless.
Treatment is usually scheduled every weekday.
You should allow 30 minutes for each treatment session, although the treatment itself usually takes only a few minutes.
You should get plenty of rest and eat a well-balanced diet during the course of your radiation therapy.
Skin in the treated area may become sensitive and easily irritated.
Side effects of radiation treatment are usually temporary. They vary depending on the area of the body that is being treated.
If you are going through chemotherapy, you should eat right. Chemotherapy causes your immune system to weaken, so you should avoid people with colds or the flu. You should also get plenty of rest, and don't feel as though you have to accomplish tasks all at once.
It will help you to talk with family, friends, or a support group about your feelings. Work with your health care providers throughout your treatment. Helping yourself can make you feel more in control.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
LOOKING INSIDE THE BODY WITHOUT SURGERY
LOOKING INSIDE THE BODY WITHOUT SURGERY
THANKS to advances in computers, mathematics and science, the scalpel are giving way to nonsurgical tool in the diagnosis of certain diseases. Besides X-ray imaging, now over 100 years old, the technologies include computed tomography (CT scan), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound imaging, or sonography. * How do these techniques work? What are their health risks? And what are their advantages?
X-ray Radiography
X-ray Radiography
How does it work?
Have a shorter wavelength than visible light and can penetrate body tissues. When a certain part of the body is x-rayed, dense tissues, such as bones, absorb the rays and appear as bright areas on the developed film, called radiography. Soft tissues appear in shade of gray. X-rays are commonly used to diagnose problems or disease involving teeth, bones, breasts, and between adjacent soft tissues of the same density, a doctor may inject radiopaque dye into the patient's blood stream to enhance the contrast. Nowadays, X-rays are often digitized and viewed on a computer screen.
Risks: there is a slight chance of damage to cells and tissues, but the risk is usually very low compared with the benefits. * Women who may pregnant should inform their doctor before they submit to an X-ray. Contrast agents, such as iodine, may cause allergic reactions. So inform your doctor or technician if you have any allergies to iodine and to seafood which contains this element.
Benefits: X- ray imaging is fast, generally painless, relatively inexpensive, and quite easy to perform. Hence it is particularly useful in such areas as mammography and emergence diagnosis. No radiation remains in the body after the X- ray is administered, and usually there are no side effects.
Have a shorter wavelength than visible light and can penetrate body tissues. When a certain part of the body is x-rayed, dense tissues, such as bones, absorb the rays and appear as bright areas on the developed film, called radiography. Soft tissues appear in shade of gray. X-rays are commonly used to diagnose problems or disease involving teeth, bones, breasts, and between adjacent soft tissues of the same density, a doctor may inject radiopaque dye into the patient's blood stream to enhance the contrast. Nowadays, X-rays are often digitized and viewed on a computer screen.
Risks: there is a slight chance of damage to cells and tissues, but the risk is usually very low compared with the benefits. * Women who may pregnant should inform their doctor before they submit to an X-ray. Contrast agents, such as iodine, may cause allergic reactions. So inform your doctor or technician if you have any allergies to iodine and to seafood which contains this element.
Benefits: X- ray imaging is fast, generally painless, relatively inexpensive, and quite easy to perform. Hence it is particularly useful in such areas as mammography and emergence diagnosis. No radiation remains in the body after the X- ray is administered, and usually there are no side effects.
Computed Tomography
Computed Tomography
How does it work?
CT scans involve in more sophisticated and intense use of X-rays, along with special. The patient lies on a table that slides into a tunnel in the machine. Images are produced by numerous narrow beams of radiation and detectors that rotates 360 degrees around the patient. The process has been compared to examining a loaf of bread by photographically cutting it into very thin slice. A computer resembles the "slice," providing a detailed cross- sectional view of the body's interior. The latest machines stand the body in a helical, or spiral, fashion, thereby speeding up the process. Because CT scans provides much details, they are often used for examining the chest, the abdomen and the skeleton, and for diagnosing various cancers and other disorders.
Risks:
Risks:
CT scans usually involve higher doses of radiation than regular X- ray. The additional exposure carries a small but significant increased risk of cancer, and this should be carefully weighed against the benefits. Some patients have an allergic reaction to contrast agents, which commonly include iodine; and in certain patients, there may also be an element of risk to the kidney. If a contrast fluid is used, nursing mothers’ may have to wait 24 hours or more before resuming breast feeding.
Benefits:
Benefits:
Painless and noninvasive, CT scans provide finely detailed data that can be digitally converted into three-dimensional images. Scans are relatively fast and simple, and they can save lives by revealing internal injuries. CT scanners do not affect implanted medical devices.
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