What is Cancer?

Cancer 


Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out of control cell growth. There are many different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected. Cancer harm your body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors [ except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream].  The tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign. There are more dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when two things occur:  number one, a cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using the blood or lymph systems,  destroying healthy tissue in a process called invasion; number two, that cell manages to divide and grow, making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called angiogenesis. When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized, and the result is a serious condition that is very difficult to treat. 


 Causes of Cancer 

Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably grow and don't die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly path of growth, division, and death. Programmed cell death is called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins to form. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells don't experience programmatic death and instead continue to grow and divide. This leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out control.


The researchers say this discovery is important because cancer mortality is mainly due to metastatic tumors, those that grow from cells that have traveled from their original site to another part of the body. Only 10 percent of cancer deaths are caused by the primary tumors. 

Prevention of Heart Attack

Coronary artery disease is a major risk factor  for heart attack. Below are some very important steps or tips to reduce your risk of heart disease and heart attack:

Don't smoke: Smoking or using tobacco is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Chemicals in tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels, leading to narrow of the arteries. Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a  heart attack. When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount  of smoking is safe. Smokeless tobacco and low-tar and  low-nicotine cigarettes also are risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke . Please, quit smoking!

Lower your blood pressure: High blood pressure, called hypertension, significantly increases your risk of heart disease and heart attack. To lower blood pressure, try to eat a heart-healthy diet and engage in regular physical activity. Your doctor may prescribe medications to help.

Control your diabetes: Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease. If you have diabetes, work with your doctor to control your blood sugar levels.

Improve your cholesterol: If you do not know your cholesterol number then you have to find out.

• High levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol increase your risk of heart disease.

• High levels of HDL ("good ") cholesterol protect against heart disease. 

• High levels of total cholesterol also increase  your risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol levels can be improved with exercise and  a healthy diet low in unhealthy fats and alcohol.


Reduce stress: Practice a relaxation technique like meditation or yoga, and take time out every day for a few quiet minutes to unwind and appreciate life.

Healthy weight: Obesity and being overweight are major risk factor for a host of diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Exercise and a healthy diet can help, but some people might want to work with a doctor help them get to a healthy weight.

Exercise: Being active and taking regular exercise will lower your blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition. Regular exercise can also you lose  weight which will help lower your blood pressure. Low-impact activities like walking, swimming and cycling are recommended.

Prevention of Diabetes Type1

Prevention of Diabetes type 1

Actually there is no way to prevent type 1 diabetes, but ongoing studies are exploring ways to prevent diabetes in who are most likely to develop it. Those who have a parent, brother, sister with type 1 diabetes and are willing to participate in one of these studies should talk with their doctors. They may want to participate in one of these studies should talk with their doctors. They may want to be tested for islet cell antibodies, because if they have these antibodies, they are more likely to get diabetes.

People with type 1 diabetes can help prevent or delay the development of complications by keeping their blood sugar in a target range. They also need regular medical checkups to detect early signs of complications. If complications are treated early, the damage may be stopped, slowed, possibly reversed.

People who have other health problems along with diabetes like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, need to treat those conditions. Not smoking can reduce the risk of complications. Having other health problems can increase the risk for complications from diabetes. People who have diabetes should have a flu shot every year and a pneumococcal vaccine. Usually people need only one dose of the pneumococcal vaccine. But doctors sometimes recommend a second dose for some people, especially if they have a long-term disease. Discuss your doctor about whether you need a second dose. The pneumococcal vaccine helps prevent infections caused by pneumococcal bacteria. People with diabetes if they have heart or kidney disease, are at risk for complications, hospitalization, and death from flu and pneumococcal disease.

Prevention of Brain Cancer

Brain cancer is a tumor or cancerous growth in the brain. A tumor, whether in your brain or elsewhere, is a mass of cells that reproduce themselves in an uncontrolled way. Tumors can be either  benign or malignant. Benign brain tumors are abnormal collections of cells that reproduce slow and usually remain separate from the surrounding normal brain. They grow slowly, don't removed more easily than malignant  tumors. Malignant tumors reproduce and grow quickly. Their borders are hard to distinguish from the normal brain around them. That is why it is hard to remove them completely without damaging the surrounding brain.

Prevention of Brain Cancer 

Avoid exposure to certain environmental agents. For example, vinyl chloride is an established risk factor for brain cancer. Sometimes, areas located near manufacturing and chemical plants emit chemicals into the air. According to the American Cancer Association, therapeutic radiation exposure to the head is considered a major cause of childhood cancer. Children were previously treated with low dose radiation for certain conditions which increased their risk for brain tumor. The American Cancer Society adds that radiation treatment for other cancers may lead to brain tumors because radiation for minor conditions are no longer used in children or adults. 


Eat a healthy diet. Include foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids like fish and lean meats. In addition vegetables and fruits such as beans, broccoli, spinach, apples, oranges  are rich in antioxidants, which work to prevent cancer and a host of other diseases. They are also packed with vitamins to promote healthy brain and body function of certain cancers.

Becoming educated on the history of brain cancer or other diseases in family members can help prevent cancer. Understanding family history of expectancy is almost always extended when cancer is detected in patients early.

Limit your consumption of alcohol. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, excessive drinking and smoking can lead to certain diseases that may put a person at risk for cancer. Metastic brain tumors being in other parts of the body and spread to the brain through the bloodstream. Excessive drinking can also lead to liver diseases that can also spread to the brain as well.

Visit your doctor regularly. Annual physicals are important, especially if you are experiencing abnormal signs or symptoms. In addition, doctors are trained to search for brain cancer symptoms. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders reports that identifying a brain tumor in the early stages is important to fighting and recovering from brain cancer.  

Diagnons and Treatment of Brain cancer

Diagnosis of Brain Cancer

Brain cancer that originates in the brain is called a primary brain tumor. If a doctor suspects a brain tumor, one of the first steps in getting an accurate diagnosis is through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This imaging test gives physicians an extraordinary view of the brain and this is often the only test needed to identify the possible presence of brain tumor. In some limited cases, a CT scan may used. PET scans, which help doctors see the activity of the brain, may help diagnosis primary brain cancer but their use is less certain with a metastatic disease.

Ultimately, it is a brain biopsy that confirms the malignancy and type of brain tumor present.  If tumors are present as shown on an MRI and a person suffers from a type of cancer that is known to metastasize, then a biopsy may not be necessary. However with types of cancer that don't often spread to the brain, a biopsy is a vital diagnostic tool. Primary brain tumors most always require a biopsy. Brain biopsies can be done during times of surgical exploration or open surgery. The sample tissue can be examined in the operating room, allowing the surgeon to make a decision  about whether to proceed with surgical treatment or not. More extensive evaluation of the tumor specimen will also be done by a pathologist. It may take several days to receive results. In some of the cases, a closed biopsy, also called a stereotactic biopsy, is performed when the tumor is located in a region of the brain that is difficult to reach. It is the least invasive type of biopsy, but does carry risk. 


Treatment of Brain Cancer 

A treatment plan is individualized for each brain cancer patient. The treatment plan is constructed by the doctors who specialize in brain cancer, and treatments vary widely depending on the type of cancer, brain location, tumor size, patient age, and patient's general health status. A major part of the plan is also determined by the patient's wishes. The patient should discuss their health care provider about treatment option. 


Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are the major treatment categories for most brain cancers. Individual treatment plans often include a combination of these treatments. Surgical therapy attempts to remove all of the tumor cells by cutting the tumor away from normal brain tissue. This surgery is often termed invasive surgery to distinguish it from noninvasive radiosurgery  or radiation therapy described below.

Radiation therapy attempts to destroy tumor cells by using high energy radiation focused onto the tumor to destroy the tumor cells' ability to function and replicate. Radiosurgery is a non-surgical procedure that delivers a  single high dose of precisely targeted radiation using highly focused gamma-ray or x-ray beams that converge on the specific area or areas of the brain where the tumor is located, minimizing the amount of radiation to healthy brain tissue. Equipment used to do radiosargery  varies in its radiation source; a gamma knife uses focused gamma rays, and a liner accelerator uses photons, while heavy-charged particle radiosurgery uses a proton beam.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy attempts to destroy tumor cells using chemicals (drugs) that are designed to destroy specific types of cancer cells. There are many chemical agents used; specific drug therapies are numerous, and each regimen is  designed for the specific type of brain cancer and individualized for each patient. For example, bevacizumab ( Avastin) is a drug approved for treatment of glioblastomas. Chemotherapy can be administered intrathecally (by a surgically placed permanent reservoir in the brain), by lumbar puncture, by IV administration, and biodegradable chemically impregnated polymers. All treatments attempt to spare normal brain cells.

Other treatment options can include immunotherapy (immune cells directed to kill certain cancer cell types), steroid to reduce inflammation and brain swelling, and hyperthermia ( heart treatments) . These may be added on to other treatment plans.

Clinical trials [treatment plans designed by scientists and physicians to try new chemicals or treatment methods ob patients] can be another way for patients to obtain treatment specifically for their cancer cell type. Clinical trials are part of the research efforts to produce better treatments for all disease types. Stem cell treatments for brain and brain stem cancers and other conditions can be available because research with patients is ongoing using these potential therapies. The best treatment for brain cancer is designed by the team of cancer specialists in conjunction with the wishes of patients.

Brain Cancer - Facts, Causes, and Symptoms

What is brain cancer?

Brain cancer is a disease of the brain in which cancer cells (malignant)  arise in the brain tissue. Cancer cells grow to form a mass of cancer tissue (tumor)  that interferes with brain functions like muscle control, sensation, memory and other body functions. Tumor composed of cancer cells are called malignant tumors, and those composed of mainly noncancerous cells called benign tumors. Cancer cells that develop from brain tissue are called primary brain tumors while tumors that spread from other body sites to the brain are termed metastatic brain tumors. Statistics suggest that the brain cancer occurs infrequently and is likely to develop in about 22,000 new people per year with about 13,000 deaths as estimated by the NCI (National Cancer Institute).

The Facts on Brain Cancer

• Brain cancer can arise from many different types of brain cells (primary brain cancer) or when cancer cells from another part of the body spread (metastasize) to the brain. 
  

• Causes of this cancer are difficult to prove; avoiding compounds linked to cancer production is advised. 
• Symptoms of the brain cancer vary but often include wekness, seizures, difficulty walking, and headaches. Other common symptoms are vomiting, nausea, blurry vision, or achange in a person's alertness, mental capacity, memory, speech, or personality. 
• Tests for developing brain cancer involve a history, physical exam, and usually a CT or MRI brain scan; sometimes a brain tissue biopsy is done. 
• Treatment are directed by a team of doctors and are designed for the individual patient: treatment can/may include surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy,often condition. 
• Side effects of treatments range from mild to severe, and patients need to discuss plans with their treatment team members to understand potential side effects and their prognosis. 
• Depending on type of the developing brain cancer and overall health status of  the patients, brain cancer frequently has only a fair to poor prognosis; children have a somewhat better prognosis. 

Symptoms of Brain Cancer

The exact cause of brain cancer is unknown. Brain cancer that originates in the brain is called a primary brain tumor. Not all brain tumor cause symptoms, and some ( such as tumors of the pituitary gland that cause no symptoms) are found mainly after death, with the death not caused by the brain tumor. The symptoms of brain tumor are numerous and not specific to brain tumors, meaning they can be caused by many other illnesses as well. The only way to know for sure what is causing the symptoms is to undergo diagnostic testing. Early symptoms may not occur, if they do, they occur for the following reasons and are listed below:

• The symptoms are usually caused by the tumor pressing on or encroaching on other parts of the brain and keeping them from functioning normally. 
• The symptoms of primary brain cancers are similar in women, men, and children. 
• Some of the symptoms are caused by swelling in brain primarily caused by the tumor or its surrounding inflammation.

Below are most common symptoms:

• Headache 

• Weakness

• Difficulty waking 

• Seizures 

Other nonspecific symptoms and signs include:

• Nausea, vomiting 
• Difficulty in speech
• Altered mental status: changes in concentration, memory, attention, or alertness
• Gradual changes in intellectual or emotional capacity. 

In many people, the onset of these symptoms is very gradual and may be overlooked by both the person with the brain tumor and the person's family members, even for long time periods. However these symptoms appear more rapidly. In some instances, the person acts as if he or she is having a stroke. In some patients, the symptoms be more pronounced if the cancer is located mainly in a specific brain lobe that is usually responsible for certain body functions. For example, the behavioral changes may predominate in frontal-lobe cancers while difficulty with speech or movements may predominate in cancers within the parietal lobe.

Causes of Brain Cancer


Primary brain tumors arise from many types of brain tissue [ for example glial cells, astrocytes, and other brain cell types ]. Metastatic brain cancer is caused by the spread of cancer cells from a body organ to the brain. However the causes for the change from normal cells to cancer cells in both metastatic and primary brain tumors are not fully understood. Data gathered by research scientists show that people with certain risk factors are more likely to develop brain cancer.

Individuals with risk factors like having a job in an oil refinery, handlers of jet fuel or chemicals like benzene, chemists, embalmers, or rubber- industry workers, show higher rates of brain cancer than the general population. Some families have several members with brain cancer, but heredity as a cause for brain tumor has not been proven. Other risk factors such as smoking, radiation exposure, and viral infection (HIV) have been suggested but not proven to cause brain cancer. There is no enough evidence that brain cancer is contagious, caused by head trauma, or caused by cell phone use. Although many lay press and web articles claim that aspartame ( artificial sweetener) caused brain cancer, the FDA maintains that it doesn't cause brain cancer and base their findings on over 100 toxicological and clinical studies regarding the sweetener's safety.

Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Treatment of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease which only affect men. The prostate cancer begins to grow in the prostate  - a gland in in the male reproductive system.  Deciding on treatment can be difficult, partly because the options for treatment today are too much better than they were 10 years ago but also because not enough reliable data are available on which to base the decisions.  According, scientifically controlled, long term studies are still needed to compare the benefits and risk of the various treatments. To decide on treatment for an individual patient, doctors categorize prostate cancers as organ-confined [localized to the gland], locally advanced [ a large prostate tumor or one that has spread only locally], or metastatic [ spread distantly or widely ]. The treatment options for organ-confined prostate cancer or locally advanced prostate cancer usually include surgery, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, cryotherapy, combinations of some of these treatments, and watchful waiting. A cure  for metastatic prostate cancer is, unfortunately, unattainable at the present time. The treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, which include chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, therefore, are considered palliative. By definition, the aims of palliative treatments are, at best, to slow the growth of the tumor and relieve the symptoms of the patient. 


Surgery of Prostate cancer

The surgical treatment for prostate cancer is common and referred to as a radical prostatectomy, which the removal of the entire prostate gland. The entire prostate, seminal vesicles, and ampulla of the vas deferens are removed, and the bladder is connected to the membranous urethra to allow free urination.


The radical prostatectomy is the most common treatment for organ confined or localized prostate cancer in the U.S  This operation is currently performed in about 36 percent of patients with organ-confined (localized) prostate cancer.  American Cancer Society estimates a 90 percent cure rate nationwide when the disease is confined to the prostate and the entire gland is removed. The potential complications of radical prostatectomy include the risk of anesthesia,  local bleeding, impotence (loss of sexual function ) in 30 percent to 70 percent of patients, and incontinence (loss of control of urination) in 3 percent to 10 percent of patients.

Great strides have been made in lowering the frequency of the complications of radical prostatectomy. These advances have been accomplished largely through improved anesthesia and surgical techniques. The improved surgical technique, in turn, stem from a better understanding of the key anatomy and physiology of sexual potency and incontinence. Of men who undergo these newer techniques, 98 percent are continent, and 60 percent are able to have an erection.

Radical prostatectomy can be performed by often surgery, laparoscopic surgery, or by robotic surgery [ robotic assisted radical prostatectomy ]. Now a days almost 70 percent of radical prostatectomy surgeries in the U.S are performed using the of the Da Vinci robotic system.  For robot-assisted surgery, five small incisions are made in the abdomen through which the surgeon inserts tube like instruments, including a small camera. This creates a magnifies three-dimensional view of the surgical area. The instruments are attached to a mechanical device, and the surgeon sits at a console to achieve greater precision in surgery. Studies have showed that traditional open prostatectomy and robotic prostatectomy have had similar outcomes related to cancer-free survival rates, urinary continence, and sexual function. However, in terms of blood loss during surgery and pain and recovery after the procedure, robotic surgery has been shown to a significant advantage.

If post-treatment impotence doesn't occur, it can be treated by sildenafil (Viagra) tablets, injection of such medications are alprostadil (Caverject) into the penis, various devices to pump up or stiffen the penis, or a penile prosthesis ( an artificial penis) . Incontinence after treatment often improves with time, special  exercises,and to improve the control of urination. However incontinence requires implanting an artificial sphincter around the urethra. The artificial sphincter is made up of muscle or others material and is designed to control the flow of urine through the urethra.

Transurethral resection of the prostate ( TURP ) involves the removal of a part of the prostate by an instrument inserted through the urethra. It is used as an alternative to prostatectomy in patients with extensive disease or those who aren't fit  to undergo radical prostatectomy to remove tissue that is blocking urine flow. This is often referred to as a channel TURP.

I hope that you will learn more after reading this article about treatment of prostate cancer.