Type of Cancer

Cancer is one of those words that everyone dreads. There are various types of cancer and any type of cancer is really bad news. All types of cancer are life threatening (this is what makes them so dreadful). Even with all that medical advancement we still don’t have a complete cure for all types of cancer. However, there is continuous research going-on for finding better treatments for cancer and to increase our knowledge on cancer in general. Though there are treatments currently available for some types of cancer, these treatments work only if the cancer is discovered in early stages.

Types of cancer

Generally, cancer is named after the part of the body in which it originates. Most common types of cancer are breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Though, this might vary across geographies etc, these four types of cancer seem to be the more notorious ones. The other types of cancer include: cervical cancer, pancreatic cancer, bone cancer, brain cancer, skin cancer, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer and testicular cancer. Besides this, cancer is also classified as primary and secondary based on whether it originated in that body part itself or spread from another body part.

Diagnosis of various types of cancer

It’s not just the treatment of various types of cancer that is difficult (or impossible) but also their detection (or diagnosis). In fact, correct and timely diagnosis is the first step towards treatment of any type of cancer. The earlier you are able to detect cancer, the more effective is its treatment.

Treatment of various types of cancer

Though the treatment of all types of cancers is not possible, some types of cancer can be treated if they are diagnosed early enough e.g. detection of malignancy when it has just started to develop. The treatment for cancer is carried out in many different ways. These range from surgery to radiotherapy, chemotherapy and biologic therapies. Hormone therapies are also gaining popularity for treatment of some types of cancer. Transplantation of bone marrow and many other new procedures for treatment of cancer are being constantly tried and analysed in order to get a fail-proof treatment for cancer.

Research on diagnosis on various types of cancer

The huge number of deaths that are caused every year by various types of cancer has lead to a lot of focus being put into the research on diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer. Meanwhile, we can just hope that there will soon be a complete cure available for the most common types of cancer (if not all types of cancer).

By Karen Lavender and Warren

Prostate Cancer Mortality Rate

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer killers in the UK and US for men, although if it is caught early before it has spread outside of the prostate gland then chances of successful treatment are high. In the UK, after lung cancer prostate cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, although It has only been recently that it has begun to get the amount of research for a cure that it needs.

In England in 2006, there were 8506 deaths caused by prostate cancer If you were to express this as the number of deaths per 100000 people, then the prostate cancer mortality rate is around 34.3 men.

The chances of a man getting prostate cancer increase greatly with age, which can be seen from the statistic that for men over 85 it is the most common of all cancer deaths.

The survival rate for prostate cancer in the UK has been steadily increasing over the last twenty years due to better screening and treatment methods. If the cancer is caught before spreading to the bone then there is a good chance of successful treatment. However if it has spread to the bone and become advanced prostate cancer then treatment can often only achieve a prolonged life with reduced symptoms.

Overall, in the UK the mortality rate reached a peak in the 1990s, and then began to fall for the first time in thirty years. Recently, the rates have been stable although it is too early to say whether prostate cancer mortality rates will continue this way.

By James Kernal

Prostate Cancer Late Stages - Symptoms and Options

In early stages, prostate cancer can often be treated very successfully by a variety of methods. However if it progresses to spread to the surrounding bone, then a cure is no longer possible, and treatment can only prolong and increase quality of life.

As prostate cancer progresses, symptoms such as painful urination, irregular urine flow and even blood in the urine in some rare cases begin to become apparent. These can be caused by many others things and do not mean someone has prostate cancer, but should still be checked by a doctor or GP. If left untreated, the cancer can spread to the surrounding bone rendering it un-curable. In prostate cancer this is often a slow process and can take up to fifteen years. Because of this, many men who have prostate cancer die of different causes before they are killed by the cancer.

In the late stages of prostate cancer, a patient may show the following symptoms:

• Weight loss
• Tiredness
• Pains

Prostate cancer also causes symptoms such as a difficulty in achieving an erection and painful ejaculation, although these do not necessarily mean the cancer is in its late stages.

Prostate cancer is the second most likely cause of cancer related death in the UK, although successful treatments have become more and more common in the last twenty years. This is shown by the fact that survival rates have jumped nearly 40% between 1975 and 2001 (according to the NHS). Prostate cancer late stages are most common amongst men of over 50.

By James Kernal

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Learn About the Stages of Cervical Cancer Part II

Previously, we took a look at the first two stages in cervical cancer development. In this concluding piece, we take a look at the remaining three.

In stage III, cancer has spread to the lower third of the vagina and may have spread to the pelvic wall and nearby lymph nodes. Stage III is divided into stages IIIA and IIIB, again based on how far the cancer has spread.

In IIIA, the cervical cancer has spread to the lower third of the vagina but not to the pelvic wall. In IIIB, Cancer has spread to the pelvic wall and/or the tumor has become large enough to block the ureters (the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder). This blockage can cause the kidneys to enlarge or stop working. Cancer cells may also have spread to lymph nodes in the pelvis.

In stage IV, cancer has spread to the bladder, rectum, or other parts of the body. Stage IV is divided into stages IVA and IVB, based on where the cancer is found.

At IVA, the cancer has spread to the bladder or rectal wall and may have spread to lymph nodes in the pelvis. In IVB, the cancer has spread beyond the pelvis and pelvic lymph nodes to other places in the body, such as the abdomen, liver, intestinal tract, or lungs.

These basically sum up vital information about the stages of cervical cancer. It is your job to continue to educate yourself and have the feeling of power over cancer - and not let cancer take over you. I wish you the best of luck.

By Laura Guthrie

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How To Reduce The Risk Of Breast Cancer

For every disease there are some risk factors it is same with breast cancer. There are some risk factors which are not under the control of a person and some risk factors are those which depend on the life style of a person.

First I want to write about the factors which cannot be changed, if you are a woman your risk of getting breast cancer is automatically increased. Women are at a greater risk of getting breast cancer as the breast cells are persistently exposed to hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Men can also suffer from breast cancer but breast cancer in men is a very rare case.

Risk of breast cancer also increases with age. This is also one of the factor which a person can not control. If some gene changes are running in a family that means if the breast cancer is hereditary the chance of getting affected automatically increases without any control on it. If a woman is having cancer in one breast the chance of getting cancer in another breast or in another part of same breast increases. White women are at high risk of breast cancer than Asian women. If a women started menstruating in an early age or went through menopause in later age both of these conditions increase the risk of breast cancer. If a women has gone under radiation therapy in the area of chest because of treatment of other cancers are also at increased risk of breast cancer. Some pregnant women are given diethylstibestrol this is a drug which prevents miscarriage, but the women taking this drug are at increased risk of breast cancer.


By Jitesh Arora

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Cancer Fighting Diet - Green Tea

In this cancer fighting diet article about green tea, you will discover:

* What is green tea?
* Why is green tea a must in your cancer fighting diet?
* How much green tea do you need to include in your cancer fighting diet?

What Is Green Tea?

Tea has been drunk for centuries and is one of the most popular drinks in the world.

Green tea is made by drying and steaming fresh tea leaves straight after harvesting.

Green tea is packed full of powerful antioxidant which can help to protect the body from many health conditions such as:

* Cancer
* Coronary Heart Disease
* High Cholesterol
* Hypertension
* Rheumatoid Arthritis.
* Stroke


Why Is Green Tea A Must In Your Cancer Fighting Diet?

Green tea is a must in your cancer fighting diet because it is rich in catechin polyphenols especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

EGCG is an extremely powerful anti-cancer compound. It stops the production of an enzyme called urokinae, which cancer cells need to grow.

EGCG stops cancer cells from growing and kills them without harming healthy tissue.
Green tea can help reduce the risk of developing cancers such as:

* Bladder Cancer
* Breast Cancer
* Colon Cancer
* Pancreas Cancer
* Rectum Cancer
* Skin Cancer
* Stomach Cancer

How Much Green Tea Do You Need To Include In Your Cancer Fighting Diet?

To help prevent cancer, you can drink up to ten cups of green tea a day.

There seems to be a lot of conflicting debate on how many cups of green tea you need to drink per day to protect your health.

Generally, it is believed that seven to ten cups of green tea a day will help to prevent cancer.

So, to sum up...

To protect against cancer, it is best to drink at least seven cups of green tea a day as part of your cancer fighting diet.

It is the catechin polyphenols within green tea that helps to protect you against many types of cancer.


By Stewart Hare


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Cancer Threat

Cancer is one the major causes of death in the world, especially in developing countries. Cancer can affect anyone whether the person is rich, poor, man, women, child or teenager. More than 40% of all cancers can be prevented. Cancer arises from one single cell which is then gets transformed from a normal cell into a tumor cell.

Now let’s put some light on WHAT IS CANCER?

Cancer is the Latin word for crab. Cancer is a disease of cells, which courses by the abnormal growth of cells. Cancer is of many types. It is a group of more than 100 different types wherein skin cancer is the most common type of cancer.

FACTS ABOUT CANCER

* Lung Cancer(1.3 million deaths/year)
* Stomach Cancer(1 million deaths/year)
* Liver Cancer(662,000 deaths/year)
* Colon Cancer(655,000 deaths/year)
* Breast Cancer(502,000 deaths/year).


Out of all, 40% of cancer can be prevented

CAUSES OF CANCER
# The major causes of cancer are: tobacco, alcohol, diet, sexual and reproductive behavior, infectious agents, family history, occupation, environment and pollution.

# 80% to 90% cases of lung cancer occur by using tobacco and by smoking.

# Excessive use of ALCOHOL is a risk factor in some cancers. Combination with tobacco increases the chances.

# 35% of cancer is caused due to dietary causes. Excessive intake of fat food increases the risk of cancer.

# 15% of the world's cancer deaths can be traced due to viruses, bacteria, or parasites.

# Some cancers like breast, ovarian can repeat generation after generation in the same family.

# 1-2% of cancer can be caused by harmful radiation.


SYMPTOMS

* Usual bleeding or discharge.
* Persistent cough, hoarseness, or sore throat.
* Some changes in bowel or bladder habits.
* Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing.
* A change in a wart or mole.


TREATMENTS

Cancer can be cured by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy or other methods depending upon the type and stage of the disease.

Side effects of Cancer Treatment
Some side effects of cancer treatments are as follows:-

* Constipation
* Fatigue
* Nausea(unease and discomfort)
* Vomiting


By Jyoti Mali



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Bone Cancer

Bones form the core structure of our body. In total, there are 200 bones in a human body that support us and provide protection to our body organs. Though bone cancer is not as common as most other types of cancer, it is quite dangerous like most cancers.

Types of bone cancer

There are mainly 2 categories in which we can classify bone cancer – primary bone cancer and secondary bone cancer. When the bone cancer originates in the bone itself, it is categorised as primary bone cancer and when it spreads from a cancer elsewhere in the body it is known as secondary bone cancer. Though there are quite a few different kinds of bone cancer, the most common one is Osteosarcoma. This type of bone cancer occurs primarily in younger adults and affects knee joints the most.

Cause and symptoms of bone cancer

The exact causes of bone cancer still seem to be a matter of research and study. The symptoms of bone cancer are linked to the position of the cancer-affected bone in the body. One of the symptoms of bone cancer is incidence of swelling or tenderness or pain in the area affected by bone cancer. The formation of a lump is another indication of bone cancer. Though the detection of a bone cancer related lump is a bit difficult in the initial stages of bone cancer, the lump can sometimes be felt (due to the restriction in movement that it causes) when the bone cancer occurs at joints (e.g. knee joints). However, none of these symptoms are prominent indicators of bone cancer.

Diagnosis of bone cancer

If you experience a lump or any of the bone cancer symptoms, you must not neglect them and seek advice of a qualified doctor. Remember that early diagnosis of any type of cancer (not just bone cancer) can help in getting a cure and reducing the threat to life.

Treatment of bone cancer

Removal of bone tumour through surgical procedures is one the most common ways of treating bone cancer. Radiotherapy and chemo therapy are other ways of treating bone cancer. A combination of different techniques is sometimes used to form a more effective bone cancer treatment. The kind of treatment to be administered is dependent on the stage of bone cancer and the place of its occurrence.


By Karen Lavender and Warren


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Advanced Metastatic Prostate Cancer - What it Means and What Your Options Are

Prostate cancer can spread throughout the body through different means, but it tends to spread to bones rather than to other organs. Metastases means cancer spread, and with prostate cancer these can occur when the tumor is small. To determine whether the cancer has become an advanced metastatic cancer a bone scan is used. If it is found that the cancer has spread to the bone then the disease will be treated as an advanced metastatic disease, even if the tumor in the prostate itself is relatively small.

There are two different stages of prostate cancer spread (or metastases), denoted by:

M0 - The cancer has not yet spread outside the pelvic area
M1 - The cancer has spread outside the pelvic area

In the case of an advanced metastatic prostate cancer the M1 label is used.

In this scenario, it is considered unlikely that the cancer will be able to be cured. Once the cancer has spread to the bone, treatment for advanced metastatic cancer centres on slowing the cancers growth and reducing symptoms rather than a cure. Treatment also aims at prolonging life, and increasing its quality.

Possible treatments for advanced metastatic prostate cancer are that can slow the tumors growth are:

Radiotherapy
Hormone treatment
Chemotherapy

All prostate cancer treatments have associated side effects, so no one will force a patient into taking a particular therapy. The best course of action will be advised by the doctor, but ultimately the decision to have or not to have treatment is the patients.


By James Kernal



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