Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts

Saturday, November 5, 2011

What is cancer symptoms ?

Initially, the cancer is small mass of cells, which do not produce any symptoms. As the growth of cancer, physical appearance can affect surrounding tissue. Also, some cancers, release certain substances or trigger immune reactions that cause symptoms in other parts of the body that are not close to the cancer (paraneoplastic syndrome).

Cancer affects nearby tissues by growing into or pushing the surrounding tissue, thereby irritating or pressing them. Irritation typically causes pain. Pressure can inhibit the network to perform their normal functions. For example, bladder cancer or cancer of the lymph nodes in the abdomen can suppress the tubes (ureters) that connect the kidneys to the bladder blocking the flow of urine.

Lung cancer may block the flow of air through the lungs, causing lung collapse and facilitate infection. In any cancer can suppress blood vessel, closing the bloodstream and cause bleeding. When cancer develops in areas with lots of space, as in the colon wall, it can not cause any symptoms until it becomes very large. In contrast, cancer develops in a more narrow space, such as the vocal cords can cause symptoms (such as raspy) when the cancer is still relatively small.

If a cancer spreads (metastasizes) to other body parts, the same local effect on the irritation and pressure occurs rapidly, but in a new location, these symptoms may be quite different. Cancers associated with the membrane that protects the lungs (pleura) or bag-like structure that surrounds the heart (pericardium) often secrete fluid, which accumulates around the organs, the buildup of fluids in large amounts can interfere with breathing or heart pumping.

Painful

Cancer is usually not painful at first. With the development of their first symptoms are often mild discomfort, which can be very severe pain can be increased as the enlargement of cancer. The pain can occur from pressure or landslides cancer into nerves or other structures. Nevertheless, not all cancers cause severe pain. By the same token, lack of pain does not guarantee that the cancer does not develop or spread.


Bleeding

Initially, the cancer can be a little bleeding from his cell does not stick well to each other and fragile blood vessels. Then, as the enlargement of the cancer and attack the tissues around, this could develop into a blood vessel in the vicinity, causing bleeding. The bleeding is probably lighter and not be detected or be detected only by testing. As is often the case in the first stage of colon cancer. Or, especially with advanced cancer, bleeding may be more significant, even major and life threatening.

The location of the cancer to make sure the location of the bleeding. Cancer anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract can cause bleeding in the stool. Cancer anywhere along the urinary tract can cause bleeding in the urine. Other cancers can bleed into the inside of the body. Bleeding into the lungs can cause the person to cough up blood.


Weight Loss and Fatigue

Generally, a person with cancer may experience weight loss and fatigue, which could get worse as the cancer advances. Some people claim to lose weight despite good appetite. Others lose their appetite and even nausea by food or have difficulty swallowing. They can be thin; loss of underlying fat, especially visible on the face. People with advanced cancer are often very tired and slept many hours a day. If anemia is formed, this person could find that they feel tired or become short of breath with even mild activity.


Swollen Lymph Nodes

As represented in the cancer began to spread around the body, it was the first time can spread to nearby lymph nodes, become swollen. Swollen lymph nodes that may not be painful or light, and feels hard and rubbery. They were easily removed, or, if the cancer is more advanced they can jam on the overlying skin, to the deeper layers in the network below, or both.


Depression

Cancer often results in depression. Depression can be associated with symptoms of pain, fear of dying, or loss of freedom. In addition, some cancers can produce substances that directly cause depression by affecting the brain.


Neurological symptoms and muscular

Cancer can develop into natural or compress nerves, causing some of the symptoms of nerve and muscle diseases, including changes in sensation (such as tingling) or weakness of muscles. When cancer develops in the brain, symptoms may show symptoms appropriately, firmly but can include headache, dizziness, headache, nausea, changes in vision, and seizures. Neurological symptoms can also be part of Paraneoplastic Syndrome.


Respiratory symptoms

Cancer can suppress or block structures, such as the airways in the lungs, causing difficulty breathing, coughing, or pneumonia. Breathing difficulties can also occur when the cancer causing huge plural effusion, hemorrhage into Kriya lungs, or anemia.

What is Leukemia ?

Leukemia is a cancer of blood cells.

CAUSE
Leukemia usually affects white blood cells. The cause of most types of leukemia is unknown. Viruses cause some leukemias in animals (eg cats).

HTLV-I virus (human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I), which resemble the virus that causes AIDS, is thought to cause a rare type of leukemia in humans, namely adult T-cell leukemia.

Exposure to radiation (radiation) and certain chemicals (eg benzene) and the use of anticancer drugs, increasing the risk of leukemia. People who have certain genetic disorders (eg Down's syndrome and Fanconi syndrome), are also more susceptible to leukemia.

White blood cells derived from stem cells in bone marrow. Leukemia occurs when the process of maturation of stem cells into white blood cells susceptible to interference and produces changes toward malignancy.

These changes often involve a rearrangement of parts of chromosomes (genetic material of cells is complex). Chromosomal rearrangement (translocation chromosomes) disrupt the normal control of cell division, so that cells divide uncontrollably and become malignant, eventually mastering these cells replace the bone marrow and the place of the cells that produce blood cells are normal. This cancer can also infiltrate into other organs, including liver, spleen, lymph nodes, kidney, and brain.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

What is Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is used to stimulate the immune system against cancer. For example, a vaccine composed of antigens derived from tumor cells can increase the body's functions to antibodies or immune cells (t limpiosit). Extracts inactivated tuberculosis bacteria, which are known to increase immune response, has been successful when instilled into the bladder to prevent the recurrence of bladder tumors.

Monoclonal antibody therapy requires the use of antibodies produced experimentally to make specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells as targets. Trastuzumab is one of antibodies, which attack the HER-2/neu receptor is present on the surface of cancer cells in 25% of women with breast cancer. Trastuzumab enhances the effect of chemotherapy drugs. Rituximab is very effective in treating lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Rituximab is associated with radioactive isotopes can be used to deliver radiation directly to lymphoma cells. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin, an antibody and the drug combination, is effective in some people with chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Biological reaction modifiers improve the immune system's ability to find and destroy cancer cells, such as by stimulating normal cells to produce chemical messengers (mediators). Interferon (of which there are several kinds) is the best known and very widely used biological response modifiers. Almost all human cells produce interferon naturally, but can also be made through biotechnology. Although the exact mechanism of the action is not completely clear, interferon has the task in the treatment of several cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma and malignant melanoma. Interleukin 2, which is produced in certain white blood cells, can also help cell carcinoma and metastatic melanoma in the kidney.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Obesity increases the risk of cancer

Obesity or being overweight increases the risk of various forms of cancer. The results of a recent study released by the Lancet medical journal in London , indicating overweight can increase the risk of esophageal cancer include the bladder, uterus and esophagus.

Although studies suggest a link between excess weight with cancer risk, but there is no definite evidence that shows weight gain can lead to cancer. "To infer causality, we need to conduct further research," explains Dr. Andrew Renehen, who led the study.

The researchers compiled data from 141 studies and considered more types of cancers and more diverse population than the results of previous studies. The study includes more than 28,000 cases of cancer in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

The study participants were either overweight or normal weight, were followed for 9 to 15 years. Researchers observe their body mass index and mengkorelasinya with cancer cases that arise.

From the study of known weight above 15 pounds of normal weight in the male may increase the risk of kidney cancer in up to 24 percent and up to 52 percent of the esophagus. While excess weight by over 13 kilometers of normal weight among women at increased risk of cancer of the uterus and bladder up to 60 percent.

In Asian populations, there is a tighter connection between the accretion of body mass index with risk of breast cancer. Scientists do not yet have certainty how excess weight can make people susceptible to cancer.

"One hypothesis that arises is the excess fat can affect hormone levels in the body where at some level likely to trigger the growth of tumors," Renehan said.

"Simple message that can be delivered is if you manage to keep the standards of normal weight, the lower your risk of esophageal cancer," said Ed Yong of Cancer Research UK. The study, published in The Lancet was funded by the British Medical Association, University of Manchester and University of Bern, Switzerland.