Archive for the ‘Cancer’ Category
Cancer foods are foods that can cause cancer. Mutagenics are substances which can eventually cause cancer if it’s absorption from prepared food is not prevented. By heating whatever food, hundreds of different mutagenic substances begin. The more protein the food contains, the more mutagenics start off due to cooking. The activity of antioxidants is very limited and not even large amounts of all the antioxidants combined can neutralize a substantial part of these mutagenics.
The only way to effectively prevent cancer is to prevent the absorption of mutagenic substances from prepared food. Consume as little prepared food, especially proteinous prepared food, and consume as much fruits and some fresh raw animal food regularly, like sashimi or fresh raw egg yolk.
Consuming cancer foods, like prepared meats increases the risk of contracting cancer, because of their relatively high amount of mutagenic substances. Vegetarians get cancer too, but a little less than those people who eat more of meats. Prepared vegetables contain less mutagenic substances than prepared meat. Two out of three scientific investigations show that consuming prepared Soya beans instead of prepared meat causes less cancer. Generally, eating vegetables is less cancerous than consuming other prepared foods. However, all prepared food including vegetables, contain mutagenic substances.
Cancer foods that increase the risk of cancer most are prepared foods containing high quantities of protein like meat and fish, fats and cholesterol like eggs; or iodide like found in sea fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. Foods that have been intensively heated, smoked or salted, also pose an increased risk to having cancer.
All prepared foods contain non-HCA damaged protein, which partly decompose in the blood generating free radicals. All prepared foods therefore, will eventually cause cancer if you live long enough. Modifying your diet to reduce fat intake and increase fiber intake plus antioxidants and other key nutrients can help reduce the risk of getting cancer. Healthy food selection at the grocery store is the basic step towards an effective diet..
Some top ten anti-cancer foods include strawberries, oranges, tea, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, whole wheat, cabbage, and beans. These foods carry protective phytochemicals, which are “plant chemicals” that may reduce heart disease and cancer risk. Here are some healthful nutritional tips:
Eat less total and saturated fat
Check the Nutrition Facts labels on food products to select foods with only three grams of total fat or less. It seems that the saturated animal fats are highly cancer cell promoter. Reducing intake of red meat, which is a cancer food may be helpful too.
Eat more fruits and vegetables
Protective fiber, antioxidants Vitamin C and beta-carotene and hundreds of phytochemicals naturally found in fruits and vegetables can reduce cancer risk. Fiber binds to cancer-causing substances in the intestinal tract and remove them as waste products. The antioxidant vitamins neutralize damaging free radicals, substances produced by the chemical processes that go on in our bodies every day. Allicin in garlic, genistein in soybeans, and flavonoids in apples, are just a few of the cancer-protective plant substances (phytochemicals).
Avoiding intake of cancer foods and promoting more antioxidants and anti-cancer foods are an active step towards reducing and preventing the risk of cancer altogether.
Death due to thyroid cancer is uncommon, because of the fact that thyroid cancer is usually an indolent disease, which tends to remain confined to the thyroid gland for many years. Thyroid cancer is fairly common, it accounts for about one percent of all cancers. This type of cancer usually responds well to treatment and many patients can be cured.
Thyroid cancer is a cancer of the thyroid glands, a butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid makes and stores hormones that help regulate heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and the rate at which food is converted into energy. The thyroid uses and needs iodine to make several of its hormones. Thyroid hormones also help children grow and develop.
There are four major types of thyroid cancer:
Papillary Tumors
These tumors develop in cells that produce thyroid hormones containing iodine. These cancer cells grow very slowly forming many tiny, mushroom-shaped patterns in the tumor. These tumors can be treated by doctors successfully even when the cells have spread to the nearby lymph nodes. This type of tumor accounts for about sixty percent of all thyroid cancers.
Follicular Thyroid Tumors
These tumors also develop in cells that produce iodine-containing hormones, and have a thin layer of tissue around them, called a capsule. Many follicular tumors are curable but can be difficult to control if the tumor invades blood vessels or grows through the capsule into the nearby structures of the neck.
Medullary Tumors
These tumors affect thyroid cells that produce a hormone that does not contain iodine. These tumors grow slowly but are harder to control than papillary and follicular tumors. The cancer spreads to other parts of the body.
Anaplastic Tumors
These tumors are the fastest growing thyroid tumors. The cancer cells, which are extremely abnormal, spread rapidly to other parts of the body.
The most often symptom of this disease is a nodule in the thyroid region of the neck, but only five percent of these nodules are malignant. Sometimes the first sign is an enlarged lymph node. Other symptoms include hoarseness or difficulty speaking in a normal voice, swollen lymph nodes especially in the neck, difficulty swallowing or breathing, and pain in the throat or neck. However, an infection, a benign goiter, or another problem also could cause these symptoms. Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible to be diagnosed and treated properly.
Surgery is the most common form of treatment for thyroid cancer that has not spread to distant parts of the body. A part or the entire thyroid and any other affected tissue, such as the lymph nodes is usually removed with this procedure. This procedure however may not be recommended when a patient is found to have thyroid cancer that has spread. Treatment usually includes some form of systematic therapy, a treatment that can kill or slow the growth of the cancer cells throughout the body, such as chemotherapy, radioactive iodine therapy, and/or hormone therapy.
Skin cancer is an increasingly common condition, and is partly credited to increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Increased exposure is mainly due to the recent popularity of sun tanning or sun bathing. Lighter-skinned individuals are more vulnerable to this disease.
There are many types of skin cancer, but the most common types are:
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
These are the most common types of skin cancer; it can cause disfiguring and is very destructive. There is greater risk for individuals who have a family history of the disease and those with cumulative exposure to UV light through sunlight, or in the past has been exposed to chemicals especially arsenic. Most basal cell carcinoma can be removed surgically by dermasurgeons. A common method of surgery is electrodessication and curretage (ED&C) where the tumor is scraped out with a curette and cauterizing the base and the margins and the wound is left to heal by itself. The cure rate and cosmetic result for this treatment is excellent especially with concave areas. Other treatment for these types of skin cancer includes topical chemotherapy, x-ray, cryosurgery, photodynamic therapy, or topical immune enhancement drugs such as imiquimod. This type of skin cancer is rarely life-threatening but if left untreated can cause disfiguring, bleeding, and produce local destruction in some parts such as the eye, ear, nose and lip.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
These types of skin cancer are a malignant tumor of the epithelium that shows squamous cell differentiation. It is a form of cancer of the carcinoma type that may occur in many different organs including the skin, the mouth, esophagus, lungs and cervix. Squamous cell carcinoma is usually developed in the epithelial layer of the skin and sometimes various mucous membranes of the body. These types of cancer can be seen the skin, lips, inside the mouth, throat and esophagus, and is characterized by red scaly skin that becomes an open sore. Smoking is a significant risk factor of this disease. Other risk factors include sun exposure, radiation therapy, exposure to carcinogens, chronic skin irritation or inflammation, genetics diseases, and presence of premalignant lesions. To diagnose this disease, a biopsy is done where a sample is taken and examined under a microscope, and if found to be cancerous, surgery is done to remove it.
Melanoma
These types of skin cancer are the most lethal form of skin cancer. Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes predominantly occur in the skin but can also be found elsewhere, especially in the eye. The large majority of melanomas originate in the skin. As with most forms of cancer, early detection of the disease gives a patient a much better chance of survival. It has been found in studies that exposure to ultraviolet radiation is one of the major contributors to the development of melanoma. Other factors are mutations in or total loss of tumor suppressor genes. Use of sunbeds (with deeply penetrating UVA rays) has been linked to the development of skin cancers, including melanoma. A family history of melanoma greatly increases a person’s risk. Any mole that is irregular in color or shape should be examined by a doctor to determine if it is a malignant melanoma, the most serious and life-threatening form of skin cancer. The diagnosis of melanoma requires experience, as early stages may look identical to harmless moles or not have any color at all. Treatment of this type of skin cancer includes surgery, medication or chemotherapy, radiation and other therapies.
All of these types of skin cancer are the most common and should not be taken lightly. When there is doubt of having the signs or symptoms of cancer, seeing the doctor is advised for proper diagnosis and treatment if ever confirmed, this will give the patient greater chance of survival.
Testicular cancer is most common among males aged fifteen to forty years old, and it has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers. In about ninety percent who have testicular cancer, essentially one hundred percent if it has not spread. Even in a few cases where it has spread widely, chemotherapy offers a cure rate of at least fifty percent.
Testicular cancer also sometimes called germ cell tumor, is a cancer that develops in a testicle (a part of the male reproductive system). Most testicular cancers are first found out by men themselves when they encounter a tumor when doing a testicular self-examination or by accident. The testicles are smooth, oval-shaped, and rather firm. For men who examine themselves regularly is familiar with the way their testicles feel and any changes in them should be reported to the doctor without delay.
The precise cause of this disease is still unknown. Any man can develop testicular cancer but the disease accounts for only one percent of all cancers in men in the United States. In most other types of cancer in men, most affect older men (or children), but this cancer most often occurs in young post-adolescent men. This disease not contagious and no one can “catch” testicular cancer from another person. Research has shown that the risk is higher than average for boys born with their testicle in the lower abdomen rather than in the scrotum. If not corrected in early childhood, boys with this condition (called undescended testicles or cryptorchidism) has higher cancer risk. Other risk factors include congenital abnormalities, history of testicular cancer of the patient and in the family.
Warning Signs and Symptoms:
* A lump in either testicle;
* Any enlargement of a testicle;
* A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum;
* A dull ache in the lower abdomen or in the groin;
* A sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum;
* Pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum;
* Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts
These symptoms are not sure signs of cancer, and they can be caused by other conditions; however it is always important to see a doctor if any of these symptoms lasts as long as two weeks. If illnesses and diseases, particularly cancer is diagnosed early, the better chance for recovery.
The three basic types of treatment for the disease are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Surgery. This treatment involves removing the testicle through incision in the groin which is called radical inguinal orchiectomy. Men may be concerned of the surgery affecting their ability to have sexual intercourse or make them sterile, however a man having one healthy testicle can still have a normal erection and produce sperm, therefore an operation to remove one testicle does not make a man impotent and seldom interferes with fertility.
Radiation Therapy. This treatment involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. It is a local therapy which means it affects cancer cells only in the treated area.
Chemotherapy. This treatment uses anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. When this type of treatment is given to a cancer patient, it is usually given as adjuvant therapy (after surgery) to destroy cancerous cells that may remain in the body.
It is natural to have many different and sometimes confusing emotions when a man learns that he has testicular cancer. Patients are usually better able to handle these feelings if they talk about their illness and share their feelings to family members and friends. Life can change for them and for people who care about them.
Skin cancer is the most common of human cancer. It is estimated that over a million new cases occur annually. The skin is the largest organ of the human body, serving in both a protective layer and aesthetic capacity. Skin cancer refers to several types of malignancies that can occur, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and malignant melanoma. Although the first two types of skin malignancies are usually more treatable and are often described together as nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC), melanoma is classified as a separate type of cancer with typically more aggressive behavior and prognosis.
Types of Skin Cancer
Basal cell skin cancer grows slowly. It usually occurs on areas of the skin that have been in the sun, and it is most common on the face. Basal cell cancer rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
Squamous cell skin cancer also occurs on parts of the skin that have been in the sun, but it also may be in places that are not in the sun. Squamous cell cancer sometimes spreads to lymph nodes and organs inside the body.
Minor surface skin can cancers care readily treatable by simple surgery, but if the cancer is allowed to grow, it can penetrate through the layers of skin and affect the lymphatic system. It may also spread to other parts of the body (metastasize). Skin cancers which are aggressive, recurrent or located upon ‘high risk sites’ of the body such as the central face, scalp, ears, or genitalia, may require more advanced surgical approaches such as Moh’s micrographic surgery to attain high cure rates.
Signs and Symptoms
There are various symptoms for different skin cancer. These includes sores or changes in the skin that do not heal, ulcers in the skin or, discoloring in parts of the skin, and changes in existing moles.
Basal cell carcinoma usually looks like a raised, smooth, pearly bump on the sun-exposed skin of the head, neck or shoulders. Sometimes small blood vessels can be seen within the tumor. Crusting and bleeding in the center of the tumour frequently develops. It is often mistaken for a sore that does not heal.
Squamous cell carcinoma is commonly a red, scaling, thickened patch on sun-exposed skin. Ulceration and bleeding may occur. When SCC is not treated, it may develop into a large mass.
Most malignant melanomas are brown to black looking lesions. Signs that might indicate a malignant melanoma include change in size, shape, color or elevation of a mole. The appearance of a new mole during adulthood, or new pain, itching, ulceration or bleeding of an existing mole should be checked.
Skin cancer is usually not painful but can sometimes be. Checking your skin for new gorwths or other changes is advisable, but always remember that changes in the skin are not a sure sign of skin cancer. Still you have to let your doctor examine any changes to your skin right away for proper diagnosis and treatment of skin problems.
Rates of prostate cancer vary widely across the world. It is least common in South and East Asia, more common in Europe, though the rates vary widely between countries, and most common in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is least common among Asian men and most common among black men with figures for European men in between. However, these high rates may be affected by increasing rates of detection. Although prostate cancer can sometimes strike younger men, the risk of getting it increases with age and more than seventy percent of men diagnosed with the disease are over the age of sixty five.
Prostate cancer can occur in men only; the prostate is exculsively of the male reproductive tract. Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate of the male reproductive system, this happens when cells in the prostate begin to grow out of control and can then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Large collections of this out of control tissue are called tumors. The tumor usually grows slowly and remains confined to the gland for many years. During this time, the tumor produces little or no symptoms or outward signs (abnormalities on physical examination). As the cancer advances, however, it can spread beyond the prostate into the surrounding tissues (local spread). Moreover, the cancer also can metastasize (spread even farther) throughout other areas of the body, such as the bones, lungs, and liver. Symptoms and signs, therefore, are more often associated with advanced prostate cancer. Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, erectile dysfunction and other symptoms.
The cause of prostate cancer has not been identified but the cancer is thought to be related to benign prostatic hypertrophy (BHP). The risk factors of prostate cancer include advancing age, heredity, hormonal influences, and such enviromental toxins, chemicals, and industrial products. The best way to try and prevent prostate cancer is to modify the risk factors for the disease that you have control over. You may want to try to eat a low fat diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables. Certain foods, vitamins and minerals have been suggested to decrease your chances of getting prostate cancer, however doctors are still studying more data before any particular food or supplement can be endorsed for preventing the disease. Currently, there are studies looking at selenium, lycopen, vitamin A and other retinoids, vitamin D, vitamin E, and soy for prostate cancer prevention.
Since prostate cancer is a disease of older men, many will die of other causes before the disease can spread or cause symptoms. Deciding on treatment can be daunting not only because there are far better options for treatment today that they were ten years ago but also because not enough relaiable data are available on which to base the decisions. Prostate cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, occasionally chemotherapy, or some combination of these.
Most men who have the risk factors do not get the disease, on the other hand men who do get the disease often have no known risk factors, except for growing older. If you think that you may be at risk, you should consult your doctor immediately so that you may be given suggestions on ways of reducing your risk and can plan scheduled check-ups.
In the United States, cancer of the pancreas is diagnosed in more than twenty nine thousand people every year, with more than sixty thousand in Europe. It is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths. Living with a serious disease such as pancreatic cancer is not easy, some people may find coping with the emotional and practical aspects of their disease very difficult. People living with pancreatic cancer may worry about the future. They may worry about caring for themselves or their families, keeping their jobs, or continuing daily activities. Concerns about treatments and managing side effects, hospital stays, and medical bills are also common. Other patients join support groups where family members get together to share what they have learned about coping with their disease and the effects of treatment. Knowing and learning more about what you’re up against always eases the burden and helps prepare patients not only practically but physically and emotionally as well.
Pancreatic cancer, also called cancer of the pancreas is represented by the growth of a malignant tumor within the pancreatic gland. About seventy percent of pancreatic cancers occur in the head of the pancreas, and most of these begin in the ducts that carry the enzymes. Although the exact cause of pancreatic cancer is not known, smoking is a major risk factor. Research shows that cigarette smokers develop cancers of the pancreas three times more often than non-smokers.
Pancreatic cancer has been called a “silent” disease because early pancreatic cancer usually does not cause symptoms. If the tumor blocks the common bile duct and bile cannot pass into the digestive system, the skin and whites of the eyes may become yellow, and the urine may become darker. This condition is called jaundice. As the cancer grows and spreads, pain often develops in the upper abdomen and sometimes spreads to the back. The pain may become worse after the person eats or lies down. Cancer of the pancreas can also cause nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and weakness.
Treatment of the cancer depends on factors such as the type, size, and extent of the tumor as well as the patient’s age and general health. Treatment of the disease is curable only when it is found in the earliest stages before it has spread, or it is difficult to cure. However, it can be treated, symptoms can be relieved, and the quality of the patient’s life can be improved. Treatment includes surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Biological therapy is also being studied by researchers to see whether it can be helpful in treating the disease.
Learning to live with the changes that can be brought about by cancer would be easier for patients and those who care about them when they have helpful information and support services. Patients can always seek the aid of local and national agencies that help with the emotional support, financial aid, transportation, or home care.
As women get older, their risk of having ovarian cancer increases. The diagnosis of ovarian cancer brings with it many questions that needs clear understandable answers. Knowing and having more information about this disease can make it easier for women and their families to handle the challenges they face. Cancer researchers continue to study and learn more about ovarian cancer.
The ovaries are a pair of organs in the female reproductive system. They are located in a woman’s pelvis, one on each side of the uterus (the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows). Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond and they can often be felt by a doctor during bi-manual portion of a pelvic examination. The ovaries have to main functions: production of eggs and production of female hormones (chemicals that control the way certain cells or organs functions). Every month during menstrual cycle, an egg is released from one ovary in a process called ovulation. The ovaries are also the main source of female hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones influence the development of a woman’s breasts, body shape, and body hair. They also regulate the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
A malignant tumor (mass of cells that form due to abnormal uncontrollable production of cells in the body) that begins in the ovaries is called ovarian cancer. There are numerous types of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer that begins on the surface of the ovary (epithelial carcinoma) is the most common type. Ovarian cancer that begins in the egg-producing cells (germ cell tumors) and cancer that begins in the supportive tissue surrounding the ovaries (stromal tumors) are rare. In a process called shedding, ovarian cancer cells can break away from the ovary and spread to other tissues and organs; when it sheds, it tends to seed (form new tumors) on the peritoneum (the large membrane that lines the abdomen) and on the diaphragm (the thin muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen). Fluid may gather in the abdomen, this condition is known as ascites. It may make a woman feel bloated, or her abdomen may look swollen. Ovarian cancer cells can also enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system the tissues and organs that produce and store cells that fight infection and disease). Once in the bloodstream or lymphatic system, the cancer cells can travel and form new tumors in other parts of the body.
The risk for developing ovarian cancer appears to be affected by several factors. The more children a woman has, the lower her risk of ovarian cancer. Early age at first pregnancy, older ages of final pregnancy, and the use of some oral contraceptive pills have also been shown to have a protective effect. Ovarian cancer is reduced in women after tubal ligation. Risk factors for getting ovarian cancer includes age, the older a woman becomes, the highert the chances of getting it; family history, particulary family members affected at an early age; other factors that have been investigated, such as talc use, asbestos exposure, high dietary fat content, and childhood mumps infection, are controversial and have not been definitively proven.
Early stages of this cancer usually do not cause any symptoms, and even when it does produce symptoms, they are often very non-specific and don’t point towards diagnosis of ovarian cancer. When the tumor grows in size it produces a variety of problems that includes abdominal swelling or abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding between periods or after menopause, bloating, gas, indigestion or cramps, pelvic pain loss of appetite, feeling full after a small meal, or feeling full very easily, changes in bowel or bladder habits, and weight loss or weight gain. These symptoms are non-specific and could present a variety of different conditions; however checking with your doctor is advisable if you develop any of these problems.
Treatment of the disease depends on a number of factors including the stage of the disease and the general health of the patient. Surgery is the usual initial treatment for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Studies have shown that surgery performed by a specialist in gynecologic oncology usually result in a higher rate of cure. Other treatment includes chemotherapy and radiationa therapy.
The National Cancer Institute is supporting and conducting research on the causes and prevention of ovarian cancer. Cancer support groups provide an environment where cancer patients can talk about living with cancer with others who may be having similar experiences. This helps patients in coping up with the emotional aspects of their disease.
