Cancer

Currently, there are 200 types of cancer that affect our tissues. And what affects one part of the body might not affect other parts. For example, tobacco, a factor leading to bronchial cancer, is not a cause skin cancer. So here is where we can find the answer to the question “who does cancer affect?”

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Most diseases are called multifactorial because many factors act together to trigger them. Cancer is not an exception to the rule. Thus, tobacco is a cancer factor, it is carcinogenic, but not all smokers develop cancer, because other factors intervene, such as alcohol.

To see who does cancer affect, we can classify the factors into 6 main groups: -Age; -Genetic heritage; -Immune System; -Diet; -Environment; -Viruses. Age: as the human age grows in time, cells suffer alterations, namely they change their structure, in a genetic or carcinogenic fashion, and sometimes this can cause cancer.

Genetic heritage: for a cell to become cancerous, it must undergo a number of genetic mutations. If it happens that these mutations were there from birth, then this is a genetic cause. It is genetic predisposition. However, people are not all cancer prone and most cancers occur without genetic predisposition.

The immune system: it defends the body from harmful agents and foreign infiltrations: germs, viruses, cancer cells, organ transplants, etc. People whose immunity decreases are exposed to certain types of cancer.They are:

-Patients who have had a transplant: to avoid rejection, they are prescribed drugs that bypass the immune system.
-Patients who suffer from certain rare or genetic diseases, which have an impact on the immune system.

These people are mainly affected by two types of cancer: -The cancer of viral origin - cervical cancer, for example; -Lymphoma, developed from the lymphocytes, which are themselves part of the immune system

Diet: An estimated one in three cancer cases are related to errors in nutrition. In the West, people are eating too much animal fat, not enough fruits and vegetables. But there are still too many unknowns here to draw a clear conclusion.

About 15 years ago, coffee was accused of being a carcinogen for the pancreas and bladder. Today we know that’s not true. Food additives are often blamed but their quantity is, however, often too small to be a threat. No doubt, to avoid the accumulation of toxins in the body, nutritionists recommend diets as varied as possible.

Environment. This includes tobacco smoke, sun, natural or man-made radiation, asbestos, pollution at the workplace, such as the one faced by miners.

Viruses. The types of cancers caused by viruses are not contagious. Viruses act in a manner that allows for genetic mutations and they cause chronic inflammation and train. For example, there is a connection between  cervical cancer and the HPV virus, between liver cancer and hepatitis B and C. Viruses do nothing but increase the risk. Not all infected people get sick with cancer. We also need to not that cirrhosis, especially those caused by the abusive consumption of alcohol, can easily degenerate into cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, usually located on the second place, after skin cancer. Taking into account current life expectancy, it was determined that approximately one in nine women will suffer from breast cancer.

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The cause and treatment of this disease have not been identified yet, but, if found in an early stage of evolution, can be treated with good results with conservative breast surgery followed by radiotherapy. This treatment of cancer diagnosed early, is ensuring a survival rate of five years for 97% of the patients.

What should I do to detect breast cancer early?
1. Clinical examination of the breast: women aged between 20 and 40 should benefit from this exam as part of the overall control of the state of health, preferably once every three years. Women over 40 should be examined by a specialist once a year.

2. Mammography: It is an X-ray examination of the breast, with very low doses of radiation X women over 40 years old should receive an annual mammogram. If you see something suspicious in the breast or have family cases of breast cancer, check with your doctor the moment when you should begin to make this investigation. Although some cancers may not be detected by mammography, it still remains an excellent method of diagnosis.

3. Breast self-examination: This method of early detection of breast cancer is important. To give the best results, make it 10 days after menstruation. If you do not have a regular menstrual cycle, use for self-examination the same day of the month. Romania PCA website you can find self-examination techniques, along with other useful information related to the subject.

What are the factors involved in the genesis of breast cancer - Risk factors: gender, age, genetic risk, family history, personal history of breast cancer, race, radiological examinations at age, biopsy, hormone replacement therapy, alcohol, obesity.

Protective factors: breastfeeding, physical exercise, balanced diet; Signs and symptoms that may suggest breast cancer.
1. Tumor mass (swelling) in the armpit, breast or nearby. If we painful, rough, irregular edges, adhering to surrounding tissues, there is likely to be cancerous.
2. A feeling of more dense area than the surrounding tissues.
3. Change in shape or size of the breast.
4. So and so, the appearance of depressions or redness of the breast skin.
5. Nipple pain or the formation of a depression.
6. Any secretion, different milk.

If you have any of these signs, consult a specialist immediately! Not every change they feel in your breasts mean cancer, 80% of the bumps are benign, but the best for you is that a physician will indicate if you need investigations.

To remember: 1. Breast cancer can occur at any age, but as we age, the risk increases; 2. The risk to do a breast cancer at 70 years is twice that of 50 years. 3. More than 70% percent of women with breast cancer had a sick family member. 4. Early diagnosis means better chances of survival. 5. Mammography is a safe and effective tool for detecting breast cancer even before it can be felt. There are several breast cancer websites. If you are interested in more information or on charity products, you can visit some breast cancer websites, such as breastcancer.org or women.org.

Every month, a woman’s breasts go through a series of temporary changes associated with menstruation, which can include formation of a knot. Although most of these bumps are not cancerous, any lump that occurs should be examined immediately by a doctor.

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Breast cancer usually begins with the formation of a small well-defined tumor. Some tumors are benign, meaning they do not invade other tissues, others are malignant, or cancerous. Malignant tumors have the potential to be metastases, namely to spread. Once such a tumor reaches a certain size, it is more likely to radiate cells and spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream and lymphatic system.

Different types of breast cancer grow and spread at different rates. Some of them have years to spread beyond the breast, while others spread rapidly. Fortunately, breast cancer is very treatable if detected early. Localized tumors can usually be successfully treated before the cancer spreads, and in 9 of 10 cases, the patient will live at least another 5 years. Experts generally consider the survival of 5 years is a cure.

After the cancer begins to spread, completely getting rid of it is more difficult, although treatment can often keep the disease under control for years. Improved procedures for screening and better treatment options make sure that over seven in ten female breast cancer patients will survive more than five years after initial diagnosis, and half of them survive more than 10 years.

According to studies, the combination of the breast cancer drug Avastin with chemotherapy can double the chances of survival for women with breast cancer. The cancer patients that cannot be treated with Herceptin, another  breast cancer drug, can have their chances of recovery boosted if they receive treatment that deprives tumors of blood.

Avastin is designed to block the nutrients that feed tumors and has been shown to significantly slow down the disease. This breast cancer drug is already used to treat bowel cancer, and was administered in combination with chemotherapy drug Taxol. The second battles it out with cancer at a different level. Chemotherapy attacks the tumor while Avastin prevents the formation of blood vessels, by removing nutrients.

The cancer has remained stable for 11.4 months in women taking the 2 drugs combined, in contrast to 6.11 months in those who took Taxol alone. The study raises the life expectancy of 80% of patients suffering from breast cancer, who have tumors with a different genetic pattern, which Herceptin can not treat.

Herceptin reduces the risk of cancer recurrence by half, attacking a protein produced by cancer with the HER2 gene. This is a good option only 1 in 5 patients with this disease. Avastin, also known as bevacizumab, and produced by the company Roche, is recommended for the remaining patients.

Robin Zon, a researcher taking part in the study, said: “These results are good news for women suffering from breast cancer. We have demonstrated that this works in some patients, those with disease in advanced form. By proving this, we hope to use bevacizumab (Avastin) in the population suffering from breast cancer and metastasis to lymph nodes, increasing the chances of cure”.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Already growing in the developed world, the frequency of breast cancer scares even the most optimistic experts. Annually, this scourge reap the lives of over 77 000 women, only in Europe. What is more worrying though is that this type of cancer incidence increases steadily every year.

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Every woman can become a victim of breast cancer and therefore each of us has a moral obligation to themselves and their loved ones to be informed in advance in terms of danger lurks especially once we get older. What is cancer? - To answer this question it is necessary a thorough anatomical knowledge. The human body consists of trillions of cells that form tissues of different organs (heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, brain). These small bodies emit and receive signals along different division of their lives or the termination of the process of multiplication.

If you refuse to answer but one of the cells to these signals, the activity was out of control-cell to multiply out of control, the expense of others. This is the way breast cancer takes place, as a result of the uncontrolled activity of a cell. Another very serious problem facing the contemporary medical world is that breast cancer is increasingly more common in very young patients, which indicated quite exceptional ages of 30 or even 20 years old.

Thanks to its values and aesthetics because the breast has always been a prominent symbol of femininity, psychological implications of breast cancer in the status of women are great. Thus, many women express a real phobia of this disease and its incidence is a permanently growing a source of stress. Paradoxically, this “fear” always makes some patients go and see a doctor in order to have a medical examination.

What are the factors of cancer? - After thousands of tests conducted in the most famous and best-performing laboratory analysis techniques, researchers have established a number of factors leading to cancer cells. One cause of breast cancer is the early appearance of the first menstruation, absence of birth, setting the late menopause, late pregnancy (under the age of 40 years). Another cause of breast cancer is the genetic-history of breast cancer in the family tree, as well as eating excessive external fat and chemical preservatives, or excess weight loss.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer? - In most sick women, the first manifestation of this disease is the emergence of a node in the upper part of the breast, near the armpit. Other symptoms, less common, are secret and the deflection shape of the nipple. And there have been reported cases, but the disease did not show any external signs. What is important to know is that not every node in the breast is cancerous. It may be a cyst, a benign common or may be due to premenstrual period.

The risk factors are those factors that increase a person’s risk of developing breast cancer. The risk factors for breast cancer include: - Advanced age; - Early first menstruation; - Women who have children or those who have their first child in old age; - This breast cancer or benign (non-cancerous) family; - This type of cancer in mother or sister; - Radiotherapy made for chest / breast; - After conducting mammography discovery of a more dense tissue in breast; - Use of hormonal preparations (such as estrogen and progesterone); - Drinking alcohol; - being Caucasian.

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Breast cancer is sometimes caused by mutation (defective) genetic inheritance. Genes that are inherited relay information from both parents. Inherited breast cancer accounts for approximately 5 to 10% of all cancers. Certain types of modified genes are responsible for breast cancer and are more common in certain ethnic groups.

Women who have altered genes that cause breast cancer and who previously had cancer in one breast have an increased risk of developing cancer and other breast. Also, men who have modified genes responsible for breast cancer have an increased risk of developing this disease. To detect gene defects there is a possibility of performing genetic tests. These genetic tests are recommended sometimes to other family members who have an increased risk of developing cancer.

Investigations - Investigations which examine the breasts are designed to detect (find) and diagnose breast cancer. The following tests and procedures may be used for this purpose: - Mammogram: Radiological exploration of the breast - Biopsy: is a method by which cells or tissue taken from the tumor for examination under a microscope by the pathologist, in order to detect changes due to cancer, in case of revealing unusual formations in the breast.

There are four types of biopsies: - Excisional biopsy: this method is used on entirely unusual formation or tissue - Incisional biopsy: this method removes only part of the formation or unusual tissue - Intralesional biopsy: this method removes some of the unusual formation or tissue using a needle biopsy - With a needle biopsy or by aspiration biopsy: this method removes either part of the formation or unusual tissue or fluid using a thin needle biopsy.

Breast cancer radiation treatment - it is a therapeutic option for cancer which uses high intensity X radiation or other radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to generate X-rays to be directed to the area where the tumor is located. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance encapsulated in needles, caps, wires, or catheters that are placed inside or near the cancer.

The type of radiation therapy used depends on the type and stage of cancer to be treated.Chemotherapy - Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop cancer cell growth, both through their destruction and by stopping the division (multiplication). Mode of administration and type of chemotherapy used depends on the type and stage of tumor to be treated.

Breast reconstruction is a surgery meant to restore a breast that is lost following mastectomy (total removal of a breast) or correct defects from the partial removal of breast tissue. The breast cancer reconstruction is trying to recover the position, volume, shape, texture and if possible, the sensitivity of the breast.

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The surgery can be done either by creating a breast form with a silicone implant placed under the skin and the chest muscles or using skin, fat or muscle from another area of their body. There are situations where there can be used a combination of these techniques.

Together with the surgeon, the patient will make a decision on which technique would suit them best. This depends mainly on: • the amount of breast tissue removed • status of the tissue operated • If the patient has followed radiotherapy • general health • own choice weighing advantages and disadvantages of each technique

Nipple and areola can be rebuilt, realize this is through separate interventions, no earlier than 4 months after the reconstructed breast was brought to its final form. Why do you think about breast cancer reconstruction? There are many questions and feelings on breast reconstruction, but first and most important question that must be answered is if you want breast reconstruction.

Not every woman has been feeling the need for mastectomy breast reconstruction, but for many women, the greatest reward is the reconstruction of the breast that was removed due to cancer or other diseases. Medical personnel can offer recommendations, family members can say what they think you should do, but only you can take the right decision. The more you know about the disease and treatment possibilities, the better you will be able to know what to do. Most women who underwent mastectomy breast reconstruction want breast reconstruction surgery later.

What can you expect from breast reconstruction? The results of this type of surgery vary widely from case to case. It is almost impossible to obtain a perfect match with breast reconstruction, because results can be natural but also can be relatively similar to the initial breast.

There is a possibility that the reconstructed breast to be more firm, to look more round or more flat than the natural breast, or may not have the same shape, but these differences are significant and evident only for the patient.For most patients with mastectomy, breast reconstruction dramatically improves their image and confidence and of course the quality of life after surgery.

Benefits of reconstruction: • The clothes (or underwear or bathing suit), your appearance will be similar to that before surgery;• Even without clothes, you can feel better with a permanent breast form; • You will be forced to wear an external artificial breast (prosthesis external); • It can help you regain confidence in yourself and feel feminine again, attractive and sexual; However, information about the possibilities of breast reconstruction after mastectomy should be discussed with your doctor before and after the surgery.

Men who masturbate frequently have a lower risk of prostate cancer, shows a study by researchers from the Victoria Cancer Council in Australia. It seems that cancer genes accumulate in the prostate if men do not ejaculate regularly. Scientists have conducted research on a sample of 2250 men, of whom 1000 were diagnosed with prostate cancer.

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Thus, they found that those who ejaculated most often between 20 and 50 are the least likely to get prostate cancer. For example, men who ejaculated more than five times a week were three times less likely to develop cancer compared to those who have not eliminated sperm.

Sex is not as beneficial in terms of cancer, researchers said, explaining that this is the increased risk of contacting sexually transmitted diseases, which increases the possibility of cancer. Animal studies have shown that a chemical agent is stored in the prostate, and it has cancer inducing properties. Ejaculation frequency stimulates the cancer-inducing fluids to evacuate.

The prostate is a male reproductive gland located just below the bladder (the organ that collects and empties urine) and in front of the rectum (lower bowel). Its size is like a walnut and surrounds part of the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder). The prostate gland produces fluid that forms part of the semen.

Prostate cancer is found mainly in older men. As men age, the prostate may enlarge and block the urethra or bladder. This can cause difficulty in urination or can interfere with sexual function. The condition is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and although it is not cancer, you may need surgery to correct it. The symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia or other problems affecting the prostate may be similar to symptoms of prostate cancer.

These and other symptoms may be caused by prostate cancer. There is the possibility that other conditions may cause the same symptoms. Call your doctor if you have any of the following problems:

-Decreased caliber or interrupted urinary stream. -Increased frequency of urination (especially at night). -Difficulty urinating.-Pain or burning during urination (expulsion of urine).-Blood in urine or semen.-Pain in the back, hips or pelvis that does not disappear.-Painful ejaculation.

You can use the following tests and procedures: -Digital rectal exam (DRE): examination of the rectum. The doctor or nurse inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and feels the prostate through the rectal wall for lumps or abnormal areas.-Test of prostate specific antigen (PSA): A test that measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a substance made by the prostate that can be found in greater quantity in the blood of men with prostate cancer. PSA levels may also be high in men who suffer an infection or inflammation of the prostate, or who have BPH (enlarged prostate, but not cancer).

-Transrectal ultrasound: A procedure in which a probe that is about the size of a finger is inserted into the rectum to check the prostate. The probe is used to bounce sound waves of high energy (ultrasound) in the inner tissues of the prostate and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. Transrectal ultrasound can be used during a biopsy.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women, taking the second place, after skin cancer. Taking into account the current life expectancy, it was determined that approximately one in nine women will suffer from breast cancer.

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The cause and treatment of this disease have not been identified yet, but, if found in an early stage of evolution, can be treated with good results with conservative breast surgery followed by radiotherapy. This treatment of cancer diagnosed early, is ensuring a survival rate of five years of 97%. What should I do to detect breast cancer early?

1. Clinical examination of the breast: women aged between 20 and 40 should benefit from this exam as part of the overall control of the state of health, preferably once every three years. Women over 40 should be examined by a specialist once a year.

2. Mammography: It is an X-ray examination of the breast, with very low doses of radiation X Women over 40 years should receive an annual mammogram. If you see something suspicious in the breast or you have family cases of breast cancer, check with your doctor the moment when you should begin to make this investigation. Although some cancers may not be detected by mammography, it still remains an excellent method of diagnosis.

3. Breast self-examination: This method of early detection of breast cancer is important. To have the best results, make it to 10 days after menstruation. If you do not have a regular menstrual cycle, use this method the same day of the month.

What are the factors involved in the genesis of breast cancer - Risk factors: gender, age, genetic risk, family history, personal history of breast cancer, race, radiological examinations at age, biopsy, hormone replacement therapy, alcohol, obesity. Protective factors: breastfeeding, physical exercise, balanced diet.

Signs and symptoms that may suggest a breast cancer: 1. Tumor mass (swelling) in the armpit, breast or nearby. If it is painful, rough, irregular edges, adhering to surrounding tissues, there is likely to be cancerous. 2. Abnormal area of the breast. The feeling is charged denser than the surrounding tissues. 3. Change in shape or size of the breast. 4. So and so, the appearance of depressions or reddening of the skin breast. 5. Nipple pain or the formation of a depression. 6. Any abnormal secretion, different milk.

If you have any of these signs, consult a specialist immediately! Not every change you feel in your breasts mean cancer, because 80% of the bumps are benign, but the best for you is that a physician will indicate if you need investigations. To remember: 1. Breast cancer can occur at any age, but as we age, the risk increases. 2. The risk to develop a breast cancer at 70 years is twice that at 50 years.

3. More than 70% percent of women with breast cancer had someone sick from this disease in their family. 4. Early diagnosis means better chances of survival. 5. Mammography is a safe and effective tool for detecting breast cancer even before it can be felt. Annual examination by a specialist and monthly self-examination are very important. If you are interested in breast cancer foundations, there is the National Breast Cancer Foundation Australia. The Breast Cancer Foundation Australia raises money for breast cancer research, prevention, treatment and detection.

Throat cancer - First Signs: The main cause of throat cancer is smoking. Once a person is suffering from throat cancer, this can affect any part of the mouth or throat.

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There are several symptoms pointing to throat cancer. Later, we will also cover the stages of throat cancer. The symptoms may include:
-open wound in the mouth that does not heal; -persistent and continuous pain in the mouth and throat; -painful or difficult eating; -constant cough; -swelling or pain in the neck

The causes that lead to throat cancer are smoking or alcohol abuse. The cure for any type of throat cancer is an operation of removal of the larynx or pharynx, total or partial. Another name for throat cancer is cancer of the pharynx. It is one of the many types of cancer in the neck or head. Then there is also larynx cancer and esophageal cancer. The risk is higher in men than in women and increases with age.

Throat cancer is primarily caused by smoking and can affect any part of the mouth or throat. Throat cancer occurs when cells located in the component organs used in breathing, swallowing the talking begin to divide without control. In most patients suffering from throat cancer, the disease begins with the vocal cords and then spreads to the neighboring organs.

The first sign of throat cancer is the changing sound of the voice. This may include a constant hoarseness. Other signs that show throat cancer are problems swallowing, swelling in the throat or coughing. Other cancers caused by smoking include breast cancer, lung cancer, oral cancer and so on.

Esophageal cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the esophageal tissue. The esophagus is the muscular duct that carries food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach.

Staging is the process used to quantify the degree of expansion of malignant cells in the esophagus and other organs. Data gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. The stages of throat cancer are important in the decision of one treatment or another.

An esophageal cancer progresses from Stage 0 to stage IV as malignant cells are growing in the esophageal wall layers and affect the lymph nodes or other organs.
Stage 0 - (carcinoma in situ) the cancer is found only in cells of the esophageal mucous.
Stage I - the cancer has spread beyond the mucous, to the tissue layer next to the esophageal wall.
Stage II - is divided into stage IIA and IIB, depending on the location of expansion:
- Stage IIA - cancer reached the esophageal muscle or its outer wall
- Stage IIB – the cancer is expanded to any of the three layers of the esophagus and the lymph nodes.

Stage III – the cancer of the esophagus has eventually reached the outer wall tissue or adjacent lymph nodes.

Stage IV - is divided into stage IVA and stage IVB:
- Stage IVA – the cancer has affected adjacent lymph nodes or distant ones
- Stage IVB – the cancer has affected lymph nodes and remote organs.
Recurrent esophageal cancer - Recurrent esophageal cancer is a disease that recurs after being treated. It may return in the esophagus or in any other region of the body.

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cells (cancer) develop in the breast tissue. Mammary gland (breast) is made up of lobes and ducts. Each mammary gland is composed of 15-20 segments called lobes, which in turn are made up of smaller sections called lobules. The lobules are made of dense cells (bulbs) that produce milk.

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The most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma, which develops from the ducts. Breast cancer that develops from the lobes or lobules is called lobular carcinoma and is the most common type of breast cancer affecting both breasts. Inflammatory breast carcinoma is one of the rarest types of cancer that show signs of inflammatory breast (redness, local heat and swelling). Age and breast cancer in this family influence the risk of breast cancer.

Here is a list of breast cancer treatment options. Today we are using four types of standard treatment:
Surgery - Most patients with breast cancer require surgery to remove malignant tissue from the breast. Also, during surgery doctors can eradicate some or all axillary lymph nodes of the affected breast to be investigated under the microscope in order to detect malignant cells at this level.

Breast conservative surgery is a surgery that consists of removing the malignant breast tissue but without removing the whole breast.  Other breast cancer treatment options are:

Total Mastectomy -Which surgically removes the entire mammary gland tumor that contains cancer. This method is also called simple mastectomy. Some axillary lymph nodes are removed for biopsy during surgery or after. Axillary lymph removal is done through a separate incision. The dotted lines delimit the area of the entire breast to be removed. Also, some lymph nodes may be removed.

Modified radical mastectomy -It is a surgery which removes the entire cancerous tumor, mammary gland, which contains a large number of axillary lymph nodes, muscle tissue lining the chest and sometimes what is excise and part of the chest wall muscle.

-Modified radical mastectomy: the dotted lines delimit the entire breast and lymph nodes area to be removed. Also, part of the chest muscle wall can be removed.

-radical mastectomy: is a surgical method that removes the entire mammary gland tumor that contains cancer, muscular wall of the chest below the breast and all axillary lymph nodes. Sometimes, this procedure is called Halsted radical mastectomy.

Radiotherapy - Radiation therapy is a therapeutic option for cancer which uses high intensity X radiation or other radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to generate X-rays to be directed to the area where the tumor is located. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance encapsulated in needles, caps, wires, or catheters that are placed inside or near the cancer tumor. The type of radiation therapy depends on the type and stage of cancer.

Chemotherapy - Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop cancer cell growth, both through their destruction and by stopping the division (multiplication).
Hormone therapy - Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action, thus stopping the growth of cancer cells. Hormones are substances produced by endocrine glands in the body and delivered directly into the bloodstream. Some hormones can cause certain types of tumor growth.