Monday, December 29, 2008
General Synopsis of Male Breast Cancer
Male Breast Cancer Symptoms
Though most lumps or changes in the breast for men are benign (not cancerous) abnormalities, men should still report any major changes, irritations or problems to their doctors as soon as possible.
The most common symptoms of breast cancer in men are actually quite similar to the symptoms for women. These include nipple inversion, detecting a lump, unexplained tissue growth, change in breast size, skin puckering or dimpling, nipple discharge, itchiness or redness.
Men generally have less breast tissue than women, making it much easier to detect lumps. However, this also means the cancer can spread to other parts of the body more quickly than in women. This is why early detection is so critical for men.
Contributing Factors for Men's Breast Cancer
Elder Age
Most men diagnosed with male breast cancer are between the ages of 60 and 70.
Family History
Approximately 20 percent of men with breast cancer have one or more close family members who have or have had the disease.
Prior Radiation Exposure
Radiation exposure to the chest (for example, past treatment for lung cancer) can be a risk factor for the development of male breast cancer.
History of Liver Diseases
The liver works to regulate hormones, meaning men who have survived liver failure or liver disease often have lower levels of androgens, the male hormones. Those low levels can put them at a higher risk for developing breast cancer or non-cancerous tissue growth.
Estrogen Therapy
Often men who are being treated for prostate cancer are put on estrogen treatments to help control the disease. These men may be at a higher risk for developing breast cancer. That said, the American Cancer Society says those risks are small and worth the benefits of improved health for prostate cancer patients.
Klinefelter's
Typically, men are born with one Y chromosome and one X chromosome. Klinefelter's Syndrome is when a man is born with two or more X chromosomes (female chromosomes). Approximately 1 in 850 men were born with Klinefelter's.
Men with this syndrome generally have lower levels of androgens and higher levels of estrogen and are therefore at a greater risk for developing male breast cancer.
How Breast Cancer in Men is Treated
Methods for treating men's breast cancer include surgical removal of the tumor and any cancerous cells, chemo, radiation therapy, hormone therapy or a combination of all these treatments.
The survival rates for men with breast cancer often depend on the stage of the disease but range from 96% for stage I diagnosis to 24% for a stage IV diagnosis.
Men experiencing symptoms of breast cancer may be inhibited through embarrassment from requesting the assessment of a qualified physician. But given the severity of any type of cancer, the potential risk merits an extra effort to swallow one's pride and make sure.
Sunday, November 23, 2008

What Is Thyroid Cancer
By: Julia Aidan
Thyroid cancer is a kind of tumor that develops when abnormal cells start growing in the thyroid gland. This is an unusual cancer type that is quite uncommon. Generally, if this cancer type is found in the early stage, they can be treated more efficiently than any other. Though thyroid cancer can be treated, they might reoccur again after a few years or months but rest assure that this is not the case in all patients! Some tumors of this type are moderate and are sometimes non cancerous. On the other hand, some tumors can develop into something malicious and may not be easily treated.
Thyroid cancer is categorized and divided as follicular carcinomas, carcinomas, medullary thyroid carcinomas, anaplastic carcinomas, primary thyroid sarcomas and primary thyroid lymphomas. This malignant tumor stretches and spreads alongside tissues, which further causes relentless complications. Based on studies and history records, thyroid cancer is most frequent among women than men, yet the reason behind this is not apparent. The actual causes of thyroid cancer have never been pointed till today, but experts believe that thyroid cancer is caused by constant exposure to radiation. Individuals who are diagnosed would have previously been exposed to some kind of radiation either through medical or environmental processes.
Thyroid Cancer – Causes and Effects
While the exact causes of thyroid cancer is not entirely known but exposure to radiation during childhood is one of the suspected cause of this type of cancer. Radiations were used in the 50s and 60s to treat acne!
Thyroid Cancer – Signs and Symptoms
Every tumor has its own signs and symptoms, likewise, thyroid cancer will show some basic indications when it’s growing inside a patient. Symptoms of thyroid cancer include swelling on the neck region, severe neck pain, painless lump, voice changes, pain while swallowing, breathing trouble and continuous coughing. While these are not all the symptoms shown but it’s a good indicator to start seeking clarification.
Thyroid Cancer – Diagnosis
From the signs and symptoms, a complete test should be done to thoroughly check for thyroid cancer. A thorough test is needed to rule out non malignant thyroidal extension that is quite common. Thyroid cancer enhanced the capability of tubercles to entrap the isotope on contrast with the thyroid cells. Several other tests include biopsy, ultrasonic scans and CT scans.
Thyroid Cancer – Treatment
Thyroid cancer treatment involves different method of treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy. Surgery is done to remove the entire thyroid and it helps to prevent the cancer cells in the thyroid gland from moving closer towards the lymph nodes. Other type of treatments includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy and radiation therapy.
Thyroid Cancer – Prevention Is Better Than Cure
In some cases, thyroid cancer is quite erratic and they are not connected with immediate threatening risk factors. When considering the method of prevention, there is nothing that could be handled to control the development of these tumor cells. Though preventing thyroid cancer is quite impossible, right examination and screening test will help the patient to overcome the risk better.
Author Resource:-> Hopefully, this information would have given you a better overview about thyroid cancer! For more details about MALT lymphoma treatment, check out disease-info.com/thyroid-cancer/.
Article From Free Article Publishing

Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Prostate cancer treatment By : Kanika
The abnormal growth of tissues is called tumor and they are classified as benign and malignant tumors. The benign tumors are not life threatening as they cannot attack the nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body. In case of elderly men, the prostate gland often enlarges. This is usually not due to cancer, and it is called 'benign prostatic hyperplasia'.
Only malignant tumors are dangerous as it can spread to other parts of the body. Usually prostrate cancer develops slowly and there is also possibility of quick growth of cancer cells. As men have only prostate gland, it is the most common cancer of men. The early prostate cancer is identified in a routine test such as Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and Digital Rectal exam (DRC).
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer:
In the initial stage of prostate cancer, symptoms may not occur. In the severe stage, the following symptoms of prostate cancer occur
Trouble starting urination
Urinating much more frequently than usual
The feeling that you can't release all of your urine
Pain on urination or ejaculation
Blood in your urine or semen
Impotency
Bone pain
Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs
If prostate cancer spreads to the lymph nodes in the pelvis, the following symptoms occur.
Swelling in legs
Discomfort in the pelvic area
Advanced prostrate cancer which spread to bones may show the symptoms like
Bone pain that doesn’t go away
Bone fractures
Compression of the spine
Treatment of prostrate cancer in India is not a great hurdle to a foreign patient. Our medical team will guide you to receive efficient treatment of prostate cancer at Apollo Hospitals. One will avail the treatment at an affordable price with free consultation with cancer specialists and no waiting periods. Medical treatments in India is now updated with modern infrastructure of treatments and medical resources.
Article Source: http://articlestoreprint.com
Information about the Author: Thomas Johnson
Indian Medical Center
www.indian-medical-center.com/prostate-cancer.html
Blood cancer treatment By : Kanika
Acute leukemia:
Acute leukemia is a type of blood cancer in which the cells develop rapidly. The immature white blood cells gather in and consequently enter the other different parts of the body. Depending on the affection of white blood cell type, in clinical terms acute leukaemia is called either acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The symptoms of acute leukaemia are
• Generalized weakness and fatigue (this may be due to anaemia)
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Frequent infections
• Excessive bruising
• Bleeding (of the gums or nose)
• Blood in the urine or stools
• Pain in the bones and joints
• Breathlessness (can be due to anaemia)
• Enlarged lymph glands, liver and/or spleen
Chronic leukemia:
In chronic leukemia, the white blood cells of cancer develop slowly than acute leukaemia and they gradually could not do their function well. An increased number of lymphocytes, which make up one of the main sub-groups of white cells in the blood, are seen in chronic leukaemia. This blood cancer has a slow process of development of cancer cells. Depending on the affection of white blood cells, chronic leukaemia is called either chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The peak age for CLL is 65 and it is rare in people under the age of 45.
The following signs may oocur due to chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL):
• Abdominal discomfort (this could be the result of an enlarged spleen)
• Infections caused by not having enough healthy white blood cells
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Swollen lymph glands
• Bone pain
• Weight loss
• Headaches and vision problems
• Tiredness
• Anaemia
Our medical team will guide one to quality blood cancer treatments in Apollo Hospitals. We offer quality treatments at an affordable price with free consultation and no waiting periods. Blood cancer treatment in India for foreign clientele will become easy under the guidance of our medical team. Present scenario of medical treatments in India attracts a good number of health tourists from all over the world.
Article Source: http://articlestoreprint.com
Information about the Author: Thomas Johnson
Indian Medical Center
www.indian-medical-center.com/blood-cancer.html
Essential Facts of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure By : Gary Ng
trying to educate the public on the definition and effects of mesothelioma,
it is unfortunate that there still exist a large majority of the local
population in trying to comprehend such efforts. With this article, I hope
that certain facts can be spelt out much more clearly in as simple
terminology as possible.
To start off, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant or
cancerous cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers
most of our body’s internal organs. At present, statistics have proven that a
majority of people who suffer from mesothelioma, have had first contact with
materials known as asbestos, in the course of their work or exposure.
Mesothelioma (or cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of
the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. The
known effect is that invasion and damage to nearby tissues and organs can
occur. The cancer cells can also spread from their original location to other
parts of the body. And very often, mesothelioma begins in the pleura or
peritoneum. The pleura is the membrane that typically surrounds the lungs and
lines the wall of the chest cavity, while the peritoneum is the tissue that
covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. In addition, the
pericardium covers and protects the heart, while the tissue surrounding the
male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. For
the female, this will be known as the tunica serosa uteri.
While it has been reported specifically in the United States alone that the
occurrence of mesothelioma has been at a rate of 2000 cases per year in the
last 20 years, there maybe more unreported cases that have gone undetected
and therefore, not captured within official records. Typically, mesothelioma
affects mainly the male gender, but although (as mentioned above) this form
of cancer has affected mainly those in direct contact with asbestos material
in the course of their work, there have also been occurrences to those who
have had no direct exposure to asbestos.
Before we go on further, we need to be clear on where asbestos comes from.
Essentially, asbestos refers to a group of minerals that occur naturally as
masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and
woven. Asbestos is often found in construction related materials such as
cement, roofing materials, flooring products, etc. How asbestos gets into the
human system, is when during the manufacturing process, where there is no
strict control on the handling process, the particles generated from asbestos
will float in the air and maybe inhaled by individuals, thus causing serious
health problems. This therefore gives rise to other forms of cancer and one
of them, mesothelioma.
Historically, mesothelioma was discovered particularly after the World War
Two, as part of the industrialization process and increased war efforts.
Millions of Americans were believed to have been exposed to asbestos dust
particles in their course of work. And when these folks return home to their
loved ones, it is believed that the dust particles which had remained on
their work attires were subsequently inhaled by their family members, thus
creating a form of “cross contamination” effect. While the occupational
safety and health act today has restricted the amount of asbestos workers can
be exposed to, the risk has obviously not been fully mitigated and the
occurrence of mesothelioma is still possible.
To minimize exposure as well as cross contamination, workers in such
industries should change out before leaving their workstations and showering.
This concept is similar to exposure during a chemical fallout where the
process of decontamination is deployed.
For more information, do visit our resource link.
Article Source: http://articlestoreprint.com
Information about the Author: Gary is currently in the homeland security industry and has come across occupational hazards within specific industries. For more information, visit: www.bizenginesite.com/lawyers
Friday, November 7, 2008
Alternative Treatment Options for Skin Cancer
If you someday become diagnosed with skin cancer and survive, one of the most worrisome issues you will face will be preventing a recurrence of the cancer. This article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with skin cancer.
If you someday become diagnosed with skin cancer and survive, one of the most worrisome issues you will face will be preventing a recurrence of the cancer. After successful treatment, your doctor will continue to schedule regular follow-up appointments to ensure that you remain skin cancer-free. Even regular medical attention is no substitute for exercising good skin care habits.
First, make sure to avoid any kind of prolonged exposure to the sun. This means that you should avoid the prime daylight hours of ten in the morning to two in the afternoon. If you must be out, always wear an appropriate sun block, and avoid direct exposure to the sun by wearing long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats, and light colors that help reflect the sun away from your body. Most importantly, to prevent a recurrence of skin cancer, you must conduct regular self-examinations, and consult your doctor immediately if you note any discolorations or suspicious moles or lesions.
But, that is not always enough and sometimes the unthinkable happens. So, if you are diagnosed with skin cancer you should know what your alternatives are.
The most important objective in skin cancer treatment is to eliminate the growth and then contain the spread of the cancer. There are many alternatives that will be used depending on what the diagnosis is.
Kaposi’s sarcoma is very serious and must be treated by the use of chemotherapy.
Melanoma, if it has spread, which is one of the dangers of this type of skin cancer, will be treated the same way once the initial growth has been removed.
If Paget’s disease is the type of skin cancer that must be treated then a mastectomy is likely the only alternative.
Nutrition
What about other alternatives to ensure that there will not be a reoccurrence? Some people believe, and studies have shown some evidence to collaborate this belief, that if you use other treatments alongside the standard medical procedures there are potentially better outcomes. Nutrition is believed to be a big factor in recovery.
Research shows that using proteins, antioxidants and folic acid that are found in a variety of foods, including fish, carrots and broccoli, a person is able to potentially protect their body from further damage by the cancer cells. Vitamin C is also thought to be a very useful fighter when is comes to skin cancer and its potential spread.
Green Tea
Some people faced with the worries of skin cancer choose to get the advice of health care providers who practice medicine differently like naturopathic doctors. Often their advice is on what herbs can be used to treat the cancer. They’ tell you that green tea is believed by many to be a healthy drink because it contains polyphenois compounds. These are very storing antioxidants.
There is research to support this and studies have shown that polyphenois may not only prevent skin cancer but may play an important role in the treatment of diminishing skin growths. Some treatments suggest unusual action be taken like coffee enemas several times daily or castor oil intake, or restricting calories while eating lots of fruit and vegetables.
Other studies have shown that a certain enzyme that is found in a variety of foods; including, but not limited to broccoli, cauliflower, celery and cabbage are very beneficial. The enzyme those vegetables contain is called indoles. Indoles and lectins, found in beans, are a powerful combination against cancer growth. Although still in the experimental stages of research, with the high success rates of their experiments there is good reason to hope that eating foods high in these enzymes will be helpful in the fight against cancer.
Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action. If you still have unanswered questions about skin cancer, you may find what you're looking for in our website: http://www.skincancer-infoguide.com
Monday, November 3, 2008
Customary Side Effects Associated With Chemotherapy
By: Trevor Price
Chemotherapy effects can be intense depending on the types of drugs being administered, the dose and the general vitality of the patient. Healthy cells that reproduce rapidly, like the cells in the bone marrow, stomach, mouth, hair and intestines, are very susceptible to the damage caused by chemotherapy. This is why so many of the side effects of chemotherapy impact these areas of the body.
Of course, no two people experience chemotherapy or its subsequent consequences the same way. This is partly because everyone is different, but also because each chemotherapy treatment is individual. One patient may receive more of a particular drug that induces nausea, while another is administered a drug that causes dramatic hair loss. The side effects may also change as treatment progresses.
Keep reading for a breakdown of some of the most common chemotherapy effects but remember that just because they re common doesn t mean they will always occur.
Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are probably the two most common negative impacts of chemotherapy. Vomiting occurs when the drug stimulates a certain part of the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone this then sends a message to the vomiting area of the brain. Fortunately, new drugs are being developed that limits the triggering of this response.
If nausea or vomiting are going to occur, it typically starts just a few hours after the treatment is completed and lasts for a short period.
Diarrhea or Loose Stools
Having loose or watery stools more than three times a day is diarrhea and a common result of chemotherapy. The drugs attack the frequently reproducing cells that line your intestines therefore inhibiting their ability to do their job. Diarrhea is often intermittent, but if it continues for more than a few days, you should consult with your doctor immediately.
Sores in the Mouth
Because cells on the inside of the mouth are some of the fastest to regenerate in the body, they are the ones most susceptible to damage from chemotherapy. As a result, sores can develop, leading to possible infection and other problems. The esophagus is also vulnerable. A good defense is persistent oral hygiene.
Milk of magnesia can help to both soothe and dry out mouth soft sores. Doctors also recommend gargling with salt water and eating softer foods at or below room temperature. Avoid hot and spicy foods.
Hair Loss
Not every chemotherapy program causes the patient to lose their hair. Some drugs lead to hair loss, other s only cause a minimal amount and some don t result in it at all. Certain people lose only their head hair, and others lose hair from all over their bodies. Like every other symptom, the visible results depend on the patient, the drug and the dosage.
Though hair loss is often cited as the most obvious of the chemotherapy effects, it s also one of the most temporary. Typically, the hair will begin to grow back right after treatments end often coming in thicker and curlier. Interestingly, after cancer treatment many people who experience hair loss and recovery express a preference for their new hair appearance upon regrowth.
Author Resource:-> For great information on various cancers, see http://www.cancerinfotips.com, a popular site about symptoms and treatments, such as bladder cancer symptoms - http://www.cancerinfotips.com/bladder-cancer-symptoms.shtml, breast cancer signs and many more!
Article From Freebie Articles