Lung Cancer Symptoms

lung cancer symptoms

Lung cancer is a kind of cancer that has very bad survival. Generally, 15% of people in the USA diagnosed with lung cancer survive only 5 years after confirmed diagnosis. It is th emost common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women. Lung cancer's death rate is approximately 1.3 millions per year, worldwide.

It is very important to know the risk factors of lung cancer, such as:

• Smoking and secondhand smoke
• Exposure in home and work that may cause lung cancer, such as asbestos, silica, and chromium.
• Family history of lung cancer
• Chest radiotherapy
• Diet, such as arsenic in drinking water, beta-carotene supplements in heavy smoker.

Lung cancer symptoms are listed below:

• Chronic cough
• New wheezing
• Back pain, chest pain, shoulder pain, that are often worsened by deep breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Hoarseness
• Bloody mucus or coughing up blood
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Weight loss in short term
• Clubbing fingers and toes

Lung cancer treatment

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy

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What Are Colon Cancer Symptoms

what are colon cancer symptoms

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in US men, after lung and prostate cancer, according to National Cancer Institute's reports. In women, it is the second most common cancer, after breast cancer. Overall, 1 in 17 people will develop colon cancer, or known as colorectal cancer. 

The spreading of colon cancer starts locally, so the symptoms are also local. What are colon cancer symptoms?

• Intermitten diarrhea or constipation
• Red blood spot in the stools or rectal bleeding, similar to hemorrhoids.
• "Pencil stools": stools that are thinner than normal
• Feel of uncomplete bowel
• Abdominal discomfort, bloating, cramp, frequent gas pain.
• Fatigue and pale skin

colon cancer symptoms 

If the tumor is getting larger, the colon cancer symptoms are systemic, such as:

• Unexplained weight loss which is losing weight when not dieting
• Extreme tiredness, easy to be tired
• Loss of appetite
• Anemia and jaundice

If you experience the colon cancer symptoms above, first thing to do is going to the doctor to get some diagnostic examinations of colon cancer. The doctor (usually a digestive surgeon) will perform a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to exam to condition of colon mucosa.

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Uterus Cancer Symptoms And Signs

uterus cancer symptoms and signs

The most common uterus cancer symtoms and signs such as abnormal vaginal bleeding which may begin with bloody-streaked flow which contains more blood. Related to that  symtoms and signs, another  uterus cancer symptoms may arise feeling pain :
1. In the bladder or difficulty emptying the bladder.
2. In the pelvic region.
3. When having sex.
By consulting to doctor as early, can reduce risk of developing cervical cancer from become more severe. Examination by a doctor include the examination of the uterus, vagina and surrounding tissue is mainly related to physical characteristics.
Medical device which is used to identify uterine cancer is ultrasound. In principle, ultrasound emits sound waves. Wave reflection creates the impression of the uterus as a basis for further analysis.
In addition, to ensure the presence of cancer cells that may do a biopsy tissue sampling of cancer cells through a thin tube is inserted in the vagina or uterus. The pathologist then examined the tissue under a microscope to examine the cancer cells.

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Breast Cancer Staging And Treatment

breast cancer staging and treatment

We have already discussed about breast cancer (here). After confirming the diagnosis of breast cancer, the next step is determining the breast cancer staging. The importance of breast cancer staging is:

• Describing the breast cancer: how severe, etc.
• Predicting the prognosis (prognosis is most likely outcome of disease)
• Determining treatment options 

Breast cancer staging is closely related with treatment options. Breast cancer staging is based on four basic informations:

1. The size of the cancer
2. Whether the breast cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes (especially under arm lymph nodes or axillary lymph nodes)
3. Whether the breast cancer cells have spread to other body parts such as liver, lungs, brain, etc.

There are many kinds of staging system. One of them is TNM system. It is based on:

• T: size of the cancer
• N: lymph node involvement
• M: whether the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body

Here is the general breast cancer staging, as quoted from New York State Department of Health:

Stage 1

• Cancer cells are invading normal surrounding breast tissue where the tumor size is up to 2 cm
• There is no lymph nodes involvement
• There may be a microscopic invasion that can only be seen by microscope. The size of invading cancer cells can not measure more than 1 mm

Stage 2A

• The tumor size is up to 2 cm, OR 
• The tumor size is more than 2 cm but not more than 5 cm but not spread to the axillary lymph nodes, OR
• Cancer cells are found in the axillary lymph nodes (no tumor can be found in the breast tissue)

Stage 2B

• Tumor size is more than 2 cm but not larger than 5 cm AND has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, OR
• Tumor size is more than 5 cm and there is NO involvement in axillary lymph nodes.

Stage 3A

• Cancer is not found in the breast tissue but in axillary lymph nodes, which are sticking or clumped together to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes around the breast bone, OR
• There is a cancer in any size and it has spread to axillary lymph nodes which are sticking to other structures.

Stage 3B

• There is a cancer in any size and it has spread to chest wall and/or the breast skin, AND
• Cancer may have spread to axillary lymph nodes which are sticking to other structures or it may have spread to lymph nodes near the breast bone.

Stage 4

• Cancer has spread elsewhere in the body such as liver, lung, bones, etc.
• Very life threatening.

Breast cancer staging and treatment

Stage 1

• Breast conserving surgery such as lumpectomy, partial mastectomy, or
• Mastectomy
• Axillary lymph node dissection 
• Lymph node biopsy to evaluate it
• Breast reconstruction (can be done at the same time as surgery or later)
• Radiotherapy (radiation therapy) may be given after breast-conserving surgery, but radiotherapy is contraindicated if:
• Age 70 or older
• The tumor contains hormon receptors (while hormonal therapy is given)
• Size of tumor is 2 cm or less an it has been completely removed.
• None of the lymph nodes that has been removed contains cancer
• Hormone therapy as adjuvant. The drug is Tamoxifen 

Stage 2

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy before or after the surgery

Stage 3

• Mastectomy with or without breast reconstruction
• Adjuvant chemotherapy
• Adjuvant hormone therapy
• Inflammatory breast cancer: neoadjuvant chemotherapy with radiation, then mastectomy with axillary lymph nodes dissection.

Stage 4

• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy
• Surgery and radiation. They do not cure the cancer but help treat the pain and other symptoms where body parts involved.
• Symptomatic drugs to treat nausea, secondary infection, and fatigue.

Source:
Cancer Services Program, New York State Department of Health (click here)

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Nasopharyngeal Cancer Symptoms

nasopharyngeal cancer symptoms

Nasopharyngeal cancer is the most common cancer found in the ear, nose, and throat area. It is a malignant cancer originated from nasopharynx tissue. What is nasopharynx? The nasopharynx is an area behind the nose and also the upper part of the throat. Throat or pharynx, is a tube with 5 inches long that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of esophagus (a tube connecting throat to stomach) and trachea (wind pipe). Each side of the nasopharynx leads into an ear. Nasopharynx is an area consists of squamous cells that make it likely probable to have malignant cancer.

Nasopharyngeal cancer is associated with some risk factors as listed below.

• Epstein-Barr virus exposure. Many studies show that this virus is closely related with certain cancers such as lymphomas and also nasopharyngeal cancer.
• Asian or Chinese ancestry.

Nasopharyngeal cancer symptoms 

There are main symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer you have to pay attention, and please consult your physician when you find these:

• A chronic sore throat
• Followed by a lump in the nose or neck area
• Nosebleeds
• Trouble in speaking or breathing
• Hearing loss from mild to severe
• Otalgia (ear pain), or ringing ear
• Chronic headache

How to diagnose nasopharyngeal cancer?

When you find suspected symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer, you should go to the physician, especially an ENT specialist. These procedures may be done to make a definite diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer:

• Physical examination: about the lymph node enlargement, abnormal condition of ear, nose, throat
• Neurological examination: to check the function of brain and nerve.
• CT-scan: it is a detailed imaging of suspected cancer area.
• Biopsy: it is a gold standard of nasopharyngeal cancer diagnosis. Small cells will be removed and examined under a microscope to check for cancer signs and also cancer staging. 
• Laboratory tests: it may include blood and urine tests, or other necessary substances in the body. The goal of laboratory test is to help diagnose, know about cancer metastase, and plan the proper treatment according to cancer staging.

Nasopharyngeal cancer treatment

Nasopharyngeal cancer treatment options and its chance of recovery depend on these factors:

• Cancer stage (known by biopsy)
• Cancer type (known by biopsy)
• The patient's age and underlying medical condition
• The size of cancer

Generally, there are five specific treatments to cure nasopharyngeal cancer:

1. Surgery
2. Radiotherapy
3. Chemotherapy
4. Immunotherapy
5. IMRT (Intensity-modulated radiation therapy)

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Ovarian Cyst Malignant Treatment

Ovarian Cyst Malignant Treatment

Ovarian Cyst Malignant, is USG enough?

The malignancy level of any ovarian cysts cannot be diagnosed with certainty by using ultrasonography (USG). The best way to determine the malignancy is to identify characteristics that make it more likely to become benign or malignant cyst. But sometimes it can be confusing since many benign conditions can appear on USG as a worrisome condition for malignancy. These include: endometriosis, dermoid cysts, hydrosalpinges, pelvic abscess, etc. 

Ovarian Cyst Malignant: How About CA-125 Level?

CA-125 is an ovarian cancer antigen test but it is NOT specific. It can also become positive in many cases of benign pelvic and abdominal disease, especially premenopausal. Endometriosis, liver diseases, benign ovarian tumors, and other non-malignant conditions can cause an elevation of CA-125. The normal limit is less than 35 u/ml and only when more than 100 u/ml, it will be a great concern for a malignancy.  

Ovarian Cyst Malignant: Age Distribution

Statistically, benign cysts and other ovarian masses can happen in all age ranges. But ovarian malignancy is definitely higher in older women and lower in younger ages.  Benign cyst can occur with almost equal frequency before and after menopause.

Ovarian Cyst Malignant Treatment

Every woman with an enlarge ovary is possible to have an ovarian cancer and considered to be operated, except those women who are proven to have a small cyst less than 1 cm in diameter, or women with early pregnancy. For women with pregnancy, ovulatory phase, and small cyst, the therapy is conservative, but they should be monitored and reexaminated in 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, if the cyst becomes smaller, then it can be still conservatively followed until it is gone. So it is called: functional cyst.

Every ovulating woman has a cyst for every cycle. The size is usually just 2 cm when it later breaks and releases an egg. But in some cases, the follicle cyst do not break and becomes larger. It will eventually break on its own, but if detected during this time, then an ovarian cancer should be considered. Sometimes, a follicle cyst ruptures and becomes a corpus luteum cyst. This will go away by its own. Ovarian cyst that persists for long period will have to be operated to ensure a diagnosis of cancer. A gynecologist will perform an USG test to differ between simple cysts and complex cysts. A simple cyst is a fluid-filled cyst, only fluid; but a complex cyst has an internal structure or solid matters within it. A complex cyst should be operated to exclude the diagnosis of cancer.

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Male Breast Cancer Symptoms

Male Breast Cancer Symptoms

What is Breast Cancer?
A breast cancer is a malignant tumor, that originated from cells of the breast. Malignant tumor is a kind of cancer cells that may grow invading the tissue they are originated, and spreading to further areas of the body (liver, lungs, brain, bones). Generally, breast cancer are women-related cancer, but men can get it too. Breast tissue in men can also develop into breast cancer.

Epidemiology of Male Breast Cancer
Comparing to female breast cancer, male breast cancer is rare. Less than 1% of all breast cancers occur in men. Mostly it happens to man between the ages 60-70. There are some risk factors that contribute for male breast cancer: a family history of breast cancer, tend to have hyperestrogenism/higher estrogen levels (in disease such as liver cirrhosis or Klinefelter''s syndrome), and exposure to radiation. The recent studies have shown that Finasteride use for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) therapy is also a risk factor of male breast cancer.


Male Breast Cancer Symptoms
The symptoms are:

• Lumps, usually painless. It is the most common first symptom of male breast cancer. Typically it appears right beneath the breast where breast tissue is centered.
• Changes on the nipple and also skin around the breast.
• Fluid from the nipple (discharge), sometimes may be bloody.
• Nipple retraction (turning inward), followed by skin ulceration.
• Less than 1% of male breast cancers occur in both sides. 
• Overall, the size of male breast cancer is not large (approximately 2.5 cm in diameter)
• Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer: weakness, pain, weight loss.

Male Breast Cancer Treatments

Treatment options can be :

• Surgery, called mastectomy (breast tissue removal)
• Radiation
• Chemotherapy
• Hormonal therapy

Remember, earlier diagnosis can make a life saving difference. Men must increase their awareness, if they find any changes in their breast, do not hesitate to go to the doctor right away.

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Nasopharyngeal Cancer Symptoms And Causes

Nasopharyngeal Cancer Symptoms And Causes

What is Nasopharynx Cancer?

Nasopharynx is a space located between the back of the nose and esophagus. Nasopharyngeal cancer is the most common (60%)  malignant tumor of head and neck region. Nasopharyngeal cancer has a higher prevalence in Mongoloid countries, particularly South China; and also Greece, North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia), and the Eskimos. This cancer is more prevalent in men than women.

Nasopharyngeal Cancer Causes

The cause of nasopharyngeal cancer is still uncertainty and multifactorial, such as: Epstein Barr virus, genetics, environment, diet, and cigarette smoking. Epstein Barr virus is not specific for nasopharyngeal cancer but also cause other diseases.

Nasopharyngeal Cancer Symptoms

Nasopharyngeal cancer symptoms can be divided into 4 main groups:

1. Own nasopharyngeal symptoms: in early cancer; mild nose-bleed, nasal obstruction.
2. Ear symptoms: when tumor is located near the mouth of Eustachii tube (canal connecting nose and ear); ear ringing/buzzing, discomfort feel, until ear pain.
3. Eye and nerve symptoms: advanced symptoms because there is a close contact between tumor and skull cavity; headache, neck pain, facial pain (trigeminal neuralgia), blurred vision, and diplopia (doubble vision).
4. Symptoms of metastases (tumor spreading): form of swelling in the neck due to lymph nodes inflammation. 

Treatments of Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy can rapidly destroy growing cancer cells. This therapy is carried out for 6 weeks. It is for early stage cancer only. Side effects of radiation therapy are dry mouth, hearing loss, etc.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy works by reducing the amount of cancer cells, and sometimes healthy cells are also killed. Side effects of chemotherapy are hair loss, nausea, weakness, malaise, vomitus.

Surgery

The goal of this therapy is to eradicate lymph nodes that have been infiltrated by cancer.

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Inflammatory Breast Cancer Symptoms

inflammatory breast cancer symptoms

Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms is different compared to common symptoms of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms usually do not appear as a bump but can be shaped sheets that clog the lymphatic vessels under the skin. Inflammatory breast cancer happens when cancer cells block the lymphatic vessels inside the breast. Characteristic symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer is red and swollen breast; sometimes it appears like mastitis (breast infection).

The diagnosis can be made by following steps:

1. Biopsy. It is a gold standard.
2. Mammography
3. Breast ultrasonography (USG)

Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms occurs rapidly (about a week) with the signs below:

1. The itching continued pain in the breast accompanied by swelling or even bruising.
2. Lymph nodes tend to swell.
3. Discoloration of skin around the breast, usually red spots or pink with a thick texture and orange (peau d'orange)
4. Nipple retraction

Inflammatory breast cancer is classified as a type of cancer with an aggressive deployment. Treatment of this disease can be done by :

1. Chemotherapy aimed at reducing the number of cancer cells, thereby reducing the risk of relapse.
2. Surgery and removal of the tumor, provided the cancer cells have not spread beyond the breast.
3. Radiotherapy as neo-adjuvant therapy. This method can be done either after chemotherapy or surgery performed with the aim of prevent the cancer from growing back
4. Hormonal therapy (estrogen).
5. Supportive therapy is also important to help manage the side effects of chemotherapy and surgery. 

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Brain Cancer Symptoms

Brain Cancer Symptoms

Brain is the center of life. All life activities, every details, can only occur through a sophisticated mechanism regulated by the brain. At the same time, brain also must perform thousands of activities at once. All above can be simultaneously implemented because they are regulated by different parts. Yes, brain has many parts that have different functions.

Brain is divided into three parts named a large brain (cerebrum), small brain (cerebellum) and brain stem. Each sections are divided into smaller sections, smaller, and smaller again. Like other parts of the body, brain can be affected by either tumor and cancer. The difference is, if  benign tumors can be harmless for other body parts, but for brain, even benign tumors can be very disturbing and end up as death. Also, cancer from other parts of the body can spread to the brain but brain cancer itself, cannot spread to other body parts.

Brain Cancer Symptoms
Each part of the brain can be affected by tumor (benign) or cancer (malignancy). The most benign tumor can even be very dangerous if it happens on the brain, because it can interfere the brain's function and structure and therefore can damage the central nervous system. The cavity of the skull is a finite space, so any enlargement will cause depression of brain tissue, along with tumor's development. As we know, volume of the cranial cavity is very limited and unlikely to grow, this appears as headache or dizziness as early brain cancer symptom.


Characteristics of brain cancer varies widely, depend on which part of brain that is affected. The most common brain cancer symptom is nauseous and headache. Here are brain cancer symptoms that we should be aware of:

1. Headache, accompanied by vomitus and nausea. 30% of early brain cancer symptoms are headache. It varies from mild to severe and episodic, generally get worse at night and waking in the morning with vomiting because of high intracranial pressure.
2. Decreased awareness 
3. Mental instability and behavioral changes. It can be a mild mental change called psychomotoric asthenia, which only can be felt by close relatives like: irritability, emotional instability, forgetfulness, anxiety, depression, loss of initiative and spontanity. Remember, all former symptoms are progressive and can be found at 65% cases.
4. Speech disturbance
5. Reduced vision
6. Hearing loss
7. Walking imbalance
8. Weakened extremities (upper and lower)
9. Convulsion, etc.

Remember, the list above is only about symptoms. Even if you experience one or more symptoms, it doesn't directly means you are affected by brain cancer. To make sure, you should contact a neurologist and undergo further examination, especially head CT-scan, MRI, etc.

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Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer is one of the most cause of death in women after cervical cancer. This cancer is actually a close problem to every single woman, but so hard to be talked between women. Every woman has the same chance to have breast cancer, even us. According to World Health Organization (WHO), there are 7 millions breast cancer cases and 5 millions of them are died.

Breast Cancer Awareness
Low level of people's awareness cause higher evidence of breast cancer with high stadium, especially on developing countries. Most patients are diagnosed in advanced stage where complications are more likely to be happened. This is much different with people on developed countries, like United States and Europe where breast cancer patients are founded in early stadium. So we can conclude that breast cancer awareness and early detection are very important concepts.

In October, especially in United States,  they commemorate it as a month of  breast cancer awareness (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or NBCAM). In this month, there will be a lot of programs to campaign about breast cancer awareness.
NCBAM is first founded at 1985, as a form of cooperation between American Cancer Society and Imperial Chemical Industries (now has become part of AstraZeneca, one of the great chemotherapy drug factories). NCBAM's goal initially was to promote mammography as the most effective gun to against breast cancer.

In 1993, Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of the Estee Lauder Companies established The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and made pink ribbon as a symbol of breast cancer awareness. There are so many events and activities that have been done to commemorate NBCAM, but the most exciting part is when almost one dozen of famous landmarks are lighted by pink lamps to attract people's attention of mammography screening for breast cancer diagnosis. Those landmarks are: The Harbour Bridge (Australia), Niagara Falls (Canada), Tokyo Tower (Japan), Empire State (United States), and many more.

Another exciting campaign is Pink Hijab Day. The history was when a group of female moslem high school students in Columbia, Missouri, agree to simultaneously wear pink hijab to commemorate NCBAM. Now, Pink Hijab Day has become a global movement to commemorate breast cancer awareness.

Breast Cancer Awareness : Breast Cancer Store (http://www.thebreastcancersite.com)
This online store sells stuffs and merchandises related to breast cancer awareness. They contribute the money from it for charity of breast cancer awareness. Some celebrities are also concern about breast cancer awareness. There are some singles they had just released, one of them is: "Just Stand Up" by Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, Sheryl Crow (studio version only); Fergie, Leona Lewis, Keyshia Cole, Miley Cyrus, LeAnn Rimes (studio version only); Natasha Bedingfield, Melissa Etheridge (studio version only); Mary J Blige, Mariah Carey, Ashanti, and Nicole Scherzinger (live version). The single was released at August 21, 2008.

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How Do You Get Cerebral Palsy

How Do You Get Celebral Palsy

What is cerebral palsy  

The word cerebral palsy taken from word "cerebrum" that means brain and "palsy" that means stiffness. According to Viola E. Cardwell, cerebral palsy is a stiffness that caused by something happened on the brain. American Academy of Cerebral Palsy (AACP) states that cerebral palsy any abnormal changes in motoric functions as the result from brain defects.

Cerebral palsy can't develop progressively or uncommunicable. It is not curable, but with educational therapy, and the use of technology, it can help people with cerebral palsy to have a productive life. It is not a disease! Children with cerebral palsy will go with it in their entire life.

How Do You Get Cerebral Palsy: Prenatal Brain Damage

1. Mothers with infections or diseases while pregnancy, so they attack fetal brain. For example: syphilis, rubella, and abdominal typhus.
2. Pregnancy abnormalities that disturbs fetal brain circulatio, placenta suppression that destroys the formation of brain nerves.
3. Radiation that affects fetus, in which radiation can influence central nervous system so it disturbs its structure and function.
4. Rhesus (Rh) incompability, while mother's Rh and fetal's Rh should similar so the metabolism process can go normally. If different, it triggers rejection that causes mother-fetus abnormality.
5. Pregnant mothers experience accident or impact that disturbs central nervous system formation.

How Do You Get Cerebral Palsy: Brain Damage That Happens on Labor Process

1. Labor process takes too long and causes asphyxia; less oxygen makes disturbance on metabolic system on neonatal brain and breaks the nerve tissue.
2. The use of forceps; high pressure of it at baby's head can damage brain nerve.
3. The use of excessive anestetics agents while caesarian section can influence baby's nervous system so it disturbs its function or structure.
4. Premature labor, while actually the body is still immature so it causes physiological abnormality and baby's susceptibility against infection or disease that damages the nervous system.

How Do You Get Cerebral Palsy: Post-natal until 5 years Disturbance

1. Direct accident that destroys baby's brain: severe impact on the head
2. Infection that attacks brain, like: meningitis, encephalitis, acute influenza.
3. Typhoid or dyphteri that more likely causes anoxia (less oxygenation)
4. Carbonmonoxide intoxication. 
5. Strangulation
6. Brain tumor

Cerebral Palsy Treatments 

1. Any treatments to maximize the developmental process: movement therapy, learning, speech, hear, and socio-emotional developmental therapy.
2. Drugs, surgery, and braces can improve muscular function.
3. Professional team will cooperate to know child medical needs, like: therapyst, psycologist, psychiatrist, teacher, nurse, social workers.
4. Find some second opinions and supports from the experts 
5. The use of drugs depends on symptoms.
6. Early and intensive physiotherapy
7. Educations that appropriate to child intelligence
8. Occupational therapy
9. Speech therapy.

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