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Posts Tagged ‘benign tumors’

The liver is the largest internal organ in the body. It is also known as primary liver cancer or hepatoma and hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer arising from the liver. The liver performs several vital functions. It processes and stores many of the nutrients absorbed from the intestine. It also makes some of the clotting factors needed to stop bleeding from a cut or injury. Hemangioma (he-man-ge-O-muh) is the most common type of benign liver tumor. It starts in blood vessels and Hepatic adenomas are benign tumors that start from the main type of liver cells (hepatocytes). Women have a much higher chance of having one of these tumors if they take birth control pills, although this is rare. Stopping the pills can cause the tumor to shrink. Hepatic adenomascancer begins in many spots throughout the liver and is not confined to a single tumor. This is most often seen in people with liver cirrhosis and is the most common pattern seen in the United States.

Hepatic tumors also called Liver cancer. Hepatic tumors is are tumors or growths on or in the liver. There are many forms of liver tumors premary is Malignant. Malignant, primary liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (also named hepatoma, which is a misnomer). These growths can be benign or malignant (cancerous). They may be discovered on medical imaging (even for a different reason than the cancer itself). Most of the time when cancer is found in the liver, it did not start there but spread to the liver from a cancer that began somewhere else in the body. These tumors are named after the place where they began (primary site) and are further described as metastatic. Symptoms can include a lump or pain on the right side of your abdomen and yellowing of the skin. However, you may not have symptoms and the cancer may not be found until it is advanced.

Some researchers believe that cancer starts with damage to DNA the material that contains the instructions for every chemical process in your body, including the rate of cellular growth. DNA damage causes changes in these instructions. Liver cancer also occurs as metastatic cancer, which happens when tumors from other parts of the body spread (metastasize) to the liver. In the liver cancer some cells begin to grow abnormally. One result is that cells may begin to grow out of control and eventually form a tumor a mass of malignant cells. In the United States, most cancer found in the liver spread there after originating elsewhere. Rather than being called liver cancer, this type of cancer in the liver is named after the organ in which it began such as metastatic colon cancer in cancer that starts in the colon and spreads to the liver.

Causes of liver Cancer

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the main causes of liver cancer. Liver cancer relates to (correlates with) the frequency of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Studies in animals also have provided that hepatitis B virus can cause liver cancer. For example, liver cancer develops in other mammals that are naturally infected with hepatitis B virus-related viruses. Finally, by infecting transgenic mice with certain parts of the hepatitis B virus, scientists caused liver cancer to develop in mice that do not usually develop liver cancer.

Symptoms of liver cancer
Liver cancer is very common larges countries in world wide. Generally is discovered at a very advanced stage of cancer disease for several reasons. In addition, patients from these regions actually have more aggressive liver cancer disease. live cancer tumor usually reaches an advanced stage and causes symptoms more rapidly. Abdominal pain is the most common symptom of liver cancer and usually signifies a very large tumor or widespread involvement of the liver and other symptom is weight loss. These symptoms are less common in individuals with liver cancer in the U.S.an additionally symptoms is ascites (abdominal fluid and swelling), jaundice (yellow color of the skin), or muscle wasting.

Treatment of liver cancer

The treatment of liver cancer is overall condition of the patient. First treatment if liver cancer is Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is anot effective not some cases of liver cancer but type of chemotherapy is known as chemoembolization is an important part of treatment for HCC. chemoembolization causes many of the same side effects as other forms of chemotherapy, including abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Second treatment is surgery. Surgery is best treatment for localized resectable cancer is usually an operation known as surgical resection. In some cases, the area of the liver where the cancer is found can be completely removed. Alcohol injection has been shown to improve survival in people with small hepatocellular tumors. It may also be used to help reduce symptoms in cases of metastatic liver cancer. The most common side effect is leaking of alcohol onto the liver or into the abdominal cavity.

Author: Juliet Cohen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Beading Necklace

The chances of developing cancer increase as you age, so senior citizens are at especially high risk for developing the disease. Fortunately, the number of deaths due to cancer have been declining; survival rates for people with cancer are higher than ever.

Although many types of cancer exist, they all share a similar formation: cancer begins when certain cells become abnormal and replicate, causing a mass of tissue referred to as a “growth tumor.” Growth of such a tumor can harm nearby organs and tissues, and cancer cells may migrate to other parts of the body-in other words, they can metastasize.

Early diagnosis allows for more effective treatment, because of this it is important that senior citizens get regular checkups. Early treatment can shrink or get rid of a tumor while stopping growth and spreading. Early detection, including knowing the early symptoms of cancer, can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of treatment.

Symptoms

Since so many types of cancer exist, it has many different symptoms. Still, it is important that senior citizens and those who provide elder care be able to recognize symptoms. Some to take note of are the following:

• A lump or thickening in the body, commonly in the breast
• The formation of a new mole or a change to an already existing one
• A sore that never heals completely
• Feeling hoarse or having a persistent cough
• Changes in bowel movements or urination
• Discomfort after meals
• Difficulty swallowing
• Changes in weight without a clear reason
• Unusual bleeding or discharge
• Weakness or fatigue

These symptoms are not usually do to cancer itself; they may arise from non-cancerous (benign) tumors or other problems. You should see your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms or notice other changes in your personal health.

Cancer does not normally cause pain in its early stages, so do not wait for pain as an indication. If possible, seek help before that point, and make sure to get regular tests for early detection.

Screening

Because of the nature of cancer and its treatment, it is important to have regular tests to detect cancer long before you feel its effects. Being checked for cancer when you feel no symptoms is called “screening,” which may include a physical exam, lab tests, or other tests to check internal organs.

Your doctor may ask questions about your age, past medical problems, family history of medical problems, general health, and lifestyle before suggesting a screening test. It is a good idea to talk to your doctor about pros and cons of, as well as questions and concerns about each test before you agree to take it.

The following is a list of tests that screen for specific cancers in people over 50:

Breast cancer

• Clinical breast exam: In this test, a doctor or health care professional will check the breasts and underarms for lumps or other changes indicative of cancer. This type of cancer is more common in women, but men can also develop breast cancer.
• Mammogram: This is a special X-ray of the breast that is useful in identifying cancers that are too small to feel. Aging increases the likelihood of developing breast cancer, so women over 40 are encouraged to have a screening mammogram every 1 to 2 years.

Cervical cancer

• Pap test: A doctor gently scrapes cells from the cervix and vagina to be tested in a lab and identified as normal or abnormal. Women should have this kind of test at least once every 3 years. The cause of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus, HPV, which can remain in the body for years.
• Pelvic exam: The uterus, vagina, ovaries, and rectum are examined to track changes in shape and size. The doctor uses a speculum to widen the vagina to allow access to the cervix and upper part of the vagina.

Colorectal cancer

• Fecal occult blood test: Stool samples are sent to a lab to determine whether it contains occult (hidden) blood, which can indicate cancer. Most cases of this type of cancer occur in senior citizens, so having this test every 1 to 2 years after the age of 50 is a good way to lower your chance of complications from colorectal cancer.
• Sigmoidoscopy: A thin, flexible tube with a light is used to search the lower part of the colon and rectum for growths and abnormalities. This should be done once every 5 years.
• Colonoscopy: This is similar to a sigmoidoscopy, but it includes an examination of the entire colon and should be done once every 10 years.

Mouth and throat cancers

• Oral exams: Doctors and dentists use these to identify cancer early by examining the lips, tongue, mouth, and throat to note any abnormal changes. Make sure to have regular dentist appointments for early detection.

Prostate cancer

• Digital rectal exam: The doctor places a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the prostate through the rectal wall. Hard or lumpy areas may indicate cancer. This type of cancer is the most common type in American men, especially in senior citizens.
• Prostate specific antigen (PSA) test: This measures the amount of PSA in the blood. A high amount means that prostate cancer cells or other prostate problems are present.

Skin cancer

• Skin exams: These are routine skin exams that can lead to early detection of skin cancer-the most common type of cancer in America. A screening that indicates a change or growth does not necessarily mean that cancer is present; a diagnosis may require further testing. The only method of truly identifying skin cancer is a biopsy, which involves looking at a small piece of tissue from the abnormal area underneath a microscope to check for cancer cells. If tests confirm that the abnormalities contain cancer cells, you should talk to your doctor about treatment options as soon as possible.

Treatment

Many treatment options are available for people with cancer, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Biological therapy is becoming more common for certain types of cancer. Some types of biological therapy help the body use its natural defenses to kill cancerous cells, while others block processes that allow cancer cells to live and grow.

People with cancer often see a number of specialists, including a medical oncologist, who specializes in cancer treatment; a surgeon; a radiation oncologist, who specializes in radiation therapy; and others. Doctors may suggest using one treatment alone or a combination of treatments, depending on what type of cancer you have, where it is in the body, and the stage to which it has progressed. Your overall health will be considered in order to find the best treatment plan for you.

Research suggests that treatments used in younger adults are often safe and just as effective in older adults, so senior citizens are generally given the same treatment options that are offered to younger adults.

Getting a second opinion-asking a doctor to go over the diagnosis and suggested treatment plan given to you by a different doctor-may be a good idea, and some insurance companies even require a second opinion before covering the costs of treatment.

New treatments are often available for testing. If you have cancer and would like to participate in clinical trials of new treatments, talk to your doctor.

Prevention

Experts estimate that about two-thirds of cancers are caused by factors we can control, including the use of tobacco and what we eat and drink. Contact with dangerous substances like chemicals, metals, or pesticides can also increase your risk of developing cancer. Here are some ways to lower your risk of cancer:

• Refrain from using tobacco products. Tobacco-in cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and even from second-hand smoke-is known to cause cancer. Tobacco causes about a third of all deaths from cancer in the United States each year.
• Limit your exposure to sunlight. An excess of ultraviolet radiation from the sun, sunlamps, and tanning booths can lead to wrinkles, skin damage, and cancer.
• Maintain a healthy diet. Eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables every day, limit fatty foods, and get enough fiber in your daily diet.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight contributes to your risk of developing certain types of cancer, including cancers of the prostate, pancreas, uterus, ovary, and breast.
• Get plenty of exercise. Remaining active can lower your risk of developing breast and colon cancers, as well as other types of cancer.
• Limit alcohol use to a maximum of one or two drinks per day. Consuming more than that increases your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and larynx. People who drink alcohol excessively and use tobacco are at an especially high risk for these cancers.
• Know and heed work and safety rules to avoid dangerous materials that could lead to cancer.

Author: David Crumrine
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty

Cancer is An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, in some cases, to metastasize (spread).

Cancer is not one disease. It is a group of more than 100 different and distinctive diseases.

Cancer can involve any tissue of the body and have many different forms in each body area. Most cancers are named for the type of cell or organ in which they start. If a cancer spreads (metastasizes), the new tumor bears the same name as the original (primary) tumor.

The frequency of a particular cancer may depend on gender. While skin cancer is the most common type of malignancy for both men and women, the second most common type in men is prostate cancer and in women, breast cancer.

Cancer frequency does not equate to cancer mortality. Skin cancers are often curable. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women in the world today.

Benign tumors are NOT cancer; malignant tumors are cancer. Cancer is NOT contagious.

Cancer is the Latin word for crab. The ancients used the word to mean a malignancy, doubtless because of the crab-like tenacity a malignant tumor sometimes seems to show in grasping the tissues it invades. Cancer may also be called malignancy, a malignant tumor, or a neoplasm (literally, a new growth).

ORIGIN OF CANCER

All cancers begin in cells, the body’s basic unit of life. To understand cancer, it’s helpful to know what happens when normal cells become cancer cells.

The body is made up of many types of cells. These cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells.

But sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. The genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need them. The extra cells may form a mass of tissue called a tumor.

COMMON TYPES OF CANCER

A. Bone Cancer

B. Brain Cancer

C. Breast Cancer

D. Endocrine Cancer

E. Gastrointestinal Cancer

F. Gynecologic Cancer

G. Head & Neck Cancer

H. Leukemia

I. Lung Cancer

J. Lymphoma

K. Multiple Myeloma

L. Prostate Cancer

M. Skin Cancer

N. Soft Tissue Sarcoma

CAUSES OF CANCER

some causes of cancer, such as smoking, can be controlled. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can’t be changed.

Causes

Scientists have found many factors that make a person more likely to get hepatocellular liver cancer.

1.Gender

Men are more likely to get liver cancer than are women. This could be because of the behaviors listed below, such as smoking and alcohol abuse.

There are also some inherited liver diseases that increase the risk of liver cancer.

2. Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis (suh-row-sis) is a disease in which liver cells are damaged and replaced with scar tissue. This can often lead to cancer. In this country, the major causes of liver cirrhosis are alcohol abuse and hepatitis B and C. Another cause is a disease that results in too much iron in the liver.

3. Diabetes

Diabetes can increase the risk of liver cancer. This is more common in diabetics who have other risk factors such as heavy drinking or viral hepatitis.

4. Obesity

Obesity might increase the risk of getting liver cancer.

5. Aflatoxins

These cancer-causing substances are made by a fungus that can contaminate peanuts, wheat, soybeans, groundnuts, corn, and rice. Long-term exposure to aflatoxins can increase the risk of liver cancer. In the United States and Europe, these foods are tested for aflatoxins.

6. Vinyl Chloride and Thorium Dioxide (Thorotrast)

These chemicals are risk factors for several types of liver cancer. They have become much less important since Thorotrast is no longer used and exposure to vinyl chloride is strictly controlled.

7. Anabolic Steroids

These male hormones are used by some athletes to increase their strength. Long-term use of these can slightly increase the risk of liver cancer.

8. Arsenic

In some parts of the world, drinking water contaminated with arsenic increases the risk of liver cancer. This is a concern in some areas of the United States.

Less Certain Risk Factors for Liver Cancer

Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills may slightly increase the risk of liver cancer. Most of the studies linking birth control pills and cancer involve types of pills that are no longer used. Birth control pills are now made in a different way, and it is not known if they increase liver cancer risk.
Tobacco

Some studies have found a link between smoking and liver cancer, but the extent of this is not known.

CANCER SYSTOMS TO NOTE

Local Symptoms

Unusual Lumps

Swelling

Hemorrhage/Bleeding

Pain

Ulcers

Jaundice

Systemic Systoms

Weight Loss

Poor Appetite

Fatigue

Cachexia (Loss of weight, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness, and significant loss of appetite)

Excessive Sweating

Night Sweats

Anemia

Thrombosis

Hormonal Changes

HOW TO PREVENT CANCER

Food: Eat organic produce, especially fruits whose peels are eaten, and avoid red meat. Eat low on the food chain, choosing more fresh produce and grains and less meat.

Cleaning products: Look under the kitchen sink, and avoid using anything that carries a skull and crossbones. Buy baking soda and vinegar instead – they’re just as good.

Cellphones: Limit your calls as much as possible, to lower direct microwave penetration to your brain.

Non-stick cookware and stain repellents: Throw out any old, cracked non-stick pans, since the chemical, PFOA, used to make the non-stick coating has been linked to cancer. It is also presernt in stain-resistant clothing, and waterproof fabrics. Rain-proof gear is OK,, but not next to the skin.

Personal care items: Avoid anything that contains parabens – butylparaben, methylparaben – which in some studies have shown estrogenic activity, and which have also been found in human breast tumours. “We have to create political change so young mothers and fathers don’t need to be chemists to decide on a shampoo for their baby.” – Devra Davis.

Prevention is the best single opportunity we have to stop the cancer epidemic in The world.I invite you to join Me now!

Author: Abayomi Aje
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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