On each side of the uterus, two ovaries are present. It is the size of an almond and produces ova or eggs in simple terms, along with the release of hormones like oestrogen and progesterone. When a cancerous growth or a tumour grows in the outer lining (epithelium) of the ovary, it is known as ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer occurs in women who are aged above 65 years.

There are three types of tumour
Ovaries are made up of three kinds of cells and each kind is capable of developing different types of tumour.

Epithelial tumour- It develops from the cells that cover the ovary s outer surface.
Germ cell tumour- It develops from the cells that produce ova.
Stromal tumour- It develops from the tissue cell which is the structure holding the ovary together and produces oestrogen and progesterone.
Some tumours are non-cancerous and never spread beyond the ovary. Cancerous or ovarian tumours that are less malignant can metastasize to other body parts. The signs initially would be mistaken with premenstrual syndrome or poor bowel movement or a bladder problem, but if the problems are persistent then one must get an expert opinion. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected till it spreads within the abdomen or the pelvis. 

Causes of ovarian cancer
Cancer develops when the cells of the body divide and multiplies in an unregulated manner. Mutations that are genetic like BRCA1 and BRCA2 can be the cause often or if an individual is diagnosed with any other type of cancer before like breast, colon or uterine. There is a higher risk of being affected by this type of cancer if the person had undergone fertility treatment or is suffering from infertility. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is another cause of this type of cancer. Experts say that longer the HRT, higher the risk. Women who are obese or are overweight has more chances of being affected. Endometriosis or the disorder in which the growth of the tissue occurs outside the uterus, in such a case the risk is 30% higher.

The signs or symptoms of ovarian cancer differ from one woman to another. Some of the symptoms given below might as well be non-cancerous because since the ovaries are situated near the intestines and bladder, it might be often mistaken to be symptoms of gastrointestinal issues. It is advisable to consult a doctor if the symptoms are persistent.

Symptoms that occur at an early stage
Pelvic pain, Abdomen pain, Indigestion issues, Loss of appetite, Painful sexual intercourse, and Changed bowel movement are a few of the symptoms that occur during the early stages of the development of an Ovarian cancer.

Signs at a progressive stage
Loss of weight, Fatigue, Short of breath, and Nausea are the predominant symptoms when the Ovarian cancer has progressed more. Early diagnosis may lead to complete cure

Symptoms of ovarian cancer are similar to that of ovarian cysts. These ovarian cysts are often non-malignant but women with such cysts have a higher risk of being affected by cancer. Ovarian cancer can begin silently and are often detected at a later stage. Thus any individual undergoing these symptoms can avail medical assistance for further diagnosis.

Ovarian Cancer - Things You Need To Know!

If you notice blood in the stool or the toilet bowl, it could be a case of rectal bleeding. There are many reasons why rectal bleeding can occur, the most common one being haemorrhoids. If the rectal bleeding is not significant then it is not a cause for concern. But if you lose a lot of blood then it can be a major problem.

What are the signs?

The most obvious one, in this case, is the presence of blood in your stool. But it's not just the presence of blood that is important here, the colour of the blood is also a very important indicator of what is wrong.

Black colour indicates that you are bleeding from the upper region of the small intestine

A bright red colour is an indication of the blood loss from the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract   rectum or colon

Dark red indicates that the bleeding is taking place at the initial region of the colon

Some other symptoms you may experience are  

Confusion

Pain in the rectum

Stomach cramps

A sensation of dizziness

Causes of rectal bleeding

Causes of rectal bleeding can be divided into mild and serious. 

Mild causes  

Constipation 

Small tears in the anal lining (anal fissures)

Haemorrhoids

Small growths of tissue in the rectum or colon

Serious causes  

Cancer of the colon and anus

Inflammatory bowel disease

An infection of the intestine such as salmonella

How is it treated?

If you lose a lot of blood, then it is a medical emergency. You should rush to the doctor if you experience the following   fainting, intense pain in the stomach, confusion, and rapid breathing.

The doctor will prescribe treatment based on the cause of your rectal bleeding. For example, if the cause is haemorrhoids then warm baths will help soothe the pain. If the haemorrhoids are large then invasive methods such as laser treatments and surgery are prescribed. 

Or if it is constipation then stool softeners are a good option. In addition, you may have to eat a high fibre diet and exercise regularly to normalize your bowel movements. 

Rectal bleeding can be a minor inconvenience or a major problem depending on the cause. So it is best to consult a doctor and seek immediate treatment.

Rectum Bleeding - How To Administer It?

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers that men are diagnosed with. It is accompanied by a number of difficulties of urination and ejaculation. It can also cause difficulty in achieving and sustaining an erection. If cancer advances and affects the bone structure and the spine, it can cause weakness in the limbs, and also result in urinary and fecal incontinence. If it is diagnosed in its early stages it can be treated quite easily before it spreads.

Treatment for Prostate Cancer-
Prostate cancer generally does not show any symptom in the early stage but progressively degenerates with time. If you suspect having any of the symptoms of prostate cancer such as urination difficulty, erectile dysfunction and discomfort in the pelvic region, then consulting an oncologist is the next step. Your doctor will perform certain diagnostic tests like digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. After the diagnosis of prostate cancer, doctors generally check the stage and rate of growth of a tumour by determining its Gleason score.



Once the extent of the prostate cancer is known, a treatment plan is devised by the doctor. If the cancer is localised and small, your doctor will either prescribe active surveillance or surgery. During active surveillance, there is a blood test, rectal examination, and biopsies on a regular basis to monitor the growth of a tumour. However, the tumour can also be deftly removed with surgical intervention in the form of Radical Prostatectomy. There are two types of radical prostatectomy- laparoscopic prostatectomy and robotic laparoscopic prostatectomy

Robotic Radical Prostatectomy-
A radical prostatectomy is one of the most common methods of treating prostate cancer. It involves the surgical removal of the prostate gland along with some of the surrounding tissues. This curtails the spreading of the cancerous cells to other parts of the body. A robotic radical prostatectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that involves the use of a robotic instrument that is controlled by surgeons to make the removal of the gland precise and efficient. The surgeon controls the robot by sitting at a console and makes several small incisions to enter the abdomen. This procedure reduces the risks of blood loss and any possible side-effect that includes erectile dysfunction and urinary difficulties.

Robotic Radical Prostatectomy For Cancer Prostate!

Colon cancer is believed to be one of the common types of cancer affecting people. As the name suggests, here, the point of origin of the cancer is the colon or the large intestine. Though colon cancer can affect anyone, people with unhealthy lifestyle (sedentary) and habits (excess smoking and consumption of alcohol), obesity, certain medical conditions like diabetes, or exposed to radiations (radiation therapy) are at a greater risk of colon cancer. Colon cancer may also be hereditary.

Colon cancer usually proceeds through five stages, stage 0 (zero), stage I, II, III and IV.

In stage 0, cancer remains in situ, (it remains confined within the innermost layer of the colon).
In stage I, cancer slowly starts spreading to the other layers (second and third) of the inner walls of the colon.
In stage II, cancer spreads further to the muscular walls of the colon (the lymph nodes, are, however, still not affected by this condition).
In stage III, cancer spreads outside the colon, affecting one or more lymph nodes.
Stage IV is more severe and metastatic. Here cancer has spread to and affected vital organs like the liver and the lungs.
Many of the symptoms do not appear at the initial stages. As a result, colon cancer mostly gets detected at a later (often metastatic) stage. Thus, a person should be alert. The initial symptoms, no matter how trivial, should be taken seriously. There is no harm in seeking medical help. It will only help you in the long run. 

The following symptoms are often the initial or first signs of something as big as colon cancer.

Unexplained poor appetite followed by sudden and rapid weight loss. Losing weight at an alarming rate without sweating it out needs thorough investigation. More than often, colon cancer interferes with the digestion process in a person. A person is not able to eat well. There is a feeling of being full (irrespective of how much you eat) all the time.
Constipation, gas or (and) diarrhea. Often overlooked and mistaken for common bowel disorder, these are some of the initial symptoms of colon cancer. The symptoms may be an outcome of polyps (abnormal tissue growths that can take place in any organs. These polyps are mostly benign in nature) or malignant tumors in the colon. Seek medical help if the conditions persist for more than a week. It is better to be safe than to be sorry.
A person feels exhausted, sleepy and weak all the time. The symptom may be an outcome of iron deficiency and anemia. Colon cancer can cause injury to the digestive tract. There may be bleeding followed by blood loss and hence the associated symptoms.
Mild to severe abdominal pain. The abdomen also appears tender than usual (in the case of metastatic tumor).
Stomach upset accompanied by pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps and at times, indigestion (an outcome of intestinal obstruction and inflammation).
There may be blood while passing stool.

Colon Cancer - What Signs You Must Watch Out For?

Green Tea is often referred to as the elixir of health. It is refreshingly light, has minimal calories and provides so many health benefits that you would love introducing this to your everyday fitness and health regimes. Check out some of the wonders of Green Tea-

1) Cuts Your Risk of Cancer - Major researchers from all over the world agree that drinking Green Tea regularly can reduce your risk of cancer. Several polyphenols found in Green Tea are potent antioxidants that can prevent the growth of cancer cells and reduce the opportunities for tumors to thrive!

2) Protects Skin - Consumed or applied Green Tea has several benefits as well. For instance, Green Tea, when applied directly on the skin can help block skin cancer and reduce tanning. That's the reason why growing number of companies now use green tea extracts in their moisturizers and sunscreens. At the same time, it soothes your skin from cuts and scrapes when applied directly.

3) Increases Metabolism - You have heard it before! But we will remind you of the same again. Green tea is often known for increasing metabolism, which in long run, with exercising and healthy dieting can help you lose more weight. Drink a cup about half an hour before exercising and you will feel more powerful.

4) Stay Young - Green Tea, when consumed at least two cups a day regularly can help you stay younger, by giving your skin a natural glow and ensuring that your arteries don?t clog fat and cholesterol.

5) Steadies your Blood Pressure - Sipping even a single cup of Green Tea every day can help in reducing your chances of getting hypertension and high blood pressure. This is because of polyphenols, which can keep vessels from contracting and raising blood pressure.

If you have any more questions, click on consult privately to ask me.

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Top 5 Reasons to Start Drinking Green

Colorectal surgery is the broad term for surgical procedures performed on the colon, the rectum and the anus. There are various different surgical procedures which fall under colorectal surgery and these are used to treat a vast array of disorders, such as:
1. Anal cancer
2. Colorectal cancer
3. Severe complications related to constipation
4. Anal injuries
5. Inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract
6. Congenital defects

Procedures
The surgeries under colorectal surgery are performed after diagnostic tests such as proctoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and defecating proctography. The most common diagnostic test is colonoscopy. These help to identify the origin and nature of the problem and decide which surgical procedure is to be followed. The procedures under colorectal surgery are as follows:

Colectomy
This procedure involves removal of a section of the large intestine. This is known as partial colectomy. In extreme cases, such as advanced cancer or severe gastrointestinal infection, the entire colon is removed and this is called total colectomy. Sometimes, the rectum is also taken out along with the colon and this is called proctocolectomy.

Colonic polypectomy
An abnormal growth of tissues in the inner lining of an organ is known as a polyp. Colonic polypectomy is done to eliminate polyps from the colon and rectum before they become malignant. This can be done endoscopically. Surgery is required in case of large polyps.

Strictureplasty
Chronic or repeated bowel inflammation causes scar tissue to accumulate in the large intestine. This results in the narrowing of the colon. Stricturoplasty removes the scar tissue so that proper flow of digestive contents is resumed.

Colostomy or ileostomy
A damaged section of the colon is removed and the shortened intestine is then attached to another opening (stoma) in the anterior wall of the abdomen.

Hemorrhoidectomy
This surgical process is used for swollen hemorrhoids or blood vessels, which form in the anal canal. Hemorrhoidectomy is extremely effective in removing hemorrhoids, but the surgery also involves a number of complications.

Anoplasty
Anoplasty or imperforate anus correction is done to correct birth defects in the rectum and the anus. The structural flaw does not allow the stool to pass properly from the rectum and so it is repaired through surgery.

All About Colorectal Surgery

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