Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs. These abnormal cells do not carry out the functions of normal lung cells and do not develop into healthy lung tissue. As they grow, the abnormal cells can form tumors and interfere with the functioning of the lung, which provides oxygen to the body via the blood.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death due to cancer in both men and women throughout the world. According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, approximately one out of every 14 men and women in the U.S. is diagnosed with cancer of the lung at some point in their lifetime. Lung cancer is predominantly a disease of the elderly; almost 70% of people diagnosed with lung cancer are over 65 years of age, while less than 3% of lung cancers occur in people under 45 years of age.

What Causes Lung Cancer?

The development of lung cancer is strongly associated with cigarette smoking, approximately 90% of lung cancers are attributable to use of tobacco. Pipe and cigar smoking can also cause lung cancer, but the risk is not as high as with cigarette smoking. Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds, many of which are cancer causing (carcinogens). Passive smoking, i.e. the inhalation of tobacco smoke by non-smokers who live or work with smokers, is also an established risk factor for the development of lung cancer.

Genetic susceptibility (i.e. family history) may play a role in the development of lung cancer. Other causes of lung cancer include air pollution (from vehicles, industry, and power generation) and inhalation of asbestos fibres (usually in the workplace).

Lung Cancer Symptoms

Early symptoms and signs of lung cancer

There may be no symptoms at the onset of the disease. When present, common symptoms of lung cancer may include:

Coughing: This includes a persistent cough that doesn't go away or changes to a chronic smoker's cough, such as more coughing or pain.
Coughing up blood: Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm) should always be discussed with your doctor.
Breathing Difficulties: Shortness of breath, wheezing or noisy breathing (called stridor) may all be signs of lung cancer.
Loss of Appetite: Many cancers cause changes in appetite, which may lead to unintended weight loss.
Fatigue: It is common to feel weak or excessively tired.
Recurring infections: Recurring infections, like bronchitis or pneumonia, may be one of the signs of lung cancer.
Signs of advanced stages of lung cancer

Advanced stages of lung cancer are often characterized by the spread of cancer to distant sites in the body. This may affect the bones, liver or brain. As other parts of the body are affected, new lung cancer symptoms may develop, including:

Bone pain
Swelling of the face, arms or neck
Headaches, dizziness or limbs that become weak or numb
Jaundice
Lumps in the neck or collar-bone region
Treatment

Treatment for cancer involves a combination of surgery to remove cancer cells, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to kill cancer cells. Lung cancer is incurable unless complete surgical removal of the tumour cells can be achieved. Surgery is the most effective treatment for lung cancer, but only a few percentage of lung cancers are suitable for surgery i.e. Stage I and II NSCLC and cancer that has not spread beyond the lung.

Radiation therapy may be used for both NSCLC and SCLC and is a good option for people who are not suitable for surgery or who refuse surgery. Chemotherapy is used for both NSCLC and SCLC. Chemotherapy drugs may be given alone or in combination with surgery or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is the treatment of first choice for SCLC since it has usually spread extensively in the body by the time it has been diagnosed.

Also used in the treatment of lung cancer are targeted therapies. These are drugs (gefitinib and erlotinib) or antibodies (cetuximab, bevacizumab) that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in tumor growth and progression. They are used in some patients with NSCLC that does not respond to standard chemotherapy.

Lung Cancer: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Many women develop uterine fibroids by the time they hit the age of 50 years and above. These are non-cancerous growths that may occur in the uterus. Most women go through severe bleeding and pain as well as discomfort as a result of these fibroids. Age, family history of the same condition, obesity or being overweight, eating habits and even ethnicity play a large role in deciding the risk of each individual patient. These fibroids can grow in the submucosal, intramural and subserosal areas.

Following are the common side effects of uterine fibroids:

    Frequent urination: Due to the pressure of the fibroids on the uterus, the patient may experience a constant feeling of fullness in the lower pelvic area of the body, which may lead to frequent filling of the bladder. This gives rise to frequent trips to the washroom for urination. 
    Heavy Bleeding: Severe bleeding is one of the most common causes of the presence of these kinds of fibroids. The patient may experience a lot of bleeding during menstrual periods, as well as pain and cramps the rest of the time. The periods will also be very painful when there are fibroids in the uterus or the uterine lining.
    Painful Intercourse: It is a well-known fact that any kind of infection or growth as well as sores and other such ailments can lead to vaginal dryness as well as pain during sexual intercourse. This is true for uterine fibroids as well, which can lead to severe pain during sexual activity. These fibroids can also give rise to pain in the lumbar or lower back region.
    Abdomen Swelling: The abdomen may go through significant swelling in such a condition and the patient may even look like she is pregnant. The growth can push the shape of the abdomen outwards and create a full feeling.
    Pregnancy Complications: The presence of uterine fibroids can give rise to several complications during pregnancy and even after child birth. One of the most common problems in this case is bleeding, followed by more severe outcomes like miscarriage. The women suffering from uterine fibroids are at greater risk of undergoing a caesarean section for the delivery of the baby. The baby may also be born breech and a premature delivery may take place. 
    Infertility: This is also a rare side effect of the uterine fibroids and is generally seen only in very severe cases. 
    Cancer: Only one in every 1000 cases might transform into malignant tumours. These uterine fibroids are generally known to be non-malignant. 

Any symptoms must be reported to a gynaecologist at the earliest to avoid any serious complications.

Common Side Effects of Uterine Fibroids

Definition

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus that often appear during childbearing years. Also called leiomyomas (lie-o-my-O-muhs) or myomas, uterine fibroids aren't associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer and almost never develop into cancer.

Uterine fibroids develop from the smooth muscular tissue of the uterus (myometrium). A single cell divides repeatedly, eventually creating a firm, rubbery mass distinct from nearby tissue. Fibroid location, size and number influence signs and symptoms:

TYPES

 	Submucosal fibroids: Fibroids that grow into the inner cavity of the uterus (submucosal fibroids) are more likely to cause prolonged, heavy menstrual bleeding and are sometimes a problem for women attempting pregnancy.
 	Subserosal fibroids: Fibroids that project to the outside of the uterus (subserosal fibroids) can sometimes press on your bladder, causing you to experience urinary symptoms. If fibroids bulge from the back of your uterus, they occasionally can press either on your rectum, causing a pressure sensation, or on your spinal nerves, causing backache.
 	Intramural fibroids: Some fibroids grow within the muscular uterine wall (intramural fibroids). If large enough, they can distort the shape of the uterus and cause prolonged, heavy periods, as well as pain and pressure.

Symptoms

In women who have symptoms, the most common symptoms of uterine fibroids include:

 	Heavy menstrual bleeding
 	Prolonged menstrual periods - seven days or more of menstrual bleeding
 	Pelvic pressure or pain
 	Frequent urination
 	Difficulty emptying your bladder
 	Constipation
 	Backache or leg pains

 	Abnormal menstrual bleeding, such as:
o	Heavier, prolonged periods that can cause anemia
o	Painful periods.
o	Spotting before or after periods.
o	Bleeding between periods.

 	Pelvic pain and pressure, such as:
o	Pain in the,abdomen pelvis, or low back.
o	Pain during sexual intercourse.
o	bloating and feelings of abdominal pressure.

 	Urinary problems, such as:
o Frequent urination
o	Leakage of urine (urinary incontinence).
o	kidney blockage following ureter blockage (rare).

 	Other symptoms, such as:
o	Difficulty or pain with bowel movements.
o	infertility. Sometimes, fibroids make it difficult to become pregnant.
o	Problems with pregnancy, such as placental abruption and premature labor.
o	miscarriage.

Tests and diagnosis

Ultrasound
Magnetic resonance imaging
Hysterosonography
Hysterosalpingography
Hysteroscopy

Uterine Fibroids - All You Should Know!

The human body has 206 bones and bone cancer can affect any of these bones. This condition starts when healthy bone marrow cells mutate and grow out of control to form a tumor. There are many different types of bone cancer. Treatment of bone cancer varies from case to case and depends on factors such as, type of cancer, stage at which it is diagnosed and the patient s overall health amongst other factors.

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are the three most common types of treatments favored for bone cancer. Surgery is usually used for low-grade tumors. This involves the removal of tumor and the surrounding healthy cells and tissues to ensure that that cancer does not recur. For high-grade tumors, surgery may be accompanied by chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of the two. 

Chemotherapy involves the delivery of medication to destroy cancer cells orally or intravenously. Radiation involves the use of high energy X rays to kill cancer cells. This is often used to treat patients with a tumor that cannot be surgically removed.

Apart from these standard forms of treatment, bone cancer patients are often advised to take part in clinical trials for their treatment. This can be described as a research study to test the efficiency of new approaches to the treatment of bone cancer. A clinical trial can be used to treat the safety and efficacy of a new drug, the new dosage of standard drugs or a new combination of treatment types. As a member of a clinical trial, you may be one of the first few people to benefit from treatment even before it is available to the general public. 

Some of the new options available through clinical trials are:

Immunotherapy: This is also known as biologic therapy. It is designed to boost the patient s immune system to fight cancer cells. Mifamurtidesi one of the types of immunotherapy being tested. Immune checkpoint inhibitors such as monoclonal antibodies are also being tested for their ability to block specific molecules.
Targeted therapy: This type of therapy targets the genes and proteins that contribute towards the growth and survival of cancer cells. Targeted therapy limits the damage caused to healthy cells and tissues and only blocks the growth of cancer cells.
Myeloablative therapy: This involves an intense regimen of chemotherapy. High doses of chemotherapy aim at destroying all the cancer cells. Unfortunately, in the process, healthy cells may also be killed. This may be followed by introducing stem cells through a bone marrow transplant to the patient s body to renew blood cells.
Intraoperative radiation therapy: These trials evaluate the use of radiation given inside the patient s body during a surgery. In cases where tumor is in a distant location of the body, stereotactic body radiotherapy and radiofrequency ablation may be used.


Bone Cancer - Understanding The New Approaches For Treatment!

The symptoms caused due to herniated disc can be very severe and can also cause a bit of disability. The disc of the spine is like a cushion and separates the set of bones on the backside. The discs are shock absorbers of the spine and are mainly composed of 2 parts, a soft jelly centre called the nucleus and a tough outer covering called the annulus.

Effects of Herniated Disk
A herniated or cracked disc is a severe condition and it seems to happen most commonly in the lower back.  It happens when a fraction of the soft centre gets pushed through the destabilized area due to degeneration, trauma or by putting pressure on the spinal cord. 

Nerves are located precisely at the back of every disc and are responsible for controlling everything in our body. While a disc gets herniated, the external covering of the disc tears and creates a bulge. The soft jelly gets shifted from the centre of the disk to the region where the damage has occurred on the disc. Most commonly, the bulge occurs in areas where the nerve is located and it causes strain on the affected nerve. It has been observed that individuals do not feel any painful sensations even if their disc gets damaged.

When is Surgery Recommended for Herniated Disc?
Surgery for herniated disc is recommended only after options like steroid injections, pain relievers, exercise and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs do not work. If the pain persists even after these options, then it becomes important to go for surgery. There are certain risks involved in this surgery like infection, bleeding or nerve damage. 

There are chances that the disc may get ruptured again if it is not removed. If you are a patient suffering from degenerative disc disease, then there are chances that problem occurs in other discs. It is very important that a patient maintains healthy weight to prevent any further complications.

The main factor that increases the risk of herniated disc is excess body weight, which causes a lot of stress on the lower back. A few people become heir to a tendency of developing this condition. Even individuals with physically demanding jobs are prone to this condition. 

Activities like bending sideways, pushing, twisting, repetitive lifting can increase the risk of a herniated disk. At times, emergency surgery is also required to avoid paralysis in a patient.

Herniated Disc - What are the Risks Involved in it?

The liver is a critical organ as it plays a vital role in body metabolism and digestion. Liver diseases are a challenge for medical professionals, as often, these symptoms are not obvious until the disease has progressed to quite an advanced stage. In most cases, diagnosis in the early stage is very difficult, which can help in early intervention and disease arrest. It is not just the disease, but the causes and treatment of liver cancer are also surrounded by myths. 

Read on to know some of the myths and facts about liver cancer.

Liver cancer is caused by alcohol: This is one of the most common myth, which is not true. While alcohol definitely has a role to play in liver cancer, not all victims are alcoholics. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which puts a person at risk for liver cancer is not related to alcohol and is seen in people who are obese, diabetic, high cholesterol and have no connection with alcohol. There is also no correlation between the amount of alcohol and the severity of liver damage. However, stopping alcohol consumption altogether definitely helps in improving liver condition.
Liver cancer can be detected on routine tests: While abnormal protein levels on routine blood tests indicate abnormal liver, it is most often ignored and does not get diagnosed further. However, this should be taken up in detail and should be diagnosed. Early diagnosis greatly improves prognosis and can reduce treatment costs significantly. The chances of liver regeneration also would be greatly improved.
Routine medications can lead to liver cancer: Liver plays a very important role in metabolism, and most drugs are liver-toxic. Taken over a period of time, they can cause incremental damage and lead to liver cancer. Some are more toxic than others, so asking for the effect of liver is always a good question.
Cirrhosis is a precursor to liver cancer: This is definitely true, as left untreated, liver cirrhosis can lead to cancer. The added danger is that cirrhosis also is a silent disease, with often no symptoms and gets detected quite late. Periodic tests for cirrhosis in a patient who has a family history and alcohol consumption is a must.
Lifestyle has no connection to liver cancer: Absolutely wrong. A good healthy lifestyle including healthy weight, good portions of fresh fruits and vegetables, proper exercise, minimal alcohol use, and no smoking helps not just the liver but overall health. These play a cumulative effect on liver health, and having a good lifestyle, can help in delaying onset even in a person who is predisposed to cirrhosis and/or liver cancer through family history.
Liver cancer is definitely a silent killer, but keeping eyes open definitely, helps.

Liver Cancer - Common Myths & Facts About It!

Don't wait any longer, manage your Pediatric Radiologist online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Pediatric Radiologist - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES