Uterine fibroids are referred to as benign, abnormal growths which tend to develop in the uterine walls of a woman. The size of such growths can range from a few centimeters to even excess of a few inches. As such, they can cause the uterus to increase to the size of a five month pregnancy. Although, the symptoms of fibroids are not always apparent, they often cause heavy bleeding and pain in women. A recent research concluded that around 60 to 75 percent women contract such fibroids by the age of 50, at least once in their life.

Depending on the site of formation, uterine fibroids are distinguished into different types. Intramural fibroids in the lining of the uterus and subserosal fibroids which develop outside the uterus are the most commonly observed fibroids.

What causes Uterine Fibroids?
Although, the exact reason for the formation of fibroids are obscure, medical professionals have determined certain factors that may affect their formation. Some of them are:
1) Hormones: Progesterone and estrogen, produced by the ovaries regenerate the uterine lining during each menstrual cycle and trigger the growth of fibroids.
2) Family history: If you have had a family history of uterine fibroids, then you&#x2019;re likely to develop the condition yourself as well.
3) Pregnancy: The production of progesterone and estrogen increases during pregnancy which increases the likelihood of fibroids.

What are the signs of the condition?
Depending on the location and size of the tumors, symptoms of such fibroids include:
1) Heavy bleeding and blood clots during periods
2) Pain in the pelvis
3) Frequent menstrual cramps
4) Pressure and pain in the lower abdomen
5) Swelling in the abdomen
6) Pain while intercourse

What is the procedure of the treatment?
Ultrasound and pelvic MRI are common diagnostic procedures to check for uterine fibroids. After diagnosis, depending on your age, size of the fibroid and your comprehensive health, the doctor would prescribe you with appropriate medications. Only after medications prove futile, doctors opt for minimally invasive surgeries.


Causes and Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids

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!

The treatment options for bone cancer depends on the type of cancer one is suffering from, the general health of the patient, the stage of cancer and the general preference of the patient. Different treatment options are designed for different types of cancer, based on the diagnosis. Each treatment responds in a different way. An oncologist decides the treatment options considering all the factors mentioned above. For instance, some cancer is best suited to surgery, while some cancer needs radiotherapy or chemotherapy to curb them. In many cases, all three modes of treatment might be required to tackle the growth of the cancer cells.

Surgery:
The goal of surgery is to eradicate the cancer cells in totality along with some surrounding healthy tissues. This involves special techniques to remove a tumor in one piece. Following are the types of surgeries that are available:

Removing the cancer cells sparing the limb: At the very first sight, the surgeon tries to understand whether it is possible to separate cancer cells from the tissues and the nerves. If the same is possible, the surgeon tries to save the limb while getting rid of the cancer cells. For the sake of safety and to ensure that the surgery is effective, the surgeon removes some of the healthy bone from the body and may replace the same with tissue from other parts of the body. To achieve this, a doctor might seek the help from of a bone bank or use a special metal prosthesis.
Surgery that does not involve the limbs: If the bone cancer does not involve the legs and the arm, surgeons can remove the affected bone along with some healthy bone from the surrounding areas. Cancer of the ribs and the spine are good examples of this type.
Surgery that affects the limb: Bone cancer that has spread to a significant extent and is strategically located in such areas that it is very difficult to remove, requires amputation. While this form of treatment is being increasingly discouraged by the wider medical community, it still does exist. In such cases, patients are fitted with artificial limbs and trained to do their job without the use of natural limbs.
Chemotherapy:
This is a form of drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill cancer cells throughout the body. This medication is mostly given through an IV and the medication kills whatever cancer cells it comes across. 

Radiation therapy:
Radiation therapy involves the usage of special X-ray beams that have high power and can kill cancer cells. The patients are required to lie on a table, while a machine moves around the affected area and treats it with high energy X-rays, thereby killing the cancer cells. Radiation therapy is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy to reduce the size of a tumor before operating on it.


Bone Cancer - Know The Treatment Options!

Chemotherapy has been the remedy for cancer since the late 90s. But in today s world the medical field has been improved so much that new methods have been invented. One of them is Hormonal therapy. It is used to cure some types of breast cancer that are affected by hormones. Receptor proteins in the breast cancer cells attach to estrogen and help the cells grow. This therapy stops the receptors attaching to estrogen in various ways.

When it is used?
Hormonal breast cancer therapy is performed after surgery to prevent the cancer from coming back. It is also applied to treat the cancer that has come back or to prevent the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body. Sometimes, if needed, it starts before the surgery. It takes five years, generally.

How it works?
Hormonal therapy mainly stops estrogen from acting on the cancer cells or lowers the estrogen level. There are different ways to do that.

Blocking Estrogen Receptors: These drugs stop estrogen from helping breast cancer cells.
Tamoxifen: It acts as anti-estrogen in the breast cells, but acts like estrogen in other cells. It lowers the risk of breast cancer and also stops cancer from coming back.
Toremifene: It works in a similar way, but it is only used in metastatic breast cancer. It also decreases the pain and swelling in the muscles and bones.
Fulvestrant: It blocks and damages estrogen receptors. It is given by injections after other drugs stop working.
Lowering Estrogen Levels: These drugs slow the growth of cancer by lowering estrogen levels.
Aromatase Inhibitors: These drugs stop estrogen production in women whose ovaries are not working due to menopause or other treatments. There are three types of this drug- Letrozole, Anastrozole and Exemestane.
Ovarian Suppression: In this method, ovaries are removed or shut down to turn pre-menopausal women to post-menopausal. There are several ways to do this, and they are- Oophorectomy or surgery, LHRH analogs and applying chemotherapy drugs.
There are some other types of hormone therapy that are less common. They were used more in the past. They are:

Megestrol acetate
Androgens
High doses of estrogen
Side Effects:
Unfortunately, Hormonal breast cancer therapy has lots of side effects. They are-

Hot flashes
Mood swings
Vagina discharge or dryness
Developing uterine cancer
Blood clots
Stroke
Night sweat
Headache
Mild nausea
Bone pain
Injection site pain
Muscle pain and joint stiffness and pain
Bone thinning
Menopause
Although hormonal therapy has lots of side effects, they are limited to different kinds of hormonal therapies and it is not necessary that they will surely happen. But it is best to undergo any kind of treatment with a doctor s advice. So patients should consult the doctor first.

Breast Cancer - New Advancements That Can Help!

Uterine cancer is also known as endometrial cancer. It is a cancer which begins in the lining of the uterus. The uterus is the part of a woman's body where the fetus develops. Uterine cancer is one of those rare cancers in India, which can be diagnosed in its early stages. This is because excessive vaginal bleeding occurs, thus making it a very serious and an apparent symptom. It is also one of the few forms of cancer which can be cured as removing the uterus is often more than enough to cure the patient of uterine cancer.

Here are the causes, diagnosis and treatment of uterine cancer:

Causes

The exact cause of uterine cancer is not yet known, however, there is a theory on what causes uterine cancer. Hormones in a woman's body have been thought to increase the chances of getting uterine cancer. This is because it has long been thought that having high levels of estrogen is the cause of uterine cancer. Increased estrogen thickens the endometrium and thus, increases the likelihood of uterine cancer.

Diagnosis

There are several tests used to diagnose whether you have uterine cancer including:

1. Pelvic exam: This is an examination in which the vagina, bladder, rectum and uterus are scanned for lumps. If they are found, it might be due to uterine cancer.
2. Pap test: A pap test is a special test designed to scan for uterine cancer.
3. Transvaginal ultrasound: A transvaginal ultrasound uses high-intensity sound waves so that pictures of the uterus can be taken.
4. Biopsy: During a biopsy, the doctor will remove tissue from the endometrium and it will then be analyzed for cancerous growths.

Treatment

1. Surgery: This is the most common treatment as it removes the entire uterus and prevents the spreading of the cancer.
2. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy involves giving drugs which kill cancerous cells. They are given through either an intravenous line or even in pill form.
3. Hormone therapy: This is a therapy in which either progesterone levels are increased or estrogen levels are decreased.
4. Radiation therapy: In this treatment, high energy laser beams are used to destroy cancerous cells.

Uterine Cancer - Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

If you are concerned about liver cancer, you should know that most people do not experience signs and symptoms of the cancer in the early stages. Liver cancer is a form of cancer which occurs in the cells of the liver. There are various types of cancer which can develop in the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver cancer which begins in the hepatocyte, which is the main liver cell.

Symptoms-

Usually there are no specific primary stage symptoms of liver cancer. Some symptoms which may develop include the following:

Unusual weight loss is observed

Loss of appetite and developing food aversion

Pain in the upper abdomen

Nausea followed by vomiting

General weakness with intense fatigue

Swelling in the abdomen

The skin may become yellow

White and chalky stools are likely

Causes-

In most cases, the causes of liver cancer cannot be clearly determined. In some cases, the cause is known, such as chronic infection with the hepatitis virus, which may lead to liver cancer. Liver cancer occurs when the liver cells undergo changes or mutations in their DNA structure. DNA mutations lead to changes in instructions of chemical processes taking place in the body. The cells may grow out of control and develop into a cancerous tumour.

Risk Factors-

There are several factors which enhance the risk of liver cancer. They are as follows:

Chronic infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C increases the risk of liver cancer.

A progressive and irreversible condition known as cirrhosis leads to scar tissue formation in the liver, increasing the risk of liver cancer.

Certain inherited liver diseases such as Wilson s disease and hemochromatosis also increase the chances of liver cancer.

People with diabetes are also at a greater risk of having liver cancer.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is the accumulation of fat in the liver, also increases the chances of getting this condition.

Excessive alcohol consumption is another factor which causes irreversible damage to the liver and the chances of getting liver cancer get boosted.

Exposure to aflatoxins, which are poisons produced by molds growing on poorly stored crops, make you more likely to get liver cancer.

Several tests and procedures are carried out for the diagnosis of liver cancer. These include blood tests for diagnosing liver function problems, and imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT scan and MRI scan.

Top 4 Symptoms Of Liver Cancer

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