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

Kidney cancer refers to any form of cancer that involves the kidney. The disease usually originates in two portions of the kidney   the renal pelvis and the renal tubule. It is one of the most common types of cancer, affecting nearly one out of every 63 people.

Obesity, older age, high blood pressure, smoking and others are some of the factors that increase the likelihood of developing kidney cancer. A person diagnosed with kidney cancer in the early stage will most likely encounter symptoms like   

  Blood in the urine 

  A lump near the kidneys 

  A persistent pain near the kidneys 

  Fever and night sweats 

  Fatigue and tiredness 

  Weight loss 

One should follow up with an oncologist upon experiencing the above symptoms. Is kidney cancer curable? Kidney cancer treatment depends on multiple factors   the stage and type of cancer, the patient s overall health condition etc. However, if cancer has metastasized, the doctor/specialist may recommend palliative treatment to manage the symptoms and improve your quality of life. 

Often, people think of palliative treatment as an end-stage treatment. Nevertheless, the approach can prove beneficial if given during the initial stages. It is about living for as long as possible in the most satisfying way possible. 

A team of healthcare professionals come together to meet your emotional, physical, and social needs. Treatment may include   

  Radiation therapy to ease pain from the disease that has spread to the bones

  Arterial embolization   a method that blocks the supply of blood to the kidneys and the tumour present inside 

  Immunotherapy   helps the immune system to fight against cancer cells 

  Targeted therapy   works by targeting cancer-specific proteins, genes and tissues that contribute to the growth of cancer 

Palliative treatment, as a part of integrated oncology, has been a boon to cancer patients worldwide. It not only helps deal with the disease physically but also helps to cope mentally. 

Kidney Cancer Cure - What Should You Know?

Rubbery cushions (discs) between the bones (vertebrae) stack up to form the spine. When a nerve between the disc and vertebrae is pressed and inflamed, that condition is called herniated disc. The herniated disc is also referred to as the ruptured disc or the slipped disc. This is caused when the soft jelly is pushed out due to a tear in the exterior. Herniated discs can lead to an irritation of the nerves and result in tremendous pain. It may also cause the arms and legs to become numb and weak. However, some people suffering from this condition may not display any symptoms at all.

Herniated disc generally occur in the lower part of the vertebral column. The herniated disc may also be seen in the thoracic spine or cervical spine. The symptoms of a herniated disc include pain in the legs, feet, or the buttocks, pain in the shoulder blade, tingling of the feet, numbness of the feet and hands, muscle weakness, neck pain or muscle spasm in the neck. Most common causes of herniated discs are aging, excessive weight or lifting of heavy weight.

Prevention of herniated disc

Herniated discs are very commonly found in people who are aged between 35 or 55 years. They are seen more commonly in the men in comparison to the women.
A herniated disc cannot be prevented easily, but there certain things that you can do to reduce the risks. Maintaining the proper techniques of lifting is important. You should not be bending at your waist. You should always bend the knees and keep the back straight. This helps you to use your leg muscles which are very strong to support the weight.
As the saying goes, precaution is better than cure, so here are few precautions that can be taken to avoid herniated discs. Practicing a proper posture can help in reducing the risk of a herniated disc. It is extremely important for an individual to maintain a healthy posture while standing, sitting, walking, and even sleeping. It is imperative that you stretch your muscles when you are sitting in one position for a long time.
Another important thing to avoid is high-heeled shoes, as they are few of the most common causes of a herniated disc. It would be a good idea to go for flat and well cushioned comfortable footwear as they can go a long way in reducing the risk of the herniated disc.
Exercising regularly can go a long way in keeping the muscles of the legs, stomach, and back very strong. You should try to balance your flexibility and strength by exercising regularly. The best form of exercise to avoid herniated disc or ruptured disc is aerobic exercise.
It is true that as you start to age, the chances of getting a herniated disc increase significantly. However, if proper precautions are taken, the stress put on the spine can be effectively reduced, thereby eliminating the risk of a herniated disc. 

Herniated Disc - Is There A Way It Can Be Prevented?

We have more than 200 bones in our body and each of them is susceptible to bone cancer. However, long bones in the arms and legs are most susceptible to this condition. Bone cancer can be primary or secondary. Primary bone cancer involves uncontrolled and abnormal cell division within the bones while secondary bone cancer refers to cancer that originated somewhere else in the body and later spread to the bones. While children and adults are equally at risk for primary bone cancer, adults and elderly people are more susceptible to secondary bone cancer. If diagnosed early enough, bone cancer can be treated and even cured with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. 

Hence it is essential to recognize the signs and symptoms of bone cancer. Here s what you should look out for.

Pain in Bones: Pain is one the primary symptoms of bone cancer. As the tumour grows larger, this pain can become more intense. In its early stages, the pain may be experienced as a dull ache inside the bone or the affected part of the body. It may also increase or decrease according to your activity level or may be experienced only at night. However, not all bone pains signify  cancer  as this is also a symptom associated with osteoporosis.
Swelling: In some cases, the abnormal growth of bone cells can result in the formation of a lump of mass that may be felt through the skin. In other cases, the affected area may also show signs of swelling.
Breaking of the Bone: Cancer can weaken the bones and make them more brittle. This may make the bones more susceptible to fractures. A bone breaking in an area that has been painful or sore for a long period of time may be a sign of cancer. This is known as a pathologic fracture.
Reduced Flexibility: If the tumour is located near a joint, it may affect the range of movements possible and make simple actions uncomfortable. For example, a tumour around the knee may make walking and climbing stairs a painful exercise.
Other symptoms to look out for are sudden and drastic weight loss, tiredness, excessive sweating at night, fever and difficulty breathing in case cancer has spread to other organs. Since many of these symptoms are common to other medical disorders, you should conduct a doctor immediately if you notice any of them. A physical examination and a couple of tests along with a biopsy will be required to confirm a diagnosis of bone cancer.

Bone Cancer - 4 Signs You are Suffering from it!

Breast cancer is the form of cancer that occurs from breast tissues in women. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, changes in the shape of the breast, dimpling of the breast skin, a fluid coming out of the nipples or development of red scaly patches on the skin. There might be pain in the bones, swollen lymph nodes, shortness of breath, or the skin turning yellow and pale.

Breast cancer is a fatal mode of cancer in women, and one must try to abstain from this cancer in all possible ways. Here are 5 ways you can decrease the risk of breast cancer.

1. Keeping a check on your weight: although the process is tough to maintain, keeping up a sound and healthy weight is a critical objective for everybody. Being overweight can expand the danger of a wide range of cancers, including breast cancer, particularly after menopause in women. Exercise is very important for maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle. Women who exert physically regularly are fitter than others and are at a much lower risk of acquiring diseases of any kind. Regular exercise decreases the chance of getting breast cancer and also keeps the body weight in check.

2. Maintaining a healthy diet: maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is a key for keeping away from any kind of cancer or major health problem. Include a sufficient amount of fresh fruits and green vegetables in your daily diet to ensure the supply of all vital nutrients to your body. This would increase your immunity.

3. Avoid smoking and consume less alcohol: smoking is a very unhealthy and harmful habit. Smoking lowers the quality of your life, and causes numerous diseases. Heart diseases, stroke and many kinds of cancer, including breast cancer can be caused from smoking. If you drink alcohol, you should moderate your drinking habits and drink less, as drinking in excess may lead to breast cancer.

4. Practice breast feeding: breast feeding your children for a span of one year or more is likely to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

5. Avoid taking birth control pills: birth control pills, in spite of having several benefits are associated with risk factors as well. Birth control pills have got worse effects in younger women than older aged women. Using birth control pills may cause breast cancer and these pills should be avoided.

There are many ways, adapting which you can lower the chances of getting breast cancer.

5 Easy Ways to Decrease Your Breast Cancer Risk

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!

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