Breast Cancer - Medical Symptoms, Causes And Treatments

Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) growth in the breast that can spread to the lymph nodes, lungs, brain, and bones. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. This article takes a brief yet concise look at the medical symptoms, causes and treatments for cancer of the breast.

Breast Cancer Symptoms And Causes

In the early stages of the cancer, symptoms usually do not appear. As the cancer grows, symptoms can include: a lump in the breast that may or may not be tender and/or an enlarged lymph nodes under the arm that may feel hard and have uneven edges but typically does not hurt.

A woman may also notice changes in the size, shape or feel of the breast such as an indentation of the nipple or a fluid discharge from the nipple; or redness or dimpling of the skin.

Men can get breast cancer yet women are 100% more likely to get cancer of the breast than men. In a man, symptoms will likely present as a breast lump, pain and tenderness.

The cause of cancer in the breast is unknown but the risk increases with a family history of this type of cancer, in women who have not had children; or in women who reached their menstrual cycle before age 12 or went through menopause after age 55.

Some cancers of the breast are sensitive to the hormone estrogen, that means estrogen causes tumors of the breast to grow. These estrogen sensitive cancers are called 'estrogen receptor positive cancer' or 'ER positive cancer'.

Breast Cancer Diagnosis And Treatment

Monthly self-exams of the breasts should be performed to detect any changes early. A baseline mammogram is recommended by age 35, then follow-ups every 2 years up to age 49, then every year after age 50. If a lesion is detected, a biopsy (tissue sample) may be needed to make an accurate diagnosis. Other tests that may be performed to formulate a proper diagnosis include an MRI, CT Scan, Breast Ultrasound or PET Scan.

Treatment is based on many factors including the type of cancer and the stage the cancer is in (stages range from (0 to IV). Surgery to remove the lump (lumpectomy) or to remove all or part of the breast and possibly nearby structures such as lymph nodes and muscle tissue (mastectomy) is the recommended treatment. Other treatment options include chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

The experimental drug, tamoxifen, is currently being studied to determine if it can prevent cancer of the breast. This drug blocks the effects of estrogen which can promote the growth of cancer cells in women with estrogen-sensitive breast cancer. A newer class of medicines called aromatase inhibitors, have shown good results in post-menopausal women with breast cancer.

The causes of cervical cancer and effective treatments

The high profile of the recent death of Jade Goody, the star of the British program for cervical cancer, has increased public awareness of this deadly disease.

Cervical cancer kills some 253,500 women worldwide each year, according to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC). This threat has prompted a concerted effort of research on the causes of cervical cancer, and effectivetreatments in recent years.

The researchers found that a virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes at least 70% of cervical cancers. Following this discovery, have developed a vaccine that protects girls for example, aged 11 and 26, two common strains of HPV.

Moreover, though not considered actually cause cervical cancer, factors that increase the risk of contracting the disease. These risk factorsinclude:

The long-term use of birth control pills: the use of birth control pills for more than four years, may increase the risk of cervical cancer among women with HPV infection.
There is no regular testing, cervical cancer is more common among women who do not have regular Pap tests.
HPV infection: HPV infection has not been completely removed can cause cervical cancer in some women. Since these viruses are transmitted by sexual contactincreases the risk of HPV infection with number of sexual partners.
Smoking: snuff increases the risk of cervical cancer in women infected with HPV.
weakened immune system, HIV infection or the use of drugs that suppress the immune system, increases the risk of cervical cancer.

Knowing the causes of cervical cancer risk factors, can help prevent women from contracting the disease.

However,when a woman was diagnosed with cervical cancer, which is facing a very difficult decision. What treatment is most effective? The choice of treatment?

Cancer treatment is a controversial issue as soon as you venture outside the realm of mainstream medical authority in the field of alternative medicine. There are many good reasons for this controversy. In short, the conflict between freedom and order informationInterest (income).

Health care is an industry of billions of dollars annually in the U.S. only. Is the treatment of cancer for a turnover of U.S. $ 72.1 million in 2004, according to the National Cancer Institute. E naive hope that a profitable industry will put the interests of the public interest before his own being.

In fact, a recent "60 Minutes" documentary, there are twice as many lobbyists working for the pharmaceutical industryWe are members of Congress. They are paid to solicit support from the producers of Law for legislation that protects the interests of drug manufacturers, and to discredit alternative cancer treatments in the media.

alternative treatments and cures for cancer have shown have been widely documented in the last hundred years. Unfortunately, much of this information has been suppressed, discredited or deliberately, because it represents a threat to the interestsbenefit from patented treatments.

If it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss alternative treatments for cancer, here are some general guidelines to help you find the information useful for your own personal use and research education.

First, you must be willing to be your own authority. It s your health and your life, after all, and you have the right to make the final decision on the treatment you have additional information receive.Theaccess, the best position to make a truly informed decision.

Second, you must be willing to look beyond conventional sources of the mainstream, if you really want to find information is deleted.

Third, the criteria should allow for options to include anecdotal evidence, because it will never be approved by the FDA, double-blind studies, to support any treatment that can not be patented, or administered in profit important.

The answer to the memorydiscredit effective alternative treatments of any kind is "There is no clinical evidence that it works." While this is true, it is also misleading. This does not mean that treatment does not work. No clinical trials because there was a clinical trial, and never will be, because most alternatives can not be patented. Therefore, there is no incentive to pay for clinical trials.

Anecdotes, first-person accounts of success, alternative cancer treatmentsoffering new options and directions to explore. research motivated by the most liberal countries can support, often in their testimony, and help you make informed decisions that can lead to successful healing, even cancer.

Serious Cervical Cancer Stages and Treatments

Serious cases of cervical cancer can be successfully treated, although it is best to catch cervical cancer early. The best way to do this is with regular, routine and periodic paps tests. In the invasive stage more drastic measures need to be taken to stop the spread of cancer and even in this case if the cancer has not moved beyond the cervics there is nearly a 90% rate of survival. Forty years ago we couldn't say that, so things have come along way. By getting paps tests abnormal cells are found early and removed or treated very easily.

There are many ways used to treat later stage cervical cancer. Hysterectomy surgery in the invasive stages is one of the more popular ways to treat cervical cancer and is used often inn younger women, because it preserve the ovaries. Hysterectomy removes the uterus and cervix thus removing the cancer in the process. Hysterectomies in more serious cases include removing part of the vagina, cervix, uterus as well as any lumph nodes in the region.

Radical trachelectomy can be another method used to preserve fertility, this would remove the cervix and lower part of the uterus, but the rest of the uterus is left for bearing the fetus. Lymph nodes are also removed in the pelvis and there is further surveillance to see if cancer has spread. Chemotherapy anti cancer drugs can also be used to enter the patients bloodstream which can increase the effects of radiation to treat cervical cancer. Radiation treatment is also possible to shrink the tumors killing the cancer cells. This prevents the cancer cells from reproducing.

The less serious cases are treated with a simple hysterectomy or radical trachelectomy, which would first choice in invasive stages. Sometimes in later stages a combination of any of these will be used. If you have periodic paps tests you can prevent this level of treatment and even if you have to go through any of these levels of treatment you most likely will end up a cancer survivor like Lance Armstrong. So talk with your doctor, stay informed, do your own research and think on this.

Treatments and Signs of Cervical Cancer

For a layman, the easiest definition of cervical cancer is that it is a cancer of cervix (the opening of the uterus that is connected to the vagina). This cancer, like all other cancers, has different stages. During the initial stage, the cells transform into something and this process is known as dysplasia. Abnormal cells take formation in the cervix and then they begin to multiply and spread in the area. It is one of the commonest types of cancers that attack females.

Signs of Cervical Cancer

It should be remembered that noticeable symptoms may occur only after the cancer reaches its dangerous stage. Following are some of the commonly noticeable signs that may occur:

-Pain during sexual intercourse or pain in the pelvic region
-Bleeding from vagina between periods
-Discharge from vagina, which is not normal
-Menstrual cycle extension in terms of duration and even heavy periods
-Bleeding after the menopause

Some of the Possible Treatments

These treatments can only help if the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage.

If not much damage has been done, then doctors focus on removing that area where the abnormal cell growth has occurred. This can be done through a number of latest scientific ways such as laser surgery, loop electrosurgical excision procedure, cone biopsy, and cryosurgery.

If the cancer has grown much and is invasive, then the treatment and its duration will depend on the stage when it is detected. Some of the options include radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hysterectomy.

Prevention

-Avoid HPV infection by not forming any sexual contact with the infected person
-HPV vaccination can offer a great prevention from this cancer
-Use routine PAP test to diagnose it at its earliest (this should be done frequently after you turn 21 years of age).

Cervical Cancer - Signs, Symptoms and Treatments

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Despite the fact that cervical cancer has been identified as the second most common cancer among women worldwide as research has consistently shown that it kills more than 300,000 women yearly. Though it can be medically prevented, even in women at high risk, but due to the ignorance and non-challant attitude of our women and the so called health worker, the reverse is the case. However, the good news is that with modern science, a small inexpensive screening could potentially save lives. Its on record that screening in United Kingdom saves over 100,000 lives every year, with premalignant diseases detected and treated in several women.

Some of the signs and symptoms to look out for. But before i proceed, i must warn that symptoms do not usually appear until abnormal cervical cells become cancerous and invade nearby tissue and when this happens the most common symptom is abnormal bleeding which starts and stop between regular menstrual bleeding periods or may occur after sexual intercourse, douching, menstrual bleeding that last longer and heavier than usual, also to note when there is increase in vaginal discharge, bleeding after menopause may also be a symptom of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer starts as abnormality of cells on cervix and if not detected early or treated, it gradually invade normal cells of the cervix and surrounding tissues or lymph nodes which eventually spreads to other parts of the body. If these lesions have not invaded normal cells of the cervix, treatment is very simple and straightforward. Pre-cancerous changes of the cervix usually do not cause pain and are not detected unless a woman takes a pelvic examination and Pap test.

Treatments - There are many ways to treat cervical cancer.

(1) Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure {LEEP} which can be performed in the doctors office under local anesthetic, where electrically charged wire loop is used to remove the outer portion of the cervix that contains the abnormal tissue.

(2) Cryosurgery can also be performed in the doctors office and this does not require an anesthetic. This procedure freezes and kills the abnormal cells of the cervix when a silver probe is placed against the cervix.

(3)Cryosurgery Hysterectomy is another treatment that I would want to mention. Here the uterus is removed through the abdomen or vagina. This is a major surgery that requires the patient staying overnight in the hospital. It is usually performed on pre- invasive lesions and sometimes for women who have had more than one relapse and no longer have enough tissue to perform another LEEP.

Treatment of invasive cancer - The extent of tumor growth always determine the treatment required and if the tumor is small and confined to the cervix tissues, then radical hysterectomy or radiation therapy may be applied. When tumors are large or extends to adjacent tissues or lymph nodes more intensive therapy is required.

Radical Hysterectomy - This is the surgical removal of the uterus, the ligaments and connective tissues that hold the uterus in place. You can also remove lymph nodes in the pelvic area with this method, if microscopic cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes and ligaments that hold the uterus. After a radical hysterectomy operation has been carried out, a woman may no longer have menstrual periods and may not be able to bear children. However, she will continue to have the female hormone estrogen in her body and with this method the cure rate of the cervical cancer is about 90%.

Radiation Therapy - Here high energy rays are used to damaged cancer cells and stop them from growing. It is a localized treatment that means it attack cancer cells at a particular area of the body. Usually the radiation is performed externally from a large machine or radioactive materials placed directly into the cervix known as implant radiation

. Chemotherapy - This involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy may be given by injection into a vein or by mouth,so that the drugs flow easily through the body into the bloodstream

. Biological Therapy - is usually used to treat cancer that has spread from cervix to other parts of the body. Here we use substance to strengthen a woman s immune system to better fight her cancer. Interferon is the most common form of biological therapy used to treat cervical cancer.

Natural Treatments For Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is formed in the cells on the surface of the cervix. The cervix is located in the pelvic area and is the lower part of the uterus which connects the uterus to the birth canal. Cervical cancer is a form of uterine cancer, and is a slow-growing malignant cancer.

Cervical cancer is mainly caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is spread through sexual contact. This virus can live in the body for many years before any cancer is formed, and in some cases the cancer never forms. The reason the cancer does not form in some individuals who have the virus, is because they have a healthy lifestyle and a strong immune system.

So by building a strong immune system, one can prevent this cancer from forming. To build a healthy immune system one must consume a healthy diet. Animal proteins should be avoided, including all meat, dairy, and poultry. Processed foods, refined sugars, and most cooked foods should be eliminated from the diet.

Then we need to add in the good stuff like lots of fruits and vegetables, herbs, nuts and seeds. Freshly squeezed fruit juices are also essential in helping to build a strong immune system.

But what if cancer has already formed, is there still a way to be healed naturally? Absolutely. Botanical and Chinese medicines have been very effective in treating and curing cancer.

There are also home remedies which can be taken at home. Some of them include:

Apricot seeds: Apricot seeds contain vitamin B17 which helps to kill cancerous cells. Simply add them to your daily diet in your smoothies. Other seeds that contain vitamin B17 are apple, chia, flax and sesame seeds.

Tea: Natural teas are not only a great substitute for other sugary drinks that contribute to the growth and formation of cancerous cells, but they can help to flush out the toxins to help prevent the cancer from spreading. Ginger is very effective in not only preventing the cancer from spreading, but the gingerols contained in ginger can help to kill the cancerous cells. Thus ginger tea is very beneficial. Other teas to include in your diet are spearmint and dandelion teas.

Other natural remedies include the use of Burr Marigold, Goji berries, Brazil nuts, Luffah, Cat's Claw, Neem Leaves and Neem Flowers, Muskmelon, Pine pollen, Rosemary, Ginkgo, Saffron, and Artichoke.

If one can be healed using these remedies, then one can also prevent the cancer from occurring in the first place, just by making them a part of a living food diet.

Uterine Cancer - Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Uterine Cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, which actually start in the lining of the cells in the uterus. The womb or the uterus is a vital part of the reproductive system in a woman.

Type of Uterine Cancer

That cancer may denote various types of cancers, which occur in a woman's uterus. Uterine sarcomas, commonly known to be leiomyosarcomas are a type of uterine cancer, which occurs in the muscular layer of a uterus. Endometrial cancer is another type of uterine cancer, which originates from the cells that are located in the glands of the uterine lining or the endometrium. Cervical cancer is a different type of uterine cancer, which is known to arise from the lower portion of a uterus. It extends to the transitional zone of a woman's cervix and connecting to the upper part of her vagina.

Symptoms

A woman having uterine cancer can notice some common symptoms. However, they may differ from person to person depending upon the disease in consideration. Commons symptoms include painful or difficult urination, unusual discharge or vagina bleeding, extreme pain during the time of having sexual intercourse, a typical pelvic lump, abnormal weight loss, pain in the pelvic region and having never breast-fed. In fact, uterine cancer occurs rarely before menopause, during which a woman have regular menstrual periods.

It generally occurs during the time when the regular menstruation cycle stops. If a woman notices reappearance of bleeding at this stage of her life, she should immediately bring it to the attention of her general physician, as there may be a possibility of uterine cancer.

The most common symptom of uterine cancer is abnormal bleeding from a woman's uterus after her menopause. The bleeding may be in the form of a blood streaked, watery discharge containing more blood. In some cases, a woman may experience lower abdominal pain too.

Causes

There are different causes of uterine cancer, which have been discovered till date. Diabetes, obesity, polycystic ovaries having prolonged anovulation, nulliparity or having borne not a single child, lack of menstruation, extended usage of tamoxifen for the treatment of breast cancers and taking unopposed estrogen without progestin are some of the valid causes of uterine cancer.

Diagnosing the Disease

The cancer can be diagnosed by endometrial and endocervical sampling. Apart from these techniques, vaginal ultrasonography is also used to detect the thickness of the endometrium because increased thickness of the uterus may determine some serious cancerous change. Apart from this, the Pap test can also be an accurate way detecting uterine cancer but cannot be termed as a reliable source.

Treatment

The treatment of this cancer is performed on the basis of grade and stage of the cancer. Abdominal hysterectomy is a standard therapy, which involves in the surgical removal of the woman's uterus along with both the ovaries and fallopian tubes, washing of the abdominal cavity to determine malignant cells and the selective removal of the aortic and pelvic lymph nodes. Many doctors prefer usage of hormone therapy that removes the possibility of metastatic cancer. Again, women also opt for radiation therapy for the treatment of their uterine cancer.

Although treatment is a possibility for Uterine Cancer, still you should take immediate action after noticing the symptoms. Don't let it reach a level from where it cannot be cured!

To Your Health!

Cervical Dysplasia - Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Today, many diseases have become quite rampant like cervical dysplasia.

Cervical dysplasia is a syndrome in which abnormal (cancerous) cells somehow appear on the periphery of the cervix of a female. There are many forms of this disease like mild, moderate, severe and invasive dysplasia. In the first form of dysplasia, only few cells are present on the boundary of cervix. In the second form 50% of the cervical lining consists of abnormal cells. In the third kind of dysplasia the complete lining of the cervix is, inflicted with these cells. It has to, be cured right on time otherwise, it can develop to cancer. In the last form of dysplasia, all the cells on the boundary of the cervix and in cervix have become cancerous. There can be many reasons behind the appearance of dysplasia.

The first is the human papilloma virus or HPV. It has, been recognized as a common cause of this disease. It's an illness through appearance of genital warts lead to appearance of abnormal cells. In almost 80 to 90% of the cervical dysplasia cases, it is, also preceded by genital warts. Every year, almost 2,50,000 females get affected by this disorder. The women who are quite vulnerable to getting this disease are those who have a large number of sexual partners, cigarette smoking and have been using contraceptive pill for higher duration of 5 years. This kind of a disease generally happens in the age gap of 25 to 35 years in females. However, females in all age groups are susceptible to this disease.

The worst part is that this disease cannot be, easily diagnosed. You can follow some precautions that include that you quit smoking. Also, use protection while having sex. Everyone knows that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease and once you get it, cervical dysplasia is bound to happen. However, evidence has shown that condoms cannot avert spreading of HPV virus. If a female is exposed to genital warts, then show can't help the situation through the use of condoms. Its better that you abstain from sex with a man who has such warts otherwise infection will happen. Diseases like AIDS can also lead to this disease because they reduce the immunity of the body.

In addition, other kinds of weaknesses in the immune system can also cause origin of dysplasia. In a pap smear test, some cells of the cervix are, brushed by a doctor and then sent to a laboratory for finding whether they are cancerous or not. Every woman who is more than 18 years old and has a sex life should get these tests done so that dysplasia is, revealed on time. Pap smear has dangerous restrictions as far as discovering the disease is concerned. The capabilities of PAP smear in finding out about this disease in the precancerous stage are quite low, only 20-30%.

This technology just belongs to the last century. You just can't trust the pap smear tests for telling about the truth of your infection. The best way to find about this disease is through biopsy. A small section of cells get tested in a biopsy to reveal presence of cervical dysplasia.

Common Ovarian Cyst Symptoms and Treatments

Today ovarian cyst is considered an ordinary situation among women worldwide. Often it shows no symptoms that is why some women are not aware that they have already this dreadful disease. Ovarian cyst will cause pain and other forms of anxieties to the person who has it. Although many of the developed cysts are benign and harmless, there are cysts which can lead to cancer. This kind of ovarian cyst requires an extraordinary attention.

A full knowledge on the cysts on ovaries symptoms will make you decide faster the kind of treatment you should implement in your complicated ovarian cyst. There are countless natural treatments for you to choose from once the cyst ruptures.

o If there is bleeding though it is not time for your monthly menstrual cycle, this mean that the cyst has spurt.
o You can feel continuous hurting of your pelvic region. The pain is unusual menstrual cramp.
o You often suffer from early of delayed, irregular and painful menstrual period. This is because of the cyst in your ovary.
o You encounter unusual urge to urinate because the cyst in your ovary has been burst. The weight of the cyst to the abdominal area has a great impact to your urination and bowel movement.
o You are not pregnant but you feel like vomiting and you also feel the other signs of sickness.
o Ruptured ovarian cyst can cause the imbalance of the female hormones. If this happen you can encounter some changes in your body such as unexpected added weight and the softness of your breast.

As soon as you feel some of the said symptoms, the first thing you should do is to see your doctor to be examined. You must not forget that prevention is always better than cure. If you do not want to suffer from serious damages then you should know as early as possible if you have cysts on your ovary.

Ovarian cyst can change your entire life because of the symptoms you should live trough but it is definitely not the end of the world for those who suffer from this disease because you can cure it using some natural remedies.

o Make sure that nutritious foods are included in your daily diet.
o Refrain from eating too much red meat and dairy products.
o Make drinking herbal teas as one of your daily habit. It will give you long lasting relief from all the discomforts you are suffering.
o Practice exercising daily to maintain your ideal weight. o Always make sure that you have enough time to take a rest.
o You should have self discipline to oblige yourself to take care of yourself properly.

Cervical Cancer Treatments - Surgery, Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy

Cervical cancer is deadly and every woman who is especially active in sexual intercourses is more at risk. This is because it is indirectly caused by 'STD' (sexually transmitted diseases), resulting in the 'HPV' (the virus responsible for causing cervical cancers). There are many treatments available, however, depending on the stages of the cancer.

First treatment would be surgery. There are two types of surgeries to be performed. The first is called cone biopsy. What the doctor does in this surgery is removing a cone-shaped piece of tissue from the cervical canal to identify cancerous cells. This treatment is for cancer detection, microscopically. Secondly, we have the hysterectomy. Hysterectomy is a surgery that removes the uterus and sometimes, the cervix as well. There are two ways to remove the uterus; from the vagina and through the abdomen. If the cancer has spread, the surgery might call for removal of the ovaries, fallopian tubes and tissue nearby these organs. A radical hysterectomy can be performed on patients with localised cancers of the cervix. Patients with cervical cancer would be best treated by a gynaecological oncologist.

Radiation therapy also works and is usually given to inoperable cancers or as an adjuvant in conjunction with chemotherapy. Its response rate is favourable and is actually quite well tolerated. Side effects, which can include diarrhoea, irritable bladder, nausea and vaginal bleeding and soreness, can be controlled using medication and other simple steps.

Lastly, chemotherapy is usually used together with radiotherapy and shows better results when compared to giving radiotherapy alone. Chemotherapy may be given solely in situations where patients have advanced cervical cancer.

Ovarian Cancer Treatments

The course of treatment for ovarian cancer is normally determined by the stage of the disease. We here classify the stages from I to IV based on the cancer's specific characteristics, and find out which course is suitable for which stage.

By stage I, we mean the cancer is confined to a single ovary (stage IA) or both ovaries (stage IB). In stage IC, one or both ovaries can be affected, but the tumors are on the surface, or the capsule is ruptured, or tumor cells are found in abdominal fluid.

Treatment for patients with stage IA and IB includes surgical removal of the uterus and both ovaries and fallopian tubes, partial removal of the omentum, and surgical staging of the lymph nodes and other tissues in the pelvis and abdomen. Patients with stage IA or B disease may not require further therapy after surgery. Higher risk patients with stage IC are generally treated with platinum-based chemotherapy to prevent a relapse.

Stage II means the cancer has spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes (stage IIA), or other areas within the pelvis (stage IIB), but is still confined to the pelvic area. Stage IIC means capsular involvement, rupture, or positive washings. Surgical management for patients in this stage involves a total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and removal of as much cancer in the pelvic area as possible, known as tumor debulking. Post-surgery chemotherapy is generally needed to eliminate residual cancer and prevent relapse.

Stage III means the cancer has spread beyond the pelvis to the omentum and other areas within the abdomen, or to the lymph nodes. Most patients in this stage undergo a total hysterectomy, and tumor debulking. Here again, post-surgery chemotherapy is needed to eliminate residual cancer.

Stage IV, the most advanced of all, means the cancer may have spread to the inside of the liver or spleen. In this stage, tumor debulking before chemotherapy may be occasionally performed.

In the case of recurrent ovarian cancer, chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment, although it might not prevent subsequent relapses.