Cancer
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News and Featured ARticles Related to Cancer
Misuse of tobacco can be done in many ways and especially in India, the habit of chewing tobacco is responsible for an epidemic of oral cancer, of a magnitude not seen anywhere else in the world.
Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be a very trying and anxious time for a man. One may experience a range of emotions such as shock, disbelief or anger. These feelings are very common, although everybody responds differently and has their own way of coping.
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women. Usually the condition presents itself as a lump in the breast and is often overlooked. A lump is an abnormal mass, which can occur in any part of the body. It is detected by palpating breasts.
The risk of developing Testicular Cancer (TC) is increased in those who have undescended or late descended testicles (the testicles normally descend into the scrotum before birth).
When doctors speak of uterine cancer, they're usually referring to cancer of the endometrium - the lining of the uterus, which plays a key role in reproduction.
Colorectal cancer includes cancers of the colon, rectum, appendix and anus. Most colorectal cancers develop first as colorectal polyps, which are growths inside the colon or rectum that may later become cancerous.
Cervical cancer or cancer of the cervix is the most common malignancy in women worldwide, second only to breast cancer. Cervical cancers and precursor lesions are firmly associated with the presence of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) DNA.
The basic principle of action of chemotherapeutic agents used to treat cancer is killing cells that proliferate, grow and replicate. Since cell multiplication and regeneration is characteristic of normal cells as well, chemo drugs may have deleterious effect on these normal growing cells.
Cancer treatment includes surgery (removing the tumor and the surrounding infiltrated or affected tissue or lymph nodes), chemotherapy (killing tumor cells by medicines) and radiotherapy (killing tumor cells by using radiation). Treatment, by and large, is aimed at essentially benefitting cancer patients by halting the progress of the disease, or even reversing its progress in some cases, which is regarded as the so called “Complete Response”. Consequently, the effect may range from no response or stable disease, partial response to a complete remission.
By Dr. Zehratul Quresh
n the past, gross examination and light microscopy were the only tools available for the pathologist. For most malignancies, cancer cells are heterogeneous with multiple histologic and pathologic appearances. However, even within the same kind of tissues, type differences are observed in presentation, treatment response, and outcomes.
Dr P P Bapsy, Senior Consultant – Medical Oncology
Danger signs, as the name suggests, are warning signals that need to be attended to immediately, and more so in a patient undergoing treatment for cancer. However, it is important to understand that these symptoms may occur due to the disease condition itself and/or the treatment of cancer including surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, in combination or alone.
By Dr Zehratul Quresh
Cancer treatment is known to have side effects. This is mainly because treatment aimed to kill the rapidly growing cancer cells impacts normal cells too.
Cancerous cells are generally metastatic in nature. This means that the cancer can spread from the place in which it started to other parts of the body. The original tumor where the cancer began is called the primary cancer. When it spreads to a different area, it is a metastatic tumor, commonly referred to as secondary cancer
Compiled by the ApolloLife Team in consultation with Dr Vijay Anand P Reddy, Radiation Oncologist
Cancer in pregnancy can turn out to be quite challenging for not just the obstetrician and the oncologist, but also the mother and her forthcoming baby.
By Dr Zehratul Quresh
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women. Studies say that one in every eleven women is diagnosed with breast cancer every year. While the causes of breast cancer are not fully understood, research shows that you can lower your risk of developing the disease just by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating right.
Cancer, in the past, has often been regarded as a death sentence. This belief stemmed from a variety of causes such as poor understanding of the causes of cancer, lack of dedicated specialist healthcare professionals, and primitive surgical, medical and radiotherapy techniques.
