Everything Cancer

Rich White Women are more prone to developing the deadly melanoma

2011-03-26T03:18:00.001-07:00

Current evidence shows that rich white women are more prone to the deadly skin cancer melanoma compared to other women. Researchers looked at thousands of women who were diagnosed with melanomas and found that one common factor was that these were rich, well-educated Caucasian females. The increase in melanomas was most likely because these affluent women had spent a lot of time tanning and/or enjoying long vacations in sunny areas throughout the year. So if you are rich, Caucasian and love the sun- do not say you have not been warned, Wear a sunscreen and protect your skin. Melanoma is among the worst type of cancer you can get.

Can green tea prevent cancer?

2011-01-29T10:08:00.001-08:00

Almost every week, a new disease is supposedly cured or prevented by green tea. Millions of people drink green tea because they believe it has some type of miraculous healing powers. Therefore, the question is, “can green tea prevent cancer?”

A few reputable studies in the English literature have looked at the effects of green tea as an aid in preventing cancer. The conclusion was simple- it does diddlysquat. Chinese people have been drinking green tea for centuries, and yet millions of Chinese die from a variety of cancers. Green tea is nothing more than a social beverage- it has zero cancer preventive actions.

The only good thing about green tea is that it has no harmful effects even if you drink and shower with it every day. The only people who benefit from green tea are the people who sell this bland beverage at exorbitant prices. If you want to prevent cancer, eat healthy, exercise, do not smoke and leave the rest to fate- stop wasting your hard-earned money listening to charlatans.

My father has just found out that he has colon cancer which has spread to the liver and is not operable. What else can he be offered in terms of therapy?

2010-12-24T15:58:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, the choices for your father are very limited. For colon cancer which has spread to the liver, the prognosis is very poor.

Perhaps you should speak to your doctor about hospice or palliative care. At this stage, most doctors only treat the pain and try to make life comfortable.

The reality is that once colon cancer spreads, all treatments are futile. Life expectancy is short. Do not waste your hard earned money on charlatans who make false promises.

Take each day as it comes and enjoy whatever days you have remaining with him.

I am a 27 year old male and noticed some blood in my stools. I am scared of developing cancer?

2010-12-24T15:54:00.000-08:00

Do not worry; colon cancer is a disease of older people. Blood in the stools in young people can be from hemorrhoids, rectal tears or anal fissures.

Colon cancer under the age of 50 is quite rare. Unless you have a family history, the risk of colon cancer is very small. In your case, the bleeding may be related to something near the rectum.

If the bleeding does not happen again, I would not worry about it. But if the bleeding persists then a visit to the doctor is recommended

Mammograms have very low risk of radiation

2010-11-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

A new study from Canada suggests that the potential cancer risk from radiation during a mammogram is very small compared to the benefits of lives saved from early detection of the breast cancer.

Said Martin Yafee researcher at Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto, “This risk of radiation-induced breast cancers is mentioned periodically by women and people who are critiquing screening [and how often it should be done and in whom.”

Added Dr Arnold Rotter from the radiology department at City of Hope Cancer center in Duarte, CA, "This study says that the good obtained from having a screening mammogram far exceeds the risk you might have from the radiation received from the low-dose mammogram,"

Dr Yaffe and his team developed a mathematical model to estimate the risk of radiation-induced breast cancer following exposure to radiation from mammograms, and then estimated the number of breast cancers, fatal breast cancers and years of life lost attributable to the mammography's screening radiation. They applied this model to hypothetical data from women who undergo mammograms.

What they found: If 100,000 women got annual mammograms from ages 40 to 55 and then got mammograms every other year until age 74, 86 breast cancers and 11 deaths would be attributable to the mammography radiation.

Simply put another way, Jaffe said: "Your chances are one in 1,000 of developing a breast cancer from the radiation. Your chances of dying are one in 10,000. But the lifetime risk of breast cancer is estimated at about one in eight or nine.” he added.

"I'm not minimizing the concern of radiation," Rotter said. "Everything is a balance." For example, younger breasts, particularly those of women aged 40 to 49, are more sensitive to radiation than breasts in older women, but the new study shows it's better to get the screening mammography than skip it.

Elderly can undergo aggressive lung cancer treatments

2010-11-17T16:53:00.000-08:00

For many years, the trend in North America has been to treat elderly people who have lung cancer with conservative chemotherapy. The reason for this is that it was always felt that the elderly were fragile and would not be able to tolerate the harsh chemotherapeutic drugs. Well, now a major study indicates that this thinking is wrong. A recent study from France reveals that elderly patients lived longer, cancer free and had a decent quality of life after aggressive chemotherapy.

"These results demonstrate that a more intensive regimen given to younger patients can be effective and tolerable in this (elderly) group," said lead researcher Dr. Elisabeth Quoix

Younger patients with lung cancer have always been offered a combination of drugs but elderly have in the past only been offered one drug. This was chiefly because of physicians fear that the elderly may not tolerate the side effects well.

Researchers in France looked at 451 patients between the age of 70- 89 and offered them single or multiple chemotherapeutic drugs for their lung cancer. The study had to be stopped because the researchers observed that the overall survival period for patients given the combination chemotherapy was 10.4 months compared to 6.2 months for those getting only one drug. They also noticed that patients receiving two cancer drugs lived twice as long and the side effects were easily tolerated.

Dr. Mark Kris, chief of thoracic oncology at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York and ASCO representative, said that the impact of this trial is "huge."

Kris says "the message of this paper is really important" because it encourages oncologists to look beyond their patient's chronological age and if the patient is fit enough, doctors should have the "confidence to give the best treatment available to older adults with the anticipation of getting the same benefits and side effects."

Kris said, "Of all the trials, this one is the one with the most immediate impact" because doctors and patients can take this information and use it next week.

Fecal DNA tests for colon cancer

2009-03-31T04:32:00.001-07:00

Colon cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in North America. So far nothing we have done in terms of prevention has helped decrease the rates of colon cancer. The only way to improve mortality is to make a diagnosis of the cancer early. We do have many screening tests for colon cancer, but tests like colonoscopy and virtual colonoscopy are expensive. The Fecal occult blood test is not very specific.

In the last few years, scientists have developed Fecal DNA tests. The first generation of these tests were not great. For example, the tests would repeatedly show that you have a cancer, when in fact you did not have a cancer (false positives). Further, the tests also sometimes showed that one did not have a cancer, when in fact a cancer was present (false negative). However, the latest generation of DNA tests have been improved but they are not 100 percent sensitive or specific.

The tests involving sampling stool for DNA. A colon cancer if present anywhere in the colon can be identified roughly 88% of the time.

The Fecal DNA kits appear to be slightly better than the fecal occult blood test kits (FOBT) at detecting colon cancer.

For the time being, anyone over the age of 50, should continue with a reliable screening test for colon cancer. The fecal DNA tests will most likely be improved in the future but for the time being, the fecal occult blood test should not be chucked away. Cost is another issue. The Fecal occult blood tests can cost anywhere from $3-$25, while the DNA kits costs anywhere from $500-$1,000. Another big difference is that the FOBT only requires a stool smear; the DNA kits require collecting a whole bucket of stools.

And finally, the majority of insurance carriers do not cover costs of the Fecal DNA test. For the time being and for those who can afford it, Colonoscopy is still the gold standard screening test for colon cancer.

Other Treatments for Prostate Cancer

2009-02-19T20:21:00.000-08:00

Coping skills: Once a diagnosis of prostate cancer is made, the news is always devastating and depressing. Many individuals may not be able to cope with such news. To cope with a prostate cancer, the best way is to educate oneself. One should maintain a normal routine of lifestyle and work. One should not suffer the burden of a cancer diagnosis on their own and seek counseling from family members friends and help is even available by calling the National Cancer Organization(s). The best way to deal with the cancer is by being well informed with the cancer.

Alternative medicine: Like everything in medicine, alternative medicine is fast catching on as a treatment for all cancers. This is mainly because of the dissatisfaction of individuals with conventional medicine.

There are numerous nutrition supplements and herbs which are found in every store all over the country- all of them claiming great success in treating prostate disease and cure all other cancers. Most of the success of these products is claimed by the industry and the manufacturers.The question remains, are these therapies effective?

Anecdotal data always suggests that these products are effective but no large controlled trials are available on the majority of these products. Even though these products are widely used, there is absolutely no regulation or control of these products. The ingredients, their content or their purity is not assessed and their long term safety remains unknown. In addition, fake supplements are on the increase and buyer better beware.Herbal Supplements: There are a number of nutritional herbs claiming to be effective in the treatment of prostate cancer but there is not an iota of medical evidence that any of these substances work.

The herbs postulated to have activity against prostate cancer include chaparral, PC SPES and shark cartilage. The majority of these products have not been shown to have any benefit in humans and yet they are sold in all herbal stores.

Because it's not always easy to tell which products may be unsafe, the best advice is to seek speak to your physician. These products are by no means cheap and by having blind faith in these products, one not only tends to lose their money but also their life.

More Treatments for Prostate Cancer

2009-02-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

Cryotherapy: Cryotherapy involves use of freezing temperatures to destroy the cancer cells. Cryotherapy has been used to treat prostate cancer in the past. It involves the use of a probe placed through the rectum and freezes the prostate.

The freezing action destroys the cancer cells. However, previous results were poor and associated with a number of complications including damage to surrounding structures such as the bladder and rectum. Bladder incontinence was a major complication of Cryotherapy.

Observation: The PSA blood test can help detect prostate cancer at a very early stage. This allows many men to choose observation as a treatment option. With observation, one has to have regular follow-ups, frequent blood tests, repeat rectal exams and possibly biopsies to monitor the progression of the early cancer.

Prevention: Unfortunately prostate cancer can’t be prevented but one can take measures to decrease the risks or slow its progression. The most important steps one can take to maintain good health is to well, be physically active and get regular check up from the doctor.

Additional Treatments for Prostate Cancer

2009-02-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

Orchidectomy: A few men elect to undergo an orchidectomy. The testes are a major source of testosterone and surgical removal of the testes eliminates the hormone. This mode of therapy is usually for individuals with advanced prostate cancer and is quite effective. The procedure is not as painful as it sounds. The surgery is done under general/local anesthesia and takes 30-45 minutes. Most patients are discharged home the same day.

Radical prostatectomy: Surgical removal of the prostate gland is another option for patients with prostate cancer. This is a major surgical procedure which removes the entire prostate and adjacent lymph nodes. The surgeon tries to preserve the nerves and muscles which control urination and sexual function. Both have been designed to prevent the complication to the adjacent organs, however, a fair number of individuals continue to have complications. Complications of surgery include impotence and urinary incontinence.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy drugs are frequently used to treat prostate cancer. These toxic drugs kill the rapidly growing cancer cells. This form of therapy is not curative but can help control the spread. However, chemotherapy is associated with more side effects and is generally given to men who have prostate cancer which did not respond to hormonal therapy. Today, various combinations of chemotherapeutic drugs are used and may even be combined with hormones. Early results are positive but long term resulting are not available.

Future therapy: Current trials are evaluating use of stem cells, gene therapy and immune therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer which has already spread. These newer treatments are currently only available at major cancer centers.

Hormone Treatment for Prostate Cancer

2009-02-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hormone therapy: Because testosterone is known to stimulate growth of prostate cancer cells, anti hormonal therapy is frequently used to treat prostate cancer. Hormone therapy either uses drugs to stop the production of the male sex hormones or the entire source of the hormone is surgically stopped by removing the testicle (orchidectomy).

Occasionally, both types of treatment are used.Hormonal therapy is most effective in men with advanced prostate cancer. The treatment does help to slow the growth and frequently shrinks the tumor. Because this therapy is effective in shrinking tumors, hormonal therapy is frequently used in the early stage of prostate cancer — often in combination with radiation and surgery.

Once the tumor size is downsized, surgery or radiation therapy can be used to destroy whatever tumor is left behind. Also available are drugs which prevent the release of signals from the brain to manufacture testosterone (LH-RH agonists). These longer acting drugs are injected every 2-3 months. The drugs can be continued for a prolonged time without undue side effects.

In the past decade, other anti testosterone drugs have become available in the treatment of prostate cancer. These medications include flutamide (Eulexin), bicalutamide (Casodex) and nilutamide (Nilandron). They can be taken orally and can be combined with LH-RH agonists.

Drug therapy, however, is not ideal for the treatment of prostate cancer. After a few years, most cancer cells develop mechanisms to resist these drugs and develop alternative mechanisms for survival. To prevent the development of drug resistance, intermittent hormone therapy programs have been developed. The PSA levels are monitored and once the levels start to drop, the drugs are stopped. If the PSA levels rise, the drugs are re-started again.

Radiation for Prostate Cancer

2009-02-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

Prostate cancer can be treated in more than one way. Depending on the rate of growth, age, life expectancy, stage and spread, combination therapy is often used. The most common treatments for prostate cancer include the following:

Radiation: One may either receive direct radiation therapy to the prostate or the surgeon may place small radioactive implants in the prostate. They both work by killing the cancer cells. Today, radiation therapy is applied in a very sophisticated way to prevent toxicity.

With precise focusing of radiation beams, greater doses of radiation can be given to decrease the frequency of complications. During the radiation therapy, all individuals are protected by custom-designed shields.

Radiation treatments are generally given over a 6-8 week period. Radioactive seed implants: Another radiation option is to implant radioactive seeds into the prostate gland. Implantation of these seeds is also known as brachytherapy. Unlike external beam radiation, these implanted seeds deliver a higher dose of localized radiation than do external beams over a much longer period of time.

The implantation of these radioactive seeds requires surgery under general anesthesia and takes about 1-3 hours. This therapy is generally used in men with small to moderate size low grade prostate cancers. Because the radiation exposure is limited to the prostate, there is no risk to others.

Prognosis of prostate cancer

2009-02-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

When prostate cancer is not treated, a whole host of complications can occur. The typical complications of untreated prostate cancer include:

- Spread of cancer: Prostate cancer can spread to nearby organs and bones and can be life-threatening.

- Pain: Although early-stage prostate cancer typically isn't painful, once it spreads to bones, it may produce severe pain. In most cases the pain is severe and requires some form of treatment. These treatments may include hormonal therapy, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. If these treatments aren't successful in relieving pain, a pain management consult is required. In most cases, narcotics are required to relieve the pain.

- Urinary incontinence: Prostate cancer can cause varying degrees of incontinence. Treatments may include behavior modifications, exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles (Kegel exercises), drugs and catheters. If the above fail, complex surgery is required with no guarantee that it will work.

- Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence: Like incontinence, ED can be a result of prostate cancer. Various drugs and mechanical devices are available that may assist in achieving an erection. Current drugs include Sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra). When all these fail, surgical penile implant is the last resort to help achieve an erection.

- Depression. Whenever a diagnosis of cancer is made, it is natural for all individuals to develop depression. The severity and duration of depression may determine the treatment. When depression affects one’s ability to manage life and family, treatment is recommended. Treatment may involve psychological counseling or drug therapy. In many cases, a combination of the two therapies often is successful.

Grading of Prostate Cancer

2009-02-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

Once prostate cancer has been diagnosed, further testing is done to determine if spread has occurred. The majority of men do not require these additional investigations if no other symptoms are present. Treatment of the prostate cancer is then based on the needle biopsy results.

Test to determine spread of cancer are all radiological and may include a bone scan, Ultrasound, CT or MRI. Sometimes biopsy of the lymph nodes in the pelvis is required to determine if they are cancerous.

Grading

Whenever a cancer is diagnosed, the next step is to define the grade-which allows one to determine it aggressiveness. The degree of aggressiveness can be evaluated by looking at the degree of differentiation of the prostate cells.

The degree of differentiation is then graded. With prostate cancer, a grading scale known as the Gleason score is used to define the degree of differentiation. The Gleason grading scale runs from 1 to 5, with 1 being the least aggressive form of cancer.

The Gleason scores may be helpful in determining which is the best treatment option. Once grading of the cancer has been completed, the next step is to define the stage of the cancer. This basically determines if the cancer has spread and how far the spread has occurred.

Screening and Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

2009-02-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

Screening tests

Since Prostate cancer does not cause symptoms in the early stage, the following screening tests are recommended and include:

- Digital rectal exam (DRE): A digital rectal exam is not fun but essential in examining the prostate. The digital exam can discover the presence of any abnormalities in the texture, shape or size of your gland.

- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test: This blood test analyzes the levels of a chemical released from the prostate. Higher levels are not always specific for prostate cancer because infection, inflammation or prostate enlargement may also cause an increase in this chemical.

- Transrectal ultrasound: If the above tests raise any suspicion of prostate cancer, a small probe is placed through the rectum and the gland is analyzed. The images can reveal the presence of any mass or deformity of the gland.

Prostate biopsy

If there is suspicion that a mass may be present, a prostate biopsy is the next step. The biopsy is done under ultrasound guidance. The ultrasound probe is placed through the rectum and will identify any abnormal areas.

A fine needle is then inserted for a biopsy. There is minimal pain associated with the test. The tissue specimen is analyzed by the pathologist and the grade of the tumor is determined.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer

2009-02-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

In the early stage of prostate cancer, most individuals have no symptoms. However, when the cancer grows or spreads, the individual may present with a weak urine flow, frequent urination at night or blood in the urine.

Other rare features may include pain on urination or pain the lower back.

Unfortunately there are no early signs or symptoms of prostate cancer.

The general advice is that if one is 50 or older, one should undergo prostate cancer screening.
A blood test is also recommended to check for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) beginning at age 50, or earlier if one has risk factors for cancer.

A digital rectal exam as early as age 40 is also advised in individuals with risk factors.

Risk Factors for prostate cancer

2009-02-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

Risk factors

Knowing the risk factors may help to prevent or delay the onset of prostate cancer. In addition, knowledge about risk factors may also help one undergo early screening. The risk factors identified to cause prostate cancer include:

- Age. As one gets old, the chances of having prostate cancer increase. It is recommended that after age 50, men should have regular prostate evaluation.

- Ethnicity. Of all ethnic groups, blacks have the highest risk of prostate cancer.

- Hereditary. If anyone in the family has prostate cancer, the chance of a family member developing the cancer are greatly increased

- Nutrition. A high-fat diet and obesity have been associated with an increase in prostate cancer. It is believed that fat stores are important for production of testosterone, and thus reduction in a fatty diet may reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer.

- Vasectomy: Although it has been suggested that vasectomy may be a risk factor for prostate cancer, there is no conclusive evidence to substantiate this fact.

- High levels of testosterone. Men who have high levels of testosterone are at high risk for prostate cancer. Long term testosterone treatment has been linked to benign prostate hypertrophy and there is a concern that these individuals should undergo regular screening for prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Part 1

2009-02-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

All men over the age of 50 are at a risk for prostate cancer. Although prostate cancer rarely occurs in young males, the disorder is primarily seen in older men and the risk of prostate cancer increases with age. More than 70% of men over the age of 65 are annually diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among North American men and accounts for 25% of cancers in men. Epidemiology shows that incidence rates for prostate cancer vary geographically. In North America there are variations in incidence rates within the population: the black population has a significantly higher rate than the white population and the Asian population have the lowest rate.

The prostate is a small, walnut-shaped organ located in the rectal area. It surrounds the base of the bladder through which runs the urethra. The primary function of the prostate is to produce seminal fluid which provides nourishment and transports sperm.

Prostate cancer is generally a slow growing tumor and typically starts off in the periphery of the gland. In the early stages, prostate cancer causes no symptoms. However, if left untreated, it can grow and invade adjacent organs and spread to other parts of the body. What causes prostate cancer and why some subtypes behave differently remains unknown. It is believed that a multitude of factors such as heredity, ethnicity, hormones, diet and environment may play a role in the cause of prostate cancer.