Jul 30
There is a wide range of prostate cancer treatments available today and the treatment that your doctor recommends will depend to a very large extent upon the progression of the disease. Thereafter it is a matter of discussing each treatment option with your doctor and of considering the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as of course looking carefully at the risks which all prostate cancer treatments carry.
Prostrate cancer treatments fall into two broad categories – those that are recommended for early (Stage I and Stage II) cancer which is confined to the prostate gland and those used to treat advanced (Stage III and Stage IV) cancer which has spread to other areas of the body.
Early stage cancer treatments are designed to remove the prostate or to destroy it and thus to stop the cancer cells before they have a chance to spread to other areas of the body.
The surgical removal of the prostate gland (prostatectomy) will normally be carried out as either traditional open surgery or using a less invasive laparoscopic approach. One recent development is the introduction of robotic surgery (using the da Vinci system) which has the advantage of preserving nerves, muscles and other structures in the area of the prostate. Robotic surgery is extremely effective but should be carried out by a highly skilled surgeon in a centre with considerable experience in using this technique.
Radiation therapy may also be used to kill the cancer cells within the prostate gland. A variety of different radiation therapy techniques may be used and treatment will normally be carried out over a period of several weeks.
A relatively new technique, which is still being evaluated, is known as cryosurgery. During cryosurgery, which is carried out under anesthesia, cooling probes are guided into the prostate using ultrasound and the cancer cells are killed by freezing them.
The final form of treatment used for early stage cancer is high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). This procedure is again carried out under anesthesia (or using a local spinal anesthetic) and a probe is placed into the prostate gland through the rectum. A beam of high intensity focused ultrasound is them used to raise the temperature in the area of focus and thus to kill the cancer cells.
For late stage prostate cancer hormone therapy is used and this is designed not to attack the cancer itself but to target the male hormones (in particular testosterone) which the cancer cells need to grow.
Late stage treatments will include orchiectomy (the removal of the testicles), which is designed to remove the source of the body’s main production of testosterone, or a variety of hormone treatments aimed at either reducing the level of testosterone and other male hormones in the body or of blocking their action.
In cases where hormone therapy proves ineffective, systematic radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be recommended.
Whatever the stage of your cancer it is important to consider all of the options carefully and weigh the advantages, disadvantages and risks of each carefully before choosing the treatment that is best for you.
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Jul 30
Ovarian cancer is termed a silent disease because it typically isn’t found until it is in the advanced stages. In most of these cases by the time the cancer is detected it has already spread to other parts of the abdomen. However, there are some early warning signs that can help you to detect ovarian cancer before it is too late.
Doctor do not know what percentage of ovarian cancer cases have early warning signs. The majority of women who are diagnosed with the disease often experienced symptoms. However, since most women who were diagnosed were in the advanced stages it is impossible to determine how many of these had symptoms before the cancer started to spread.
Another fact is that many cases of ovarian cancer often take months to diagnose. Almost half of the ovarian cancer cases take more than three months and a handful take longer than a year to diagnose. Therefore, it is possible that a number of women have early warning signs.
The most common early symptom is abdominal swelling and bloating. Although this is often ignored as being just a little extra weight. However, not all women will have the same symptoms. Therefore, it is important to learn about all the possible warning signs so you can recognize them and get to the doctor before it is too late. Other early warning signs include: abdominal or pelvic pain, gastrointestinal symptoms such as gas, vaginal bleeding or discharge, urinary problems, fatigue, fever, back pain and difficulty breathing.
While a majority of the time these signs will not be a result of ovarian cancer it is important to have them checked out. This way if you do have ovarian cancer you can catch it early and have a better chance of treating it.
Jeanette Pollock is a freelance author and website owner of ovariancancerdomain.com ovariancancerdomain.com. Visit Jeanette’s site to learn more about ovariancancerdomain.com/2006/08/03/early-warning-signs-of-ovarian-cancer/ warning signs of ovarian cancer.
Jul 29
Kidney cancers are diagnosed in a million patients each year, though millions of people are affected by kidney cancer. Kidney cancer is twice as common in men and accounts for 40-60 % of new diagnoses.
The most common form of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma, also known as RCC. It accounts for 66-75% of all cases. In most cases the cancer is found in only one kidney; though in some rare forms it can be in both. Kidney cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, bone, lungs and pelvic region. If cancer has spread to the brain some neurological symptoms will be present. RCC is responsible for 25-30,000 new cases each year.
Symptoms of kidney cancers are sometimes ignored because they are generalized. Though kidney cancer is on the rise, many people are not diagnosed until the cancer is advanced due to low or no symptoms. Many of the symptoms are those of other less serious diseases and the cancer is not caught at an early stage. Current symptoms are: blood in urine (light to dark in appearance), persistent pain in side or back, noticeable lump in side, tired or fatigue feeling and weight loss.
Many tests can be performed to diagnose kidney cancer. Urine and blood tests are usually performed first, if symptoms or suspicion of kidney cancer are present. Once these tests are performed, physicians may request a CT scan or ultrasound to look further.
There are many rare forms of kidney cancer such as renal sarcoma chromophobe RCC, which is responsible for 5% of RCC cases. This is very rare and has no standard therapy as of yet. Renal oncocytoma which is a large benign tumor which causes damage to other organs and requires surgery with partial or complete kidney removal, though it is not truly cancerous it does cause significant damage and require immediate treatment.
Papillary RCC is in 15% of kidney cancer cases and though rare, it is increasing in African American patients and can affect both kidneys. Collecting duct carcinoma is in less the 1% of cases. However, it is very aggressive and has metastisized by the time it’s diagnosed; usually requiring chemotherapy. Medullar RCC is also found in less than 1% of cases and most common in African American patients. Some professionals believe that it is connected to the sickle cell trait.
If kidney cancer runs in your family, or you are experiencing the above symptoms, you should talk to your doctor. As with all forms of cancer early detection and education are the best tools to aid in your protection and overall health. For questions you can speak to your physician, or contact the American Cancer Society. The best protection is early detection.
Whether or not you get cancer can vary depending on several things. Your age, family history, environment, lifestyle, eating habits and activity level can all play a part in whether or not you get cancer. Talk to your doctor if you have a family history of kidney cancer or you are a smoker. Smoking increases the chance of getting kidney cancer. Though there are no good screenings for this form of cancer, talking to your doctor about symptoms as soon as they appear will improve your chances of survival. Most patients are diagnosed over the age of 50; however, if you have a family history, testing should be done early.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to kidney-cancer-guided.com Kidney Cancer
