Category: Cancer

Research shows that around 80% of all lung cancers are the non-small cell kind. Non-small cell lung cancer or NSCLC can be of three types itself, namely squamous cell carcinoma, large cell undifferentiated carcinoma, and adinocarcinoma. In NSCLC cancer cells develop in lung tissue.

Smoking is the number one cause of all kinds of lung cancer and inhaling secondhand smoke also increases the risk of developing lung cancer. Lung cancer can also be caused by environmental toxins, high air pollution levels, and contact with asbestos, soot, tar, and arsenic. A combination of these risk factors increases the chance of someone developing NSCLC. Continue reading “The Ins and Outs of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer”

About Lung Cancer: The Australian Lung Foundation chairman, thoracic physician Dr Bob Edwards says that lung cancer is a silent killer. Lung cancer may be virtually without symptoms until it’s reached advanced stage. Diagnosis of lung cancer to the victim feels like a death sentence and it drains the patient of all the courage and determination to deal with the disease.

Risk Factors of Lung Cancer: Approximately 90 percent of all Americans who are diagnosed with this type of cancer are have been smokers at some point o time in their lives or they still do.

People who have never smoked are very less likely to get affected with lung cancer. At the same time it is worth remembering that living with a smoker, working in a an environment full of smoke and being exposed to certain chemicals like, radon, asbestos, arsenic, or radioactive dust etc. increase this cancer risk. Continue reading “Timely Diagnosis of Lung Cancer – The Silent Killer”

The size of a fist, shaped like a bean and situated on either side of your spine in your lower abdomen–these ,are your kidneys. They form part of the urinary tract and are responsible for removing waste from your body. Like any other organ in the body, kidneys too can develop cancer and the most common kind is renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma occurs in adults and starts in the cells lining the tubes in the kidney.

Transitional cell carcinoma affecting the renal pelvis is another type of kidney cancer. The kidney cancer that affects children is known as Wilms tumor and requires a different kind of treatment. Continue reading “Kidney Cancer Delved Into”

An early study by Swedish research group found that women who had blood sugar were at an increased risk of getting cancer than those who did not have blood sugar.

It found that whether or not women had diabetes, with blood sugar the risk of getting cancer was more as compared to people who did not suffer blood sugar.

But later with more researches it was found that men and women both were at an increased risk of getting some typical types of cancer if they had sugar. Cancers like, pancreatic cancer, urinary tract cancer, and the most dangerous form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma. People with high blood sugar are more likely to be affected by it than those with no or low blood sugar levels. Continue reading “Are Blood Sugar And Cancer Linked?”

Skin cancer has become one of the most common cancers and usually occurs with light colored skin.

The parts of the skin that are highly affected are the ones that are directly exposed to the sun.

Prevention for this type of cancer is relatively easy compared to the other forms of cancer. Your sun exposure should be minimized during midday between 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and sunscreen must be used.

Sunscreens or sunblocks are lotion that contain one or more chemicals which absorb and scatter UV rays.

A higher SPF (Sun Protection Factors) number of the sunscreen indicates a better protection of the skin.

Products containing zinc oxide or titanium oxide are the ones that can only totally block UV rays. If you are a person that has a very fair complexion, always burn and never tans, you should use SPF 15 or greater.

If you have fair complexion, always burn and tan minimally, you should use SPF 8-15. If you have light to medium complexion and you burn moderately and tan gradually, you should use SPF 6-8. Continue reading “Skin Care Against Cancer”

Hearing for the first time that you have cancer is an indescribable moment. Before that, you could hold out hope that everything would be okay, but no more.

For most people it is a time of unspeakable fear and terror.

Your mind is filled with thoughts of leaving those you love, thoughts of all you will lose, like dignity and independence. Time seems to stand still, priorities change in an instant, and life and death take on new meaning.

Once the initial shock wears off, it’s time to make a choice. How are you going to cope?

Coping means finding a way through all the overwhelming emotions to find a level of acceptance, and a way to make the most of whatever time you have left. Coping means coming to a point where you are living with the disease, not dying of it. Continue reading “How Will You Cope with Cancer?”

Nasal Cavity or Paranasal Sinus Cancer is a rare type of cancer. It doesn’t run in the family either. Meaning if someone in your family, that is your parent or grandparent suffered from Nasal Cavity or Paranasal Sinus Cancer, you are not at an increased risk of getting it.

People associate many things with this cancer like HPV infection, exposure to asbestos and passive smoking. But none of them have been proved as a definite cause to getting Para nasal Sinus Cancer. What are considered major risks; include smoking & exposure to chemical. Continue reading “Nasal Cavity or Paranasal Sinus Cancer Symptoms and Risks”

Every year round about 500 cases of adrenal cortical cancers in the United States are detected. The most common category of patients is between the ages of 30 & 50. Children who are below 5 years of age develop adrenal cortical cancers at a higher rate than the rest of the cancer population.

It has been observed that men are more likely to develop non-functioning adrenal carcinomas and females are more likely to be diagnosed with functioning adrenal carcinomas. The exact cause of adrenal cortical cancers is not yet known.

It has been reported that it is not associated with smoking and does not run in families therefore it’s not inherited. However some genetic mutations have been associated with development of adrenal cortical cancers and research is ongoing to identify the causes of these types of cancers. Continue reading “Adrenal Cancer Awareness: Am I at Risk?”

Q. I am 55 and have been smoking forever. Is it too late to give it up to reduce the risk of Lung Cancer?

A. No. It’s never too late to give up smoking to reduce lung cancer risk and other related complications.

You also need to know one fact that it takes a smoker 15 years to come to a stage where his/her risk factors can come down to that of a non-smoker. It’s not to discourage you but to open your eyes to the harms caused by smoking.

Q. How to Avoid Skin Cancer?

A. The best way to avoid skin cancer is to avoid exposure to direct sun. A sunscreen lotion, umbrella, proper eye care should be a top priority for people who have to spend a lot of time in the sun. People who come in contact of direct sun during the course of the day are at an increased risk than people who stay indoors.

Continue reading “FAQs Regarding Avoiding Various Types of Cancer”

It has not been established as to what causes ovarian cancer. It refers to a malignant growth in one or both ovaries. Ovarian cancer has few early warning signs or symptoms so it is generally found only when you have medical tests for other illnesses or maybe a surgery like a hysterectomy.

While the cause of ovarian cancer cannot be determined there are a few risk factors that must be considered. Genetic factors are a main risk factor as if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer you are more at risk.

Certain women carry mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene and are seen to be at high risk for developing ovarian cancer and that too at a very early age. Older women and women who have never had children are at risk.

If you already have a history of say breast or colon cancer then the chances of you developing ovarian cancer are also higher.

Continue reading “Outing Ovarian Cancer”