What is Cancer – The Blog about Cancer

Alternative cancer treatments also called complementary treatments are non-traditional methods of diagnosing, preventing, or treating cancer. A good amount of cancer patients find these therapies as good alternatives to relieve side effects or symptoms, ease pain, and make their lives more comfortable during treatment.

Mind, body, and spirit alternative cancer treatments are non-traditional methods that promote optimistic attitude and a healthy spirit to give positive physical results. Mind-body medicine is founded on an area of care, Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). It is the study of how the mind affects the body. Psycho, being the patient’s state of thinking, mood, and emotions while Neuro, being the neurological and neuroendocrine systems of the body. Immunology pertains to the patient’s cellular structure and immune system.

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Among all other diseases, the most common disease that makes a number of women to suffer these days is the breast cancer. Not only that it makes women suffer but it is also increasing the number of womens death rate yearly. Because of this increasing rate, people who are experts when it comes to medicine have developed a lot of ways to examine if they have early stages of cancer to prevent it.

Aside from breast cancer examination, experts in the medical field tries to develop new treatment methods in order to help lower down womens death rate because of breast cancer. For more than several years, lumpectomies and mastectomies have been the undisputable way of treating cancer. However, they can have their own benefits and also disadvantages for women. As an example, lumpectomy will still need to require several days or weeks of post-operative treatments or procedures through radiation or therapy. Mastectomy on the other hand, has several complications during the operation.

But new treatments for breast cancer are already available in the market these days because of the advancement of medical sciences. Medicines have been developed in order to keep women safe from potential hazard from breast cancer.
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Two types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Non-small cell lung cancers are more often diagnosed. About 80 percent of lung cancer cases account to non-small cell lung cancers. They are divided into three types: adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and large cell carcinomas. Small cell lung cancers arise in the lung tissue. They spread more rapidly than most non-small cell lung cancers. About 20 percent of lung cancers account to small cell lung cancer.

Prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer include the presence of pulmonary symptoms, cancer size, histology, staging, the extent of metastases, and vascular invasion. Patients who are considered inoperable, have lower lung cancer survival rate. Such prognostic factors include performance status, gender, cancer stage, and involvement of the central nervous system (liver) upon diagnosis. Prognosis for non-small cell lung carcinoma is generally poor.

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Liver cancer refers to malignant growths that arise in the liver. Cancer cells found in the liver that originated in another organ are called liver metastases. The liver is found below the right lung and under the ribcage. It is divided into two lobes: the right and the left. The liver obtains protein from the portal vein. The portal vein carries nutrient-rich blood from the intestines to the liver. The hepatic artery provides oxygen-rich blood to the liver.

Cancers that start in the liver are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatoblastoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and angiosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma. Hepatocellular carcinoma, normally diagnosed among younger individuals, contains variations of HCC and cholangiocarcinoma. Hepatoblastoma, normally diagnosed among children, is mostly a tumor form in the right lobe that can spread to other parts of the body. Cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer start in the small tubes (bile ducts) that carry bile to the gallbladder. Angiosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma are rare forms of cancer that arise in the blood vessels which grow quickly and by the time they are found, they are too widespread to be removed making patients live shorter than a year in most cases.

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Non-small cell lung cancers are grouped together because they display similar prognosis and management options. These sub-types are adenocarcinoma lung cancer, squamous cell lung cancer, and large cell lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma is a cancer that arises in a glandular tissue. The tissue is also part of a larger category, the epithelial. Adenocarcinomas, do not have to be part of the gland. As long as they have secretory properties, they can be classified as adenocarcinomas. Such form of carcinoma occurs in few higher mammals including man. Through biopsy, a pathologist determines if the tumor is an adenocarcinoma or another type of cancer. Adenocarcinoma can originate in many tissues of the body. Each gland does not secrete the same substance but for as long as there is an exocrine function to the cell, it is considered glandular. A malignant form therein is named “adenocarcinoma”. Abnormal tissue that is considered benign (not malignant) is called “adenoma”. Adenomas typically do not invade other tissues and rarely spread or metastasize as opposed to adenocarcinomas that invade other tissues and metastasize.

Adenocarcinoma lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer in patients who have never smoked all their lives. It accounts to about 10 percent of lung cancers. Unlike small cell and squamous cell lung cancer, this cancer is commonly seen peripherally in the lungs. Smokers may also be diagnosed in smokers but not as usual as it would be found in non-smokers. In a biopsy, adenocarcinoma lung cancer tends to stain musin positive as it is derived from the lung glands that produce mucus. Well differentiated adenocarcinoma lung cancer resembles the normal glandular structure. Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma lung cancer doesn’t resemble the normal glands.

A number of factors including the extent of the disease, general health condition, and metastases help determine the most appropriate cancer treatment combinations.

Conventional treatment options may be used to treat adenocarcinoma lung cancer. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are three common forms of cancer treatment that have been used for many years. For certain types of cancer cases, surgery is the most common way to remove tumor growths. Radiation therapy, which involves the use of high energy rays to kill or impede tumor growth, may be used in combination with other forms of cancer treatment. It is also an alternative when surgery cannot be an option. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill or slow the growth of malignancies. It is often paired with other forms of cancer treatment. Doctors control how chemotherapy is administered to manage dosage allowing the patient to tolerate the side effects that are expected.

Immunotherapy or biotherapy, a less common treatment for adenocarcinoma lung cancer, uses the body’s immune system to fight the cancer or reduce the side effects of therapies. A physician can assess a particular cancer case and see if it may be an appropriate course of treatment for a patient.

In addition to a number of advanced conventional treatment options, alternative or complementary treatment for adenocarcinoma lung cancer may be available. These non-conventional are designed to create personalized treatment plans that help patients focus on healing. Examples of these therapies are geared toward nutrition, pain management, naturopathy, spiritual, mind-body, etc.

The lungs lying above the diaphragm and under the rib cage make up one of the largest organs in the body. The lungs take carbon dioxide from the bloodstream in exchange for oxygen. This vital process is largely affected when infections and diseases, including cancer, occur, making it difficult to breathe.

Lung cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer for both males and females. Smoking is the main risk factor for a person’s chance of developing the disease. Lung cancer limits the patient’s ability to perform daily activities. Treatment options must be discussed carefully with healthcare providers with the goal of minimally disrupting lifestyle.

Oncologists work alongside practitioners from different medical disciplines to provide medical support to patients helping them to remain healthy and active as much as possible. Naturopathy, nutrition, and pain management are usually integrated with conventional lung cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery.
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Cervical cancer refers to malignant neoplasm of the cervical area. Symptoms include vaginal bleeding although most symptoms are not present until it reaches an advanced stage. Pap smear screening identifies precancerous changes. When high grade changes are addressed earlier, cancer may be prevented. The increased awareness in cervical screening programs has reduced incidence of invasive cervical cancer by 50 percent.

There are varied conventional cervical cancer treatments including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy: the three common forms of treatment used over the years. The extent of the patient’s cancer, general state of health, and other factors determine the best combination of treatments applicable to the cervical cancer patient.

Surgery is a cervical cancer treatment applicable to certain types of cancer. It is the oldest form of cervical cancer treatment which also plays an important role in staging and diagnosis. Surgeries range from simple to very sophisticated surgical techniques resulting to effective treatment of cervical cancer. Surgery may be used as preventative, diagnostic, staging, curative, debulking or cytoreductive, palliative supportive, or restorative therapies.
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Bladder cancer refers to any type of malignant growth in the urinary bladder in which abnormal cells multiply uncontrollably in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow organ located in the pelvis that stores urine. The most common type of bladder cancer (90%) originates in the cells that line the inside of the bladder. These cells are called transitional cell carcinomas or urothelial cell carcinomas. In most cases, the muscle that assists in urination is not affected.

The common symptom of bladder cancer is the presence of blood in the urine. It may be visible to the naked eye called frank hematuria. In cases where only the microscope can detect it, it is microscopic hematuria. Other symptoms include pain in urination and polyuria or frequent urination. However, the symptoms in themselves do not confirm diagnosis as they may indicate other health problems such as prostate infections and cystitis which are both non-cancerous conditions. Kidney cancer can also cause hematuria. Patients suspected to have bladder cancer must go through tests. Radiological imaging of the kidneys, ureter, and the bladder must be performed. Then, the precise cause of hematuria may be determined.

Smoking is related to over half of bladder cancer cases. Aging also represents a risk factor such that most people diagnosed with the disease are between 50 and 70 years of age. Chronic bladder inflammations, such as urinary tract infection and bladder stones, are also risk factors of developing bladder cancer. Bladder cancer may also appear as a side effect of medicines. An example is the administration of cyclophosfamide which is used to treat cancer and is said to cause bladder cancer.

Due to the improvements on cancer related studies and sciences, combinations of traditional and innovative bladder cancer treatments are available depending on the appropriate combination of therapies applicable on a case to case basis.

Surgery is performed to take out tumors of the bladder whenever applicable. Several types of surgery used for bladder cancer may involve removal of the entire bladder or parts of the bladder. Surgery as a bladder cancer treatment may help prevent future problems like blockage or bleeding.

Radiation is also a bladder cancer treatment option. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is an advanced form of conformal radiotherapy where a computer program plans a precise dose of radiation in dimensions based on individual tumor size, shape, and location. It focuses the radiation rays to the cancer affected areas while sparing more of the healthy surrounding tissue.

Fractionated-dose chemotherapy is a bladder cancer treatment that divides a powerful dosage of chemotherapy drugs into smaller doses given over several days. The method exposes the bladder cancer cells to the drugs for a longer period while reducing the repulsive side effects often experienced with heavier doses.

Immunotherapy or biotherapy is a bladder cancer treatment that uses the body’s natural defense system to attach the cancer.

Other complementary and alternative therapies such as naturopathic medicine, nutritional therapy, mind-body medicine, image enhancement, and spiritual support are also available to bladder cancer patients. These alternative therapies may assist in the treating process and provide physical comfort to the patient while facing the challenges brought about by the disease.

Prognosis is a medical term that refers to the description of the likely outcome related to an illness or disease. It gives an estimate of a patient’s survival rate. Breast cancer survival rate is based on many factors of the cancer. The type of cancer, treatment options, lifestyle and habits, as well as genetics play important roles in breast cancer survival.

Breast cancer survival rate may be based on a standard five-year survival rate which estimates a patient’s prognosis through statistical data. The five year survival rate is the average number of patients who exceed the 5 year survival measure after being diagnosed. Five year survival rates exclude patients who die from other causes. A good number of breast cancer patients live much longer than 5 years after diagnosis. Although logically, the greater the cancer stage, the lesser the breast cancer survival rate.

Averaging of survival rates are based on statistics from patients treated several years ago. Although, the patients used in statistical data are the most recent available figures, there may have been improvements in treatment thus survival rates may be a little greater.

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Colon cancer refers to malignant growths in the colon, rectum, and the appendix. Commonly, cancers that arise from these areas of the body are referred to as colorectal cancer. However, let us individually discuss how chemotherapy plays a role in both colon and rectal cancer.

Chemotherapy for colon cancer is used to reduce the likelihood of cancer cells from spreading, shrink tumor size, or slow growth of tumors. Application of chemotherapy may be applied after surgery (adjuvant), before surgery (neo-adjuvant), or as primary therapy (palliative). The drugs used in chemotherapy are often called anticancer drugs. Chemotherapy for colon cancer is given intravenously, by injection or by mouth. It can be used as a standalone treatment or may be combined with radiation therapy or surgery.

Chemotherapy for colon cancer is often coupled with repulsive side effects like nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and mouth sores. Leveraging new delivery protocols assist in the reduction of side effects and allow chemotherapy treatment more bearable for patients. For instance, administration of total dose of chemotherapy divided in smaller doses over a longer period of time helps reduce nausea and vomiting.

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