Types of Cancer Tips
Read these 15 Types of Cancer Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Cancer tips and hundreds of other topics.
Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is the presence of cancerous cells or tumors in the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ in the abdomen, directly behind the stomach that aids in digestion and the breaking down of sugars found in food. There is no known cause for pancreatic cancer and unfortunately, the prognosis for treatment is unfavorable, making it the leading cause of cancer death.
Symptoms
Pancreatic cancer symptoms include bloating, pain in the upper abdomen that can spread to the lower back, jaundice, the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, weight loss, loss of appetite, blood clots and depression. Many of these symptoms are indicators of other diseases and conditions, but if you experience any of these, you should see a physician. It is even more imperative to consult with a physician if more than one of these symptoms exist, because symptoms of pancreatic cancer often do not occur until the disease is in its advanced stages.
Prevention
There are no hard and fast steps to prevent pancreatic cancer; however, there are things you can do lower your risks. If you are a smoker, quit. Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight. Also a well balanced, healthy diet can decrease your chances of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Skin Cancer Research
Today, many of us are trying to fight aging, wanting to remain younger looking and beautiful. Unfortunately, some of the things that we do are putting us at more risk for developing skin cancer.
Many of us feel that bronzing our bodies give us that glow and make us more attractive. While it does look great, there are many dangers to achieving that look.
Skin cancer research shows that laying out in the sun or in the tanning beds is causing skin cancer cases to increase. Cancer facts show that skin cancer is caused by the UVA and UVB rays. So while you are laying out getting that nice golden tan, you are baking your skin.
Skin cancer research shows that there are a few things that you can do to reduce your risk. These things include: wearing protective clothing, seeking shade from the sun and wearing sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
It is also important to see a dermatologist yearly to have a thorough exam of any moles.
Skin cancer does not hurt, so it is important that you keep an eye on your moles or look for any abnormal growths and get to your dermatologist immediately. As with anything else, the earlier skin cancer is diagnosed and treated, the greater the chance of curing it.
Bladder Cancer Tip
Healthy living and nutrition is important to treatment of bladder cancer. A diet with fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains help fight cancer and make traditional treatments more successful. If you have bladder cancer, then nutrition is an important part of your recovery plan. Many foods will give your body energy, help fight fatigue and nausea, and build up your immune system. This alone will help you survive bladder cancer treatments with dignity.
Many healthy foods contain photochemicals that stop cancer in every stage of development. They stop growth of new cancer cells in the body and stop the growth of existing ones. These foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, supplements and green and black tea. Shopping for the best foods for your diet means writing a list and reading labels carefully. Visit the produce, dairy, meat, seafood and natural foods departments.
Vitamin D has cancer fighting properties that help with bladder cancer. It is found in sunlight and fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel. Other sauces are milk and eggs. It protects against colon and rectal cancers in men. So it is a good vitamin to take for prevention or treatment when fighting bladder cancer. Green leafy vegetables and red and orange vegetables are high in antioxidants that fight cancer. Remember nutrition as important factor in fighting bladder cancer.
Exploring Brain Cancer Treatment Options
After the initial shock of a cancer diagnosis, most brain cancer patients want to know what steps are necessary for treatment. It’s important to ask questions about brain cancer treatment options and understand the side affects for each.
Factors that determine brain cancer treatment include where the tumor is located and what size it is. Other factors include whether or not the cancer is a primary or secondary one that spread to the brain. According to MayoClinic.com, primary brain tumors are much less common than secondary brain tumors. So a brain cancer patient may already be receiving cancer treatments for a primary cancer, and may need extra emotional support after learning the cancer has spread.
As with many types of cancer treatments, brain cancer treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of therapies. The type of cancer treatments a patient agrees to only answers part of the questions. Decisions must be made about how long the patient will wait to receive treatment, which facility best serves the patient's needs, and whether or not the patient chooses further diagnostic testing.
Rushing into brain cancer treatment and deciding later it was not the right one will cause undue stress to an already emotionally charged situation. Taking time to make an informed decision for the best outcome is critical.
Mesothelioma Lawsuit
When an individual suffers from the asbestos related cancer of mesothelioma, a mesothelioma lawsuit is typically filed by the victim to recover lost damages due to the cancer. Mesothelioma is a horrid and lethal kind of cancer, a victim will file a lawsuit in order to recover medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering.
Mesothelioma only occurs as a result of great and consistent exposure to asbestos. If one works around asbestos, they should get checked up to every six months to make sure no signs of mesothelioma are evident. The judges take this into great consideration when awarding the victim money, this is common knowledge when one knowingly works around or with asbestos.
Employers and manufacturers of asbestos containing products can be held liable for the injuries that result from it. This is especially true when they know the level of exposure their workers will face. It is important to contact a lawyer who has a track record in dealing with mesothelioma lawsuits. They have a great advantage over the average lawyer because they are educated on the issue.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that comes in several different varieties. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer there is hope. There are many different mesothelioma treatment options available to you that can extend your quality of life and manage the pain. These options are increasing every day and will depend on what type of cancer you have.
These options include radiation which is for patients that may be to weak for surgery or chemotherapy. This option is the most recommended and is used with another treatment type. Another mesothelioma cancer treatment options is surgery this option is only used if the disease in caught in time. The other option available is chemotherapy which is prescribed in a pill form or injected into your system.
All these treatments will not provide a cure for this disease but are used to help destroy the malignant cells. These options will be discussed with you once a full diagnosis has been made. It is best to discuss these options with a loved one before making a final decision.
Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Mesothelioma diagnosis occurs three to six months after a patient’s first visit to their doctor. They typically come to the doctor to find out the breathing and abdominal problems they are going through. Unfortunately though, some are diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Providing an accurate medical history is the first step in mesothelioma diagnosis. The patient will then undergo a physical where the doctor will perform specific tests related to mesothelioma symptoms to gain a better insight. However, your family doctor will always suggest you go to a specialist, who is usually located in the city, for an accurate diagnosis. Many doctors know what to look for but it is the specialists on mesothelioma who will confirm their suspicions and treat you. This is because much still needs to be learned about the cancer.
Before the diagnosis is complete, the specialist will make the patient undergo a chest x-ray, CT scan, PET scan and MRI scan. The chest x-ray is the most common test for diagnosis, the other tests are to see the size and shape of the tumor once it has been detected.
Causes of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a very lethal form of cancer and it is essential for one to recognize causes of mesothelioma if they feel they may have come into great contact with asbestos. Asbestos exposure is the sole cause of mesothelioma. When asbestos fibers are inhaled or even worse, digested, they become lodged in your human tissue, which causes great inflammation and infection.
It is somewhat crazy to believe the industries that require asbestos factories. It wasn’t until the 1970’s when the dangers became known about asbestos. Nonetheless, this cancer is extremely difficult to treat. In contemporary America, between 2,000 and 3,000 individuals are diagnosed each year and numbers are expected to increase.
Once again, the sole cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos causes irritation and inflammation of mesothelial cells, which results in irreversible scarring, cellular damage and cancer. This is because asbestos provokes free radicals, which damage DNA and cell mutation. This will then lead to cancer.
Asbestos will also produce oncoproteins, a gene that helps turn a normal cell into a tumor cell. If you have had great and consistent exposure to asbestos, please get evaluated immediately.
Mesothelioma Symptoms
One contracts mesothelioma cancer when they have had consistent exposure to asbestos in their life. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is practically impossible to detect in its early stages. When an individual is diagnosed with mesothelioma, it has moved to the later stages of development which often lead to death.
Mesothelioma symptoms are evident under three types. These types are pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common as it makes up two-thirds of all mesothelioma cases.
Common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are dry cough, difficulty in swallowing, unexplained weight loss, chest pain with lumps under the skin on the chest. For peritoneal mesothelioma, this makes up between 25 and 30 percent of mesothelioma diagnoses.
Typical symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are night sweats, pain in the abdomen, fatigue and nausea. This kind of mesothelioma cancer becomes evident when changes in membrane composition place extreme pressure on the abdominal organs.
For pericardial mesothelioma, this is rare as it accounts for less than five percent of all cases. Common symptoms are irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing and fatigue.
Lung Cancer
One of the most common forms of cancer is lung cancer. The proper name for it is carcinoma of the lungs. This disease occurs when there is cell growth in the tissues of the lung. The growth common leads to metastasis, which is when the adjacent tissue and infiltration behind the lungs are invaded.
Lung cancer is primarily evident in the top layer of cells. This is where air passages and the lung itself exist. Two common ways in which lung cancer is caused is from cigarette smoking and exposure to industrial air pollutants. If one avoids these two in their lifespan the chances of lung cancer are highly unlikely.
If one chooses to partake in one of the two causes mentioned above, cells in the lung will grow out of control and take over healthy cells if either is abused. Lung cancer is extremely serious as it is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It is broken down into two groups, these groups are small cell lung cancer and non-small lung cancer. There is no cure for either.
Kidney Cancer
When cancer has arisen from one’s kidney, kidney cancer is evident. This occurs when abnormal cells have grown out of control in both of the kidneys. It is important to keep in mind that it does not include metastatic cancer of the kidney, which means it has developed outside of the kidney and spread internally to it.
Over time, the cancer cells within both kidneys take over the healthy cells and severely damage the kidney. Not only will this cause the kidney to stop functioning but other parts of the body may be affected as well. This usually is rare though. Kidney cancer forms in two key locations. These locations are the renal tubule and the renal pelvis.
The renal tubule is where wastes and fluids filtered by the glomerulus become urine. The renal pelvis is shaped very similarly to a funnel and is located in the outlet of the kidney. It is in this section that urine is discharged before it passes into the ureter.
The two most common treatments for kidney cancer are radiotherapy and nephrectomy. Radiotherapy is the common choice though as it uses x-rays, neutrons and other vital sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Lung Cancer Symptoms and Advanced Warning Signs
By the time most patients with lung cancer symptoms are evaluated by a doctor, the cancer has already reached an advanced stage and, in 60% of patients, the lung cancer is incurable. Cancer symptoms and warning signs need to be evaluated and treated early before the cancer has a chance to progress.
Lung cancer symptoms are often masked as common cold or influenza symptoms, and they either go untreated or ignored by both the patient and the doctor. Unfortunately in many cases, cancer symptoms do not appear until the cancer is well into the advanced stages.
Immediately see a doctor and request cancer testing if there are lung cancer symptoms present, including: severe and constant chest pain; persistent coughing, with or without the presence of blood; difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; or unexplained weight loss.
Each of the cancer symptoms alone may be related to a simple cold or case of the flu, however the symptoms should not be easily dismissed. Early diagnosis and treatment of beginning lung cancer symptoms is necessary to increase the likelihood of successful treatment and cancer recovery.
Skin Cancer Treatment Options
Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that is present in the lower part of the skin in the squamous cells. There are various types of skin cancer treatment options available - mohs micrographic surgery, simple excision, shave excision, electro-dissection and curettage, and cryosurgery. Cancer treatment centers can work with individuals who have melanoma and find the best treatment options for them.
In mohs micrographic surgery, the tumor is removed from under the skin's surface. The tumor is viewed under a microscope to check for the removal of all the cancer cells. When a simple excision is performed, the cancer along with some of the surrounding skin tissue. During a shave excision, the melanoma is removed from the skin using a small blade. When an electro-dissection and curettage is performed, the surgeon uses a curettage to cut the skin's surface and an electrode resembling a needle is placed into the incision. When this type of surgery is performed, bleeding ceases and the caner cells are destroyed. Another type of skin treatment option is cryosurgery. This is where an instrument is used to freeze the cancerous cells.
Cancer treatment centers can discuss the surgery and help those people struggling with melanoma to get the best skin cancer treatment options available. These facilities are staffed with employees who are knowledgeable and certified.
Prostate Cancer Symptoms and Warning Signs
Prostate cancer symptoms are rarely evident in the early stages of prostate cancer; however urinary difficulties and irregularities become more common. Minor urinary problems indicate a need for prostate cancer testing, particularly in men over the age of 50 or who have a family history of prostate cancer.
As the disease progresses, prostate cancer symptoms become more apparent, indicating a serious problem. Men who experience symptoms such as painful or bloody urine, frequent and inconsistent urine flow, or a complete lack of ability to urinate need to be tested for prostate cancer.
During advanced stages of prostate cancer, as the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, there may be chronic pain in the bones, particularly in the spine, pelvis and upper legs in addition to the main prostate cancer symptoms.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a condition which enlarges the prostate and closely resembles the symptoms of prostate cancer. Men who are experiencing urinary problems or other prostate cancer symptoms need to have a prostate cancer screening early to determine the cause and begin appropriate treatment.
Prostate Cancer Therapy Options
Prostate cancer refers to a form of cancer that forms in the prostate which is a male, reproductive organ that is located right under the bladder and towards the front of the rectum. The prostate gland is fluid which helps make up semen. Prostate cancer is usually seen in older men because as men get older the prostate may become larger and begin to block the bladder and the urethra. Prostate cancer treatment options are available to help men with prostate cancer get rid of the cancer cells.
Prostate cancer treatment includes various surgery options. In radical protatectomy, the entire prostate is removed. Sometimes radiation therapy is performed. In this type of procedure, highly charged radiation is used to kill cancer cells. Another prostate treatment option includes ultrasound-guided cryotherapy where the cancer cells become frozen. High-intensity focused ultrasound therapy uses intense ultrasound beams to kill cancer cells that are formed in the prostate.
Prostate cancer therapy is important for patients. Individuals with prostate cancer need to decide on effective prostate cancer treatment options by talking to their doctors and cancer specialists. It is important to discuss all the prostate cancer treatment options and decide on the right course of action.
