Cancer is a reaction to something that the body finds foreign. It is a RESULT of something, usually a chemical, toxin or even a viral invader that secretes toxins that your body eventually becomes overwhelmed by. There are may instances where we can point to an event and identify it as a cause of the cancer. If you look at Chernobyl or Hiroshima you can clearly see how the occurrences of cancer went through the roof as a result of an EXPOSURE to a toxic substance.

What I find fascinating though is that some people living in those areas didn’t get cancer.

Consider all of the people world wide who smoke tobacco. We know that inhaling toxins and tars from cigarettes, cigars and pipes causes an increase in lung, throat, mouth and tongue cancers, as well as some other internal cancers. It is also true, however, that many people who smoke do not succumb to cancer.

There are people in the world who, as a result of exposure to asbestos, have been overtaken by a rare form of lung cancer called mesothelioma, and yet we know without a doubt that exposure only increases your chances, and that some people who have the same exposure NEVER get mesothelioma at all.

Read more…

Become any age group person may cancer, but nearly all types are more common in middle aged and elderly people than in young people. Skin is the most common type of cancer for both men and women. The next most common type among men is prostate cancer; among women, it is breast cancer. Lung cancer, however, is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women . Brain cancer and leukemia are the most common cancers in children and young adults.

The more we can learn about what causes cancer, the more likely we are to find ways to prevent it. Scientists study patterns of cancer in the population to look for factors that affect the risk of developing this disease. In the laboratory, they explore possible causes of cancer and try to determine what actually happens when normal cells become cancerous.

Our current understanding of the causes of cancer is incomplete, but it is clear that cancer is not caused by an injury, such as a bump or bruise. And although being infected with certain viruses may increase the risk of some types of cancer, cancer is not contagious no one can “catch” cancer from another person.

Read more…

Standard adjuvant treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer patients, following primary surgery for their cancer, is Trastuzumab (Herceptin)–typically used in combination with chemotherapy. However, a new study by researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center reports that it may be safe to treat these patients with both Trastuzumab and adjuvant radiation therapy.

The study will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

“Our study evaluated the skin toxicity and early cardiac toxicity of concurrent Trastuzumab and radiation therapy treatment in the adjuvant setting,” says Penny Anderson, M. D. , radiation oncologist at Fox Chase and lead author on the study. “We found that there was an extremely low rate of acute radiation dermatitis and cardiac toxicity in patients who received this type of treatment. ”

Read more…

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is defined as breast cancer that develops during or within one year after pregnancy. It is relatively rare, with approximately 10% of all breast cancer cases under age 40 occurring in pregnant women. However, some researchers have speculated that the incidence of PABC may increase as the average age at the time of pregnancy increases.

Some research has indicated that PABC has a worse outcome than other breast cancers; however, this could also be attributable to young age, since most women with PABC tend to be young and breast cancer in young women tends to have a worse prognosis.

Read more…

Previous studies have shown that younger breast cancer patients consistently have poorer outcomes than patients who develop the disease later in life, which can translate into lower rates of overall survival. While the reason for this is not known, it is suggested that breast cancer in younger patients is more biologically aggressive.

Researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston sought to determine which form of breast cancer treatment – breast-conserving therapy, mastectomy alone or mastectomy with adjuvant radiation – better benefits younger women with either Stage I or Stage II breast cancer.

A total of 652 young women with breast cancer from 1973 to 2006 were studied, with 197 of the patients having received breast-conserving therapy, 237 having received a mastectomy and 234 having received mastectomy with adjuvant radiation. The study authors confirmed that younger breast cancer patients do have relatively high locoregional recurrence rates, but that patients with Stage II disease achieved the best locoregional control rates with mastectomy plus adjuvant radiation therapy. Patients with Stage I disease had similar outcomes with breast-conserving therapy and mastectomy, but adding chemotherapy to either treatment was beneficial.

Read more…

Cancer is second only to cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in the Western world.

Although Cancer is primarily a disease of the elderly with more than 60% of deaths from cancer occurring in those over the age of 65, cancer can strike even the youngest of children.

Cancer appears to occur when the growth of cells in the body is out of control and cells divide too rapidly. Cancer can develop in almost any organ or tissue, such as the lung, colon, breast, skin, bones, or nerve tissue.

Most common sites are:

• Prostrate 24%
• Breast 13%
• Lung 13%
• Colon and Rectum 9%
• Bladder 3%
• Uterus 2. 5%

The cause of Cancer is believed to be a combination of genetic factors and outside carcinogens such as tobacco, viruses, infection, asbestos, vinyl chloride, inappropriate diet.

Cancer often has no specific symptoms, so it is important that you limit your risk factors and undergo appropriate cancer screening. The signs and symptoms will depend on where the cancer is, the size of the cancer, and how much it affects the nearby organs or structures.

Read more…

Breast cancer type

Breast cancer type is categorized by whether it begins in the ducts or lobules, the organs responsible for breast milk production. Medullary carcinoma accounts for 15% of all breast cancer types. This breast cancer type represents 5% of all diagnosis. IPR015525 Breast cancer type 2 susceptibility protein Header EBIDatabasesInterPro Search Open in usermanual InterPro: InterProScan Databases Documentation FTP site Help Click on the icon for context sensitive help from the user manual. The breast cancer type 2 susceptibility protein (BRCA2) is a breast tumour suppressor with a potential function in the cellular response to DNA damage. Some breast cancer types express one or more of these proteins on their cell surface, while others express none. Media Relations Contacts Online Press Kit Rumors, Myths, and Truths Glossary About the American Cancer Society Breastfeeding, Other Factors May Affect Risk of Breast Cancer TypeAtlanta 2008/08/25 – Factors such as age at menopause as well as a woman?s breastfeeding practices can influence her risk of developing certain types of breast cancer.

Read more…

Breaf History of HyperthermiaThe healing effect of heat treatment was already mentioned in the advanced cultures of the old Egypt (2400 B. C. ), but only the medical professionals of the Greek Antique used this therapeutic approach consistently, acknowledged it and called it over-warming (in Greek: Hyperthermia). “Give me the power to produce fever and I heal every illness”, said Parmenides, Greek physician, 540-480 B. C.

Hyperthermia in cancer treatment

Hyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or thermotherapy) is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. It is usually caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures. The heat-regulating mechanisms of the body eventually become overwhelmed and unable to effectively deal with the heat, causing the body temperature to climb uncontrollably.

Read more…

Casey Phillips’s ankle had a small spot that looked different. It was irregular. That spot was growing because a melanocyte had become a cancer. He was informed by his family doctor that he had a malignant melanoma.

Melanocytes are the cells that produce melanin. Melanin gives dark or tan color to the skin. But, when one of these cells gets out of control, it can produce one of the most dangerous cancers known. And more than 52,000 people are told that they have malignant melanoma every year just inside the USA.

Causes of Malignant Melanoma

The most common risk factor for malignant melanoma known is excess sunlight. When melanoma was first studied, it was found that people who labored out of doors had a much higher risk of melanoma. Furthermore, those who had gotten a sunburn causing blisters were at risk to get a malignant melanoma.

Read more…

You may have heard how distressing it is to die from Colorectal Cancer or Soft Tissue Sarcoma. You have heard right, but there is good news.

Nutritionists have known for quite a few years that diet can prevent disease. In fact, it has been shown that about 39% of all cancer is related to what you eat and drink. And it has also been shown that diet can improve your chances of not getting cancer.

Nutrients in some food can decrease your chance of cancer. You can also improve your chances of not getting cancer by avoiding some foods. You might have to cut out the McCoys and Oaxaca cheese. Read more…