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Small cell lung cancer

January 20, 2018

Small cell lung cancer: Types of lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer is treatable and the patient can have a more comfortable life

Lung cancer is a disease that comes about when cells of the lung start growing and multiplying rapidly in an abnormal manner. Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer deaths globally in both male and female gender. There are two main types of lung cancer. Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), sometimes called small-cell carcinoma, causes about 10%-15% of all lung cancer. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) causes the rest which forms the bigger percentage. These are very disturbing health conditions that must be addressed promptly. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center explains the major types of SCLC. And as we progress with the discussion, if you have any concern about lung cancer, you can schedule an appointment with her today.

Small cell lung cancer: The two types of SCLC

Small-cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer)
Combined small-cell carcinoma

Both include many types of cells that grow and spread in different ways. They are named according to what the cells look like under a microscope. Small-cell lung cancer differs from non-small-cell lung cancer in the following ways:

Small-cell lung cancer grows rapidly.
Small-cell lung cancer spreads much faster and quickly.
Small-cell lung cancer responds well to chemotherapy which uses medication to kill cancer cellsand radiation therapy which uses high dose X-rays to kill cancer cells
Small-cell lung cancer is frequently associated with distinct paraneoplastic syndromes (a collection of symptoms that result from substances produced by the tumor).

Small cell lung cancer: Small-cell lung cancer causes

The main cause of both small-cell lung cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer is cigarette smoking. Nevertheless, small-cell lung cancer is extra intensely associated to smoking than non-small cell lung cancer.
Consistent contact with radon which is an inert gas that develops from the decay of uranium has been reported to cause small-cell lung cancer.
Exposure to asbestos greatly increases the risk of lung cancer. A combination of asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking increases the risk even further.
Even secondhand cigarette smoke is a risk factor for lung cancer. Individuals living with a smoker have an increase in the risk of developing lung cancer compared to people who are not exposed to secondhand smoke.
All types of lung cancer occur with increased frequency in people who mine uranium, but small-cell lung cancer is most common. The prevalence is increased further in persons who smoke.

Small cell lung cancer: When to Seek Medical Care

Consult a doctor if any of the following symptoms are present:

Voice change
Mysterious weight loss
Unexplained persistent fatigue
Unsolved deep aches or pains
Shortness of breath
New cough or change in the consistency of a cough
Coughing up blood

When the following symptoms persist, you should consider that as an emergency and where possible you can call 911 for help immediately:

Sudden vision impairment
Sudden shortness of breath
Seizures
Coughing up large amounts of blood
Chest pain that is pounding
Abrupt or severe weakness of any limb

Small cell lung cancer: Types of lung cancer

Male breast cancer treatment

January 19, 2018

Male breast cancer treatment: Early diagnosis

Male breast cancer treatment and for a detailed determination of male breast cancer treatment options, timely consultation with the doctor is necessary

For a detailed determination of male breast cancer treatment options, as a patient you need to visit your doctor timely. And while at the doctor’s office, he/she will consider certain factors like the stage of your cancer, the patient’s overall health and preferences. With such information, treatment can be done either through the application of surgery among many other treatment options like radiation therapy, chemotherapy hormone therapy. As we progress into the discussion, doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center will help us to understand each of these treatment options as follows:

Male breast cancer treatment: Surgery

The primary objective of using surgery in cancer treatment is to remove the tumor and surrounding breast tissue. The procedure of doing so will involves:

The removal of breast tissue and surrounding lymph nodes (modified radical mastectomy). This means that, the operating surgeon operate to remove all the breast tissues including the nipple and areola, and some underarm lymph nodes.
Removal of one lymph node for testing also known as sentinel lymph node biopsy. The doctor identifies the lymph node most likely to be the first place your cancer cells would spread. From the analysis of lymph node if cancer cells are not found, there is a good chance that the patient’s breast cancer has not spread beyond the breast tissue making treatment much easier.

Male breast cancer treatment: Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells. In male breast cancer, radiation therapy may be used after surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells in the breast, chest muscles or armpit. Patients are advised to be informed of how radiation work. And for the avoidance of doubt, during radiation therapy process, radiation comes from a large machine that moves around the patient’s body, directing the energy beams to precise points and locations on chest affected.

Male breast cancer treatment: Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses medications to kill cancer cells. Such medications may be administered through a vein in the arm (intravenously) or in a pill form or in some cases both methods can be applied. Upon the determination of the cancer disease, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might have spread outside the breast. Chemotherapy may also be an option for men with advanced breast cancer.

Male breast cancer treatment: Hormone therapy

Finally, most men with male breast cancer have tumors which relies on hormones to grow (hormone-sensitive). Therefore, in the event that your cancer is hormone-sensitive, it is possible that your doctor may recommend hormone therapy for your treatment. Take note that hormone therapy for male breast cancer often involves the medication tamoxifen, which is also used for women. Other hormone therapy medications used in women with breast cancer haven’t been shown to be effective for men and that is why you need to be in close consultation with your doctor all the way. And for any further concerns, you can call AWAREmed health center today for real time professional result.

Male breast cancer treatment: Early diagnosis

Invasive lobular carcinoma cure

January 18, 2018

Invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Treatment options

Invasive lobular carcinoma cancer treatment will be dependent on the aggressiveness of the cancer, its stage the overall health and preferences of the patient.

Invasive lobular carcinoma cure or treatment will be dependent on the aggressiveness of the cancer, its stage the overall health and preferences of the patient. Generally treatment will in most cases comprise of surgery and additional therapy which may include chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy. To understand these better, we spoke to the experts at AWAREmed health and wellness resource center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD who explains them as follows:

Diagnosing invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Surgery

Surgery for invasive lobular carcinoma may be done in four ways including:

Removing the cancer and small portion of healthy tissue. This is a lumpectomy (wide local excision) procedure which allows the patient to keep most of the breast tissue. Under this, the surgeon removes the tumor itself, as well as a margin of normal tissue surrounding the tumor to ensure all the cancer that can be removed is taken out.

Removing all of the breast tissue. This is done through mastectomy is an operation done to remove all the breast tissue. This (Mastectomy) can be simple where the surgeon removes all of the breast tissue the lobules, ducts, fatty tissue and skin, including the nipple and areola. Alternatively, it can be done through a modified radical mastectomy, which involves removing all of the breast tissue, as well as the nipple and areola and lymph nodes in the nearby armpit.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy. To determine whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes near your breast the surgeon identifies the first lymph nodes that receive the lymph drainage from cancer. These lymph nodes are removed and tested for breast cancer cells (sentinel node biopsy). Where no cancer is found, the chance of finding cancer in any of the remaining nodes is minimal and no other nodes need to be removed.

Axillary lymph node dissection. If cancer is found in the sentinel node, the surgeon may remove additional lymph nodes in your armpit (axillary lymph node dissection).

Diagnosing invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Treatment often involves receiving two or more drugs in different combinations. Chemotherapy can be given through a vein, in pill form or both ways. And for invasive lobular carcinoma, chemotherapy is commonly used after surgery to kill any cells that may remain.

Diagnosing invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams like X-rays, to kill cancer cells. During radiation therapy, the patient lie on a table as the radiation machine directs energy beams to the precise points on the breast. Radiation therapy is recommended effectively after a lumpectomy. It may also be recommended after a mastectomy if the cancer was large or involved the lymph nodes.

Diagnosing invasive lobular cure: Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy may be an option if your cancer cells are sensitive to hormones. Most invasive lobular carcinomas are hormone receptor positive, meaning they are sensitive to hormones. In such a case, a sample of the tumor cells is tested to determine whether cancer is hormone receptor positive. If it is, hormone therapies can block from producing hormones or block the cancer cells’ ability to use the hormones.

Diagnosing invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Treatment options

Invasive lobular carcinoma

January 18, 2018

Invasive lobular carcinoma risks: The attributed risk factors

Invasive lobular carcinoma risks. Women are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Men are equally vulnerable, but the risk is more in women

Like with all other diseases, invasive lobular carcinoma risks are many and natural in most cases. The following are some of the known factors that are likely to increase an individual risk of invasive lobular carcinoma:

The female gender – Women are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Men are equally vulnerable, but the risk is more in women.

Old age – As one ages, the risk of contracting breast cancer increases. Women with invasive lobular carcinoma appears to look a few years older than women diagnosed with other types of breast cancer.

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) – If you’ve been diagnosed with LCIS abnormal cells confined within breast lobules, your risk of developing invasive cancer in either breast is increased. In this case, LCIS isn’t cancer, but is an indication of increased risk of breast cancer of any type.

Postmenopausal hormone use – Using female hormones estrogen and progesterone during and after menopause increases the risk of invasive lobular carcinoma. From various studies, it is believed that the hormones may stimulate tumor growth making it more difficult to see on mammograms. It’s however, not clear whether newer hormone regimens, including lower dose combinations, could also increase the risk of invasive lobular carcinoma.

Inherited genetic cancer syndromes – Women with a rare inherited condition called hereditary diffuse gastric cancer syndrome have an increased risk of both stomach (gastric) cancer and invasive lobular carcinoma. Such women may have an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Invasive lobular carcinoma risks: The prevention options

Prevention is better than cure and therefore, experts at AWAREmed wellness resource center recommends the following in reducing risk of breast cancer:

Discuss the benefits and risks of hormone therapy with your doctor. Combination hormone therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of hormone therapy. To reduce the risk of breast cancer, use the lowest dose of hormone therapy possible for the shortest amount of time.

Drink alcohol in moderation, if you have to. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink to less than one drink a day. But it would be better if you quit drinking completely.

Physical activities. Desire to spend more time exercising for at least 30 minutes if not daily it should be more than 4 days weekly. Exercise needs to be done gradually if you haven’t been active. Ask your doctor for direction before you start.

Obesity and overweight. Work on your weight and always maintain a healthy weight. Doctor Dalal Akoury and her team of experts at AWAREmed health and wellness resource center will be of great help to you make this a reality. In the meantime you can start by reducing the amount of calories you take daily by burning it out through exercises.

Invasive lobular carcinoma risks: The attributed risk factors

Angiosarcoma diagnosis

January 16, 2018

Angiosarcoma diagnosis: Treatment

Angiosarcoma diagnosis. The best treatment procedure for angiosarcoma cancer will depend on the cancer’s location, size

Tests and procedures used in angiosarcoma diagnosis include physical examination to understand the patient’s condition, carrying out a biopsy primarily to determine any characteristics of cancer cells to help in the treatment. Imaging testing can also be done to give the extent of the cancer level or stage. This may include MRI, CT and position emission tomography (PET).

Treatment

The best treatment procedure for angiosarcoma cancer will depend on the cancer’s location, size and whether it has spread to other areas of the body. Treatment options may include:

Surgery – surgery is used to remove the angiosarcoma completely. However, where the cancer has spread so much to other areas of the body, surgery may not be appropriate.

Radiation therapy – this uses high-energy beams like X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells. It can sometimes be applied after surgery to kill any remnants of cancer cells.

Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs or chemicals to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be an option if your angiosarcoma has spread to other areas of your body. In certain situations, it may be combined with radiation therapy if you can’t undergo surgery.

Angiosarcoma diagnosis: Preparing for your appointment

Like is the case with any other health problem, when you notice some disturbing signs and symptoms, you will need to seek for medical attention immediately. You physician may refer you to the right specialist like a dermatologist or oncologist. And as you visit your doctor’s office, doctor Akoury advices that you need to have some documentations to help you get all the information you need. You could list down some questions of great concerns to you. And for this problem, the following questions could be relevant:

With my other health problems. How will I handle them together?
Will I be able to work and do my usual activities during angiosarcoma treatment?
What treatments is recommended?
What are the benefits and risks of each treatment option?
Should I see a doctor who specializes in cancer treatment?
Is seek a second opinion necessary?
How advanced is my angiosarcoma?
Has my angiosarcoma spread to other organs?
Can take some time before making a decision on treatment option?
Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?

It is important that you get all the answers. And remember, very question you have is relevant so don’t hold any, ask even when you think it is not necessary.

Angiosarcoma diagnosis: Expectations from your doctor

Finally with such concerns, your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions too. Be ready to answer them appropriately and honestly because they will help your doctor to give his/her professional opinion about your disease appropriately. So you doctor may ask:

When did you start experiencing these symptoms?
Are you on any medications currently whether vitamins or supplements?
How severe are your symptoms?
Have you been diagnosed with any other medical conditions before?
Is there anything that make your symptoms to worse or improve?
Do you experience these symptoms occasionally or continuously?

Angiosarcoma diagnosis: Treatment

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