NSCLC treatment solution

January 20, 2018

NSCLC treatment solution: Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

NSCLC treatment solution that delivers total healing is what you get with doctor Akoury

Upon diagnosis of NSCLC, your doctor will administer treatment majorly in two ways: The treatment that target the cancer itself primarily to help the patient feel as comfortable as possible. The treatment objective is to stay ahead of the symptoms and make you as comfortable as possible. A combination of treatments depending on what kind of cancer the patient is having and the location of the tumor. To understand the treatment procedures of this type of cancer, we spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center over this. Professionally doctor Akoury explains the following treatment options,

NSCLC treatment solution: Surgery

For patients who are in the early stages of this disease, the doctor will most likely recommend surgery to take out the cancer. The patient could have a part or all of the lung removed. Other types of surgery destroy cancer cells by freezing them or using a heated probe or needle.

NSCLC treatment solution: Radiation

This is used to kill remnants of cancer cells after surgery. It also treats certain cancers that the doctor can’t get rid of with surgery. The radiation comes either from a high-energy beam aimed at the cancer from outside of your body using a special machine, or from a radioactive substance put inside your body in or near the cancer.

NSCLC treatment solution: Chemotherapy

This can either be done through the use of pills or with a needle in a vein or muscle. It is important to note that, irrespective of method used, the drugs will still travel throughout the body to kill the cancer. The doctor can either put it in the patient’s spinal fluid, a specific organ, or a space inside your body to target cancer cells in that area. You could get chemo before surgery to make a tumor smaller, after surgery, or both, or even if you don’t have surgery.

Targeted therapy

These drugs and antibodies stop cancer cells from growing and spreading in very specific ways. Because of how they work, they usually harm normal cells less than radiation and chemo.

Laser and photodynamic therapy (PDT)

This technique uses a special laser light to “turn on” special drugs that cancer cells have been absorbed. This kills them and helps avoid damage to healthy tissue.

Clinical trials

Currently, there are a lot of studies being done with a view of finding out new treatment procedures for cancer. When diagnosed with any type of cancer, you could ask your doctor if a clinical trial would be a good for your condition. Always ensure that your doctor is aware of how you are feeling. If there are some pain or shortness of breath, communicate that immediately. There are treatments for that so you can feel better. This is a long treatment journey and if you have any concern you want to share, AWAREmed health center doors are always open for you.

NSCLC treatment solution: Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer types

January 20, 2018

Lung cancer types: Bronchogenic carcinomas

Lung cancer types are many and does not discriminate on gender

Lung cancers, are also referred to as bronchogenic carcinomas. Take note that carcinoma is another term for cancer. Lung cancer are broadly classified into two types as we had mention in our introduction blog. The classification include small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). This classification is based upon the microscopic appearance of the tumor cells. These two kinds of lung cancer types can grow, spread, and are treated in different ways, so a distinction between these two types is important.

Lung cancer types: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)

SCLC contains about 10%-15% of lung cancers. It is the most aggressive and rapidly growing of all types of cancers. It’s majorly caused by cigarette smoking. SCLCs metastasize rapidly to other parts of the body. And since symptoms doesn’t show early, by the time it’s discovered the cancer has spread extensively.

Lung cancer types: Non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

This is very common, accounting for about 85% of all cases. It has three main types designated by the type of cells found in the tumor.

Adenocarcinomas are the most common type of NSCLC globally. Even though adenocarcinomas are associated with smoking like other lung cancers, this type is also seen in non-smokers especially women. Most adenocarcinomas arise in the outer, or peripheral, areas of the lungs. They also have a tendency to spread to the lymph nodes and beyond. People with this type of lung cancer tend to have a better prognosis than those with other types of lung cancer.
Squamous cell carcinomas were formerly more common than adenocarcinomas; today, they account for about 25% to 30% of all lung cancer cases. Also known as epidermoid carcinomas, squamous cell cancers arise most frequently in the central chest area in the bronchi. This type of lung cancer most often stays within the lung, spreads to lymph nodes, and grows quite large, forming a cavity.
Large cell carcinomas, sometimes referred to as undifferentiated carcinomas, are the least common type of NSCLC. This type of cancer has a high tendency to spread to the lymph nodes and distant sites.

Lung cancer types: Other types of cancers

These types are much less common than NSCLC and SCLC and together comprise only 5%-10% of lung cancers:

Bronchial carcinoids tumors are generally small (3-4 cm or less) when diagnosed and occur most commonly in persons under age 40. Unrelated to cigarette smoking, carcinoid tumors can metastasize, and a small proportion of these tumors secrete hormone-like substances. Carcinoids generally grow and spread more slowly than bronchogenic cancers, and many are detected early enough to be surgically removed.
Cancers of supporting lung tissue such as smooth muscle, blood vessels, or cells involved in the immune response are rare in the lung.

As discussed previously, metastatic cancers from other primary tumors in the body are often found in the lung. Tumors from anywhere in the body may spread to the lungs either through the bloodstream, through the lymphatic system, or directly from nearby organs. Metastatic tumors are most often multiple, scattered throughout the lung and concentrated in the outer areas rather than central areas of the organ.

Lung cancer types: Bronchogenic carcinomas

Lung cancer symptoms

January 20, 2018

Lung cancer symptoms: What you need to know

Lung cancer symptoms when noticed need urgent attention

Lung cancer symptoms are not very common at the very beginning of cancer formation. It therefore, means that when signs and symptoms begins to manifest, chances are that the disease in progressively growing or advancing to more disturbing stages. It is ironical that while many are struggling with the disease today, it is something that can easily be prevented. Just by keeping distance to cigarette smoking is a step in the right direction. And remember that, to be safe, you must also avoid inhaling the second hand smoke from smokers. This is very important and as doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center puts it, when finally the signs and symptoms of the disease start to appear, they will be many include:

Worsening shortness of breath
Wheezing
Trouble swallowing
Swelling of the neck and face
Sudden changes in a cough that you’ve had for a long time
Respiratory infections that keep coming back, including bronchitis or pneumonia
Pain and weakness in the shoulder, arm, or hand
Hoarseness
Fatigue, weakness, loss of weight and appetite, fever that comes and goes, severe headaches, and body pain
Endless chest pain
Continuing, hacking, raspy coughing, sometimes with mucus stained with spots of blood

These problems usually happen because of blocked breathing passages or because the cancer has spread farther into the lung, nearby areas, or other parts of the body. When we allude to the fact that prevention is better than cure, it needs to be taken seriously. Therefore, when you notice any of the listed signs and symptoms above, timely action must be taken. Remember that these could be an indication of the lung disease. Having mentioned that these signs will most like come later in the development of the problem, when signs like an ongoing cough, blood-streaked mucus, wheezing, hoarseness, or a lung infection that keeps coming back appears, seek medical attention immediately. The doctor will run several tests including an X- ray to determine whether it is lung cancer forming. And when confirmed, treatment will start immediately.

Lung cancer symptoms: How common is lung cancer?

Studies have suggested that lung cancer is responsible for the most cancer-related deaths for both men and women across the globe. According to the American Cancer Society, they’ve estimated that 228,190 new cases of lung cancer in the U.S. were diagnosed and 159,480 deaths due to lung cancer occurred in 2013 alone. They have also established that lung cancer was not as common before in the 1930s, but has increased dramatically over time following decades of tobacco smoking increased. In many developing countries, the incidence of lung cancer is beginning to fall because of education about the dangers of cigarette smoking and effective smoking cessation programs. Nevertheless, lung cancer remains the most common form of cancer in men worldwide and the fifth most common form of cancer in women the finding states.

Lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer in causing the most cancer-related deaths in women in the United States. It means that the sooner we pool together in fighting this the better for all of us. You can call us today at AWAREmed health center for all your concerns and will address them professionally.

Lung cancer symptoms: What you need to know

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Recurrent breast cancer

January 19, 2018

Recurrent breast cancer: The remnants of cancer cells

Recurrent breast cancer and as the name suggest, is that type of breast cancer that reappears after the initial treatment

Recurrent breast cancer, and as the name suggest, is that type of breast cancer that reappears after the initial treatment. It is true that, the initial treatment is aimed at eliminating all cancer cells, nonetheless, a few may evade treatment and survived. These undetected cancer cells then multiplies which eventually becomes recurrent breast cancer. They may occur months or years after your initial treatment. The cancer may come back in the same place as the original cancer (local recurrence), or it may spread to other areas of your body (distant recurrence). It is not an easy experience to go through this especially after the treacherous dealings with the initial diagnosis. Speaking to doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center, when this happens, all is not lost. With good treatment, all the local, regional or distant recurrent breast cancer can be eliminated. But if complete treatment is not possible, the disease can be put in check for a longer period of time.

Signs and symptoms of recurrent breast cancer vary depending on where the cancer comes back. Like for instance:

Recurrent breast cancer: Local recurrence

Under this, the reappearance of cancer takes place in the same area where the original cancer was. For those who undergone lumpectomy, the cancer could recur in the remaining breast tissue. Yet for those who undergone mastectomy, the cancer could recur in the tissue that lines the chest wall or in the skin. Signs and symptoms of local recurrence within the same breast include:

A new lump in your breast or irregular area of firmness
Changes in the skin of the breast
Skin inflammation or area of redness
Nipple discharge

Signs and symptoms of local recurrence on the chest wall after a mastectomy include:

One or more painless nodules on or under the skin of your chest wall
A new area of thickening along or near the mastectomy scar

Recurrent breast cancer: Regional recurrence

This happens when the cancer reappears in the nearby lymph nodes. You could look for the following as signs and symptoms; a lump or swelling in the lymph nodes located:

Under the arm
Next to the collarbone
In the neck
In the groove above your collarbone

Recurrent breast cancer: Distant recurrence

This recurrence happens when the cancer has traveled or spread to distant parts of the body, most commonly the bones, liver and lungs. The possible signs and symptoms include:

Weight loss
Severe headaches
Seizures
Persistent cough
Persistent and worsening pain, such as chest or bone pain
Loss of appetite
Difficulty breathing

Finally, with all these frustrations, when is the right time to see a doctor? Immediately after completing breast cancer treatment, there will be sessions of scheduled follow-up exams. It is during this time that your doctor checks for any signs of cancer recurrence. And on your part, you must be very observant and report any strange feelings however negligible.

Recurrent breast cancer: The remnants of cancer cells

Pagets disease risks factors

January 19, 2018

Pagets disease risks factors: What makes you susceptible to breast cancer

Pagets disease risks factors. The best thing one can do to be safe from any disease is to prevent it from happening

Pagets disease risks factors are closely associated with other factors that increase the development of any other type of breast cancer. Therefore, the following are some of the factors likely to cause an individual to develop Paget’s disease of the breast cancer:

Radiation exposure. If you received radiation treatments to your chest as a child or young adult to treat another cancer, you’re more likely to develop breast cancer later in life.
Race. White women are more likely to develop breast cancer than black or Hispanic women, but black women are more likely to die of the disease.
Past history of breast abnormalities. If you’ve had lobular carcinoma in situ or atypical hyperplasia, your risk of developing breast cancer is higher.
Overweight. Excess weight is unhealthy and increases your risk of breast cancer especially after menopause.
Hormone replacement. Taking estrogen after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer for some women.
Having a history of breast cancer. Those who had suffered breast cancer in one breast before, have an increased risk of developing cancer on the other breast.
Gene. If you have close family members like a mother, sister or daughter etc., with breast or ovarian cancer or both, you have a greater chance of developing breast cancer.
Dense breast tissue. Women with dense breast tissue, as seen on a mammogram, face a higher risk of breast cancer.
An inherited gene mutation that increases the risk of breast cancer. Defects in one of several genes, especially BRCA1 or BRCA2, put you at greater risk of developing breast cancer as well as ovarian and other cancers.
Alcohol. Drinking large amounts of alcohol increases your risk of developing breast cancer.
Age. As one advances in age, the chances of developing breast cancer increase.

Nevertheless, having any of these risk factors doesn’t necessarily make you develop breast cancer. There are so many women struggling with breast cancer, but have never experience any of the stated risks factors.

Pagets disease risks factors: Prevention

The best thing one can do to be safe from any disease is to prevent it from happening. According to the experts at AWAREmed health and wellness resource center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD, it is more rewarding to prevent than to treat. Breast cancer may be prevented in many ways including:

Stop or use alcohol in moderation. If possible stop drinking but if you have to do it moderately like less than a bottle in a day.
Maintain a healthy weight and diet. If your weight is healthy, work to maintain that weight and reduce it if overweight. Women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts may have a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Limit postmenopausal hormone therapy. Combination hormone therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer.

Exercise. Take time to exercise on most days of the week. Consult with your physician if you haven’t been active lately for guidance.

Breast self-exam and awareness. Women need to periodically inspect their breasts during a breast self-exam for breast awareness. If any changes like lumps or other unusual signs in your breasts is noticed, talk to your doctor on time. This is important in the prevention of breast cancer.
Asking questions about breast cancer screening. Ask specialist the right time to start breast cancer screening exams and tests like clinical breast exams and mammograms. Get to know the benefits and settle on which breast cancer screening strategies to use.

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