Breast cancer symptoms

January 16, 2018

Breast cancer symptoms and signs: What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer symptoms. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor which is a collection of cancer cells arising from the cells of the breast.

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor which is a collection of cancer cells arising from the cells of the breast. Although breast cancer mainly take place in women, it can also affect men. But for the purpose of this article, we are going to focus on women breast cancer beginning with the symptoms. Identifying breast cancer symptoms is not always immediate since breast cancer rarely show indications of signs and symptoms. It is possible for women have every cancers without the production of masses that can be felt or yields recognized changes in the breast. However, when symptoms appears, it will be a lump or mass in the breast which is always the most common symptom. Nonetheless, and according to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD, besides the lump, there are other possible symptoms including:

Swelling of part of the breast.
Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange
Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin
Nipple discharge or redness,
Changes in the skin such as puckering or dimpling,
Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast
A newly reversed nipple
A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue

The use of screening mammography becomes necessary to detect any formation of cancer in good time. The difficulty in reorganizing early symptoms and signs of breast cancer is not limited to small breast cancer but extends to even the larger breast cancers. And as has been stated, when they do appear, the most common symptom is a lump or mass in the breast or underarm area says doctor Akoury. And though not so common, we have some types of cancers known as inflammatory breast cancers that are likely to produce redness and warmth of the affected breast. Breast pain is also not a typical symptom, but breast or nipple pain may occur in certain cases.

Breast cancer symptoms and signs: Breast cancer causes and risk factors

In understanding this point, it is true that we have several risk factors that can increase the chances of developing breast cancer, it is important to appreciate that, the exact reason for cancer development is not known scientifically. However, factors like family history of breast cancer and the presence of certain inherited genes like BRCA1, BRCA2 can increase the risk for developing breast cancer.

Breast cancer symptoms and signs: Available statistics on male breast cancer

Breast cancer is rare in men. Like for instance, only an approximately of 2,400 new cases are diagnosed per year in the U.S. which typically has a significantly worse outcome. This is partially related to the often late diagnosis of male breast cancer, when the cancer has already spread. Symptoms are similar to the symptoms in women, with the most common symptom being a lump or change in skin of the breast tissue or nipple discharge. Although it can occur at any age, male breast cancer usually occurs in men over 60 years of age. And because we care about your health, AWAREmed health center doors are open for you at any time for further consultation with our experts.

Breast cancer symptoms and signs: What is breast cancer?

Severe alcohol risks

January 15, 2018

Severe alcohol risks: The strong killer drink

Severe alcohol risks are evident in most societies seeing how people are wasting away

Alcohol is not only the number one addictive substance but also the leading killer drink. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center states the severe alcohol risks categorically because it is not a joke as people take it. In its way, alcohol death trap doesn’t spear anybody. Both users and innocent non users fall victims. Because of the magnitude of alcohol effects, it may not be easy to list holistically all the consequences of alcohol drinking. However, we can highlight a few like, heart attack, diabetes, heart failure and stroke or lung disease. Users of alcohol particularly addicts, are subjecting their life to several risks including:

Regular alcohol users have a higher rate of death from injury, accidents or violence triggered by alcohol consumption.
Alcohol overdose may lead to death particularly with young people in adolescence stage. As they make efforts in discovering themselves, they often want to impress their peers by demonstrating their ability to drink alcohol. The feelings of belonging motivates them into taking alcohol in total disregard of its effects. This can lead to alcohol overdose which does not only occur from any one heavy drinking incident, but may also occur from a constant infusion of alcohol in the bloodstream.
Severe withdrawal and delirium tremens which occurs in about 5% of alcoholics. It includes progressively severe withdrawal symptoms and altered mental states and in some cases, it can be fatal.
Frequent, heavy alcohol use directly harms many areas in the body and produce dangerous health conditions like liver damage, pancreatitis, anemia, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, nerve damage, and erectile dysfunction.
Alcohol abusers who need surgery have an increased risk of postoperative complications, including infections, bleeding, insufficient heart and lung functions, and problems with wound healing.

Severe alcohol risks: Hangover

Though hangover may not have direct medical problem, it definitely have significant consequences. Like for instance, changes in liver function, hormonal balance, and mental functioning and an increased risk for depression and cardiac events.

It can impair job performance, increasing the risk for mistakes and accidents and are generally common in light-to-moderate drinkers than heavy and chronic drinkers, suggesting that binge drinking can be as threatening as chronic drinking.

Severe alcohol risks: Accidents, Suicide, and Murder

Finally, majority of deaths on our roads are facilitated by drink driving giving alcohol lead role in accidents, suicide, and crime because:

Alcohol plays a major role in more than half of all automobile fatalities across the globe.
Alcohol-related automobile accidents are the leading causes of death in young people.
When it comes to alcohol we do not have favorable limits for safe drinking because two drinks can impair the ability to drive and even one drink may double the risk of injury, and more than four drinks increase the risk by 11 times therefore the only safe way is not drinking at all.
Alcoholism is the primary diagnosis in a quarter of all people who commit suicide.
Alcohol is implicated in over half of all murder cases, with this ratio of one to one you can only desire to stop drinking.

We can pool together in defeating this scourge by scheduling an appointment with doctor Akoury for the commencement of your recovery process.

Severe alcohol risks: The strong killer drink

Understanding renal cancer

January 13, 2018

Understanding renal cancer: What is kidney cancer?

Understanding renal cancer is very important for your proper planning of your treatment

Understanding renal cancer is very important. It is also known as kidney cancer is as the name suggest a type of cancer affecting the kidney. This is a disease associated with the abnormal growth of kidney cells. In other words, the renal cells become malignant (cancerous) and multiply rapidly in an uncontrollable manner leading to the formation of a tumor. Speaking to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, it is evident that nearly all kidney cancers first appear in the lining of tiny tubes (tubules) in the kidney.

Scientifically, this type of kidney cancer is called renal cell carcinoma. And unlike with the ovarian cancer, this type of cancer can be detected in good time before they spread (metastasize) to other distant organs in the body. The good news about early diagnosis is that successful treatment becomes very easy and effective. While these type of cancer is detectable easily, it is important to note that, before diagnosis is done, these kinds of tumors can grow very first to be quite large such that by the time the operation is done, it is quite a mountain.

Understanding renal cancer: The kidney’s functions

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They lie in the lower abdomen on each side of the spine. Their function is to clean the blood, removing waste products and making urine. Scientifically, the causes of kidney cancer are not known. However, some factors appear to increase the risk of getting kidney cancer. Like for instance, kidney cancer occurs mostly in aging people, normally age 40 and above. The following are some of the risk factors for kidney cancer:

Smoking – cigarette smoking increases the risk for contracting kidney cancer twice more than that of nonsmokers. Smoking cigars may also increase your risk as well.

Being male – Men are about twice as vulnerable as women to get kidney cancer.

Being obese – Extra weight may cause changes to hormones that increase your risk.

Administering certain pain medications for a long time – This includes over-the-counter drugs in addition to prescription drugs.

Having advanced renal disease or being on long-term dialysis, a treatment for people with kidneys that have stopped working

Having certain genetic conditions, such as von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease or inherited papillary renal cell carcinoma

Having a family history of renal cancer – The risk is especially high in siblings.

Being exposed to certain chemicals, such as asbestos, cadmium, benzene, organic solvents, or certain herbicides

Having high blood pressure – Doctors don’t know whether high blood pressure or medication used to treat it is the source of the increased risk.

Being black – The risk in blacks is slightly higher than in whites. No one knows why.

Having lymphoma – For an unknown reason, there is an increased risk of renal cancer in patients with lymphoma.

Finally, doctor Akoury explains that having these risk factors does not necessarily mean that you will get renal cancer. It’s also true that you can fail to have all these but still suffer from renal cancer. As AWAREmed health center, our doors are always open for you and just by a phone call, we will get to your needs professionally.

Understanding renal cancer: What is kidney cancer?

Ovarian cancer diagnosis

January 13, 2018

Ovarian cancer diagnosis: How am I Diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer diagnosis. In fact, for any positive results, the patient should consult with a gynecologic oncologist

It is a very painful exercise that ovarian cancer diagnosis is never accurate in the early stages of its formation. It pains because most women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed when their condition is at an advanced-stage of the disease (usually at the stage III or IV). This is primarily because the symptoms of ovarian cancer, particularly in the early stages, are not severe or intense. This state of vagueness makes it difficult for accurate diagnosis to be established.

In fact in most cases, ovarian cancer is not detected during routine pelvic exams. This can only be done in very rare cases if the doctor notes that the ovary is enlarged denoting that the cancer cells are forming abnormally in the ovaries. As painful as it may sound, every woman is advised to be very close to her body. Women needs to be the ambassadors of their own health especially when it comes to ovarian cancer. For this to be detected early, which is not always the case, you have a role to play because the sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better for a woman’s chances for survival. It’s worth repeating that, as a woman, it is important to know that early stage symptoms can be difficult to detect, though are not always silent. As a result, it is important that women listen to their bodies and watch for early symptoms that may present. And if or when you notice anything, whether you are sure or not what it is (symptom or not) consult with your doctor immediately. You could be helping a great deal in the treatment process of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer diagnosis: Screening tests

Although screening test isn’t a finality in detecting ovarian cancer, the following test can be offered to women who are at high risk for the disease:

Pelvic Exam: this is should be a mandatory annual vaginal exam for women aged over 18. And women aged over 35 should receive an annual rectovaginal exam.

Transvaginal Sonography: This ultrasound, performed with a small instrument placed in the vagina, is appropriate, especially for women at high risk for ovarian cancer.

CA-125 Test: This blood test determines if the level of CA-125, a protein produced by ovarian cancer cells, has increased in the blood of a woman at high risk for ovarian cancer, or a woman with an abnormal pelvic examination. This test may not be a key marker for the disease.

Ovarian cancer diagnosis: Positive tests

For any positive results, the patient should consult with a gynecologic oncologist for the evaluation of the result. However, the most ideal way to accurately confirm an ovarian cancer diagnosis is with a biopsy where the doctor takes a sample of the tumor and examines it under a microscope. We’re aware that a positive result is not any good news both to the patient and loved ones. In your lowest moments like this, AWAREmed health center will always be there for you and your loved ones to give you all the professional treatment and support you need. Talk to us today and let us help you the best way we can.

Ovarian cancer diagnosis: How am I Diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer?

Renal cancer symptoms

January 13, 2018

Renal cancer symptoms: Safety doesn’t depend on luck of signs

Renal cancer symptoms. Many people have suffered great losses in their health in the omission of symptoms.

Many people have suffered great losses in their health in the omission of symptoms. It is not always true that when there is no visible signs, there disease isn’t present. Renal cancer symptoms in many cases may be invisible but that does not eliminate the fact that you are not at risk. When we say that safety does not depend on luck of signs, it is true because in most cases, many people or patients may not show any early symptoms of kidney cancer. But as the tumor grows larger, symptoms may begin to appear. Therefore, it is important that, you don’t wait until it is too late. You must be proactive to be healthy. According to the experts at AWAREmed health and wellness resource center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, an individual may have one or more of these kidney cancer symptoms or even fail to have but still be at high risk:

Weight loss that occurs for no known reason
Swelling in your ankles or legs
Fever that lasts for weeks and isn’t caused by a cold or other infection
Extreme fatigue
Blood in your urine
Anemia
A pain in your side that doesn’t go away
A lump in your side or abdomen
A loss of appetite

Kidney cancer that spreads to other parts of your body may cause other symptoms, such as:

Shortness of breath
Coughing up blood
Bone pain

Renal cancer symptoms: Stages of kidney cancer

Professionally, it is true that your prognosis depends on your general health, as well as the grade and stage of your kidney cancer. These are the stages of kidney cancer. The higher the stage, the more advanced the cancer.

Stage I

A tumor 7 centimeters or smaller that is only in the kidney

Stage II

A tumor larger than 7 centimeters that is only in the kidney

Stage III

A tumor that is in the kidney and in at least one nearby lymph node
A tumor that is in the kidney’s main blood vessel and may also be in nearby lymph node
A tumor that is in the fatty tissue around the kidney and may also involve nearby lymph nodes
A tumor that extends into major veins or perinephric tissues, but not into the ipsilateral adrenal gland and not beyond Gerota’s fascia

Stage IV

Cancer has spread beyond the fatty layer of tissue around the kidney, and it may also be in nearby lymph nodes
Cancer may have spread to other organs, such as the bowel, pancreas, or lungs

Cancer has spread beyond Gerota’s fascia (including contiguous extension into the ipsilateral adrenal gland)

Renal cancer symptoms: Prevention of kidney cancer

Like stated above, kidney cases are not known. However, those factors that are associated to this disease like smoking cigarette, being obese as well as blood pressure and harmful chemicals must be avoided as some of the preventive measures. Your health is the most valuable asset you have and anything causing harm to it must be avoided. You can speak to us today to help you in all your struggles with kidney cancer at AWAREmed health center today.

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