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January 19, 2010

Kidney Cancer Causes, Symptoms, Risks Factors and More

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Kidney cancer or renal carcinoma usually occurs in older people and accounts for about 2 to 3% of cancers in adults, affecting about twice as many men as women. In adults, the most common type of kidney tumor is renal cell carcinoma, which begins in the cells that line the small tubes within your kidneys. Kidney cancer rarely strikes children and young adults; the exceptions are a pediatric kidney cancer called Wilms tumor and some forms of hereditary kidney cancer syndromes, such as von Hippel-Lindau disease.


Causes of Kidney Cancer

The causes are not known, however external factors, such as smoking and obesity, have been related to a higher incidence of kidney cancer and changing environmental factors as well as population aging has seen an increase in the presentation of this form of cancer.


Signs and Symptoms

Kidney cancer symptoms are often overlooked because tumours are usually slow growing and not suspected until the patient begins to experience symptoms such as blood in the urine, pain, tiredness and a palpable mass. Since back pain is common among people over 40 years of age, such pain is often ignored and the presence of kidney cancer can go undetected. Kidney cancer may also cause high blood pressure.


Risk Factors

The risk of developing kidney cancer is four times higher if a close relative has had kidney cancer. Being on dialysis for many years is a risk factor for kidney cancer.


People who have had bladder cancer are more likely to develop kidney cancer, and vice versa. About three per cent of kidney cancer patients have inherited a damaged gene that will make it likely the cancer will also be found in their second kidney.


Prevention

Not smoking is the most effective way to prevent kidney cancer and it is estimated that the elimination of smoking would reduce the rate of renal pelvis cancer by one-half and the rate of renal cell carcinoma by one-third.


Other factors that may decrease the risk of developing kidney cancer include: maintaining a normal body weight, a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables, especially in bananas and root vegetables such as carrots, maintaining normal blood pressure and limited exposure to environmental toxins.


Diagnosing Kidney Cancer

Cancer of the kidney is most commonly detected with either computed tomography (CT) scan, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cystoscopy can rule out associated bladder cancer. Kidney cancer cells may also break away from the original tumor and spread (or metastasize) to other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes, bones or lungs, with about one third of cases showing metastasis at the time of diagnosis.


Types of Kidney Cancer

Almost 85% of this tumor are renal cell carcinomas. A less common type of kidney is Papillary carcinoma. Other rare kidney cancers include: Renal sarcoma, Collecting Duct carcinoma, Medullary and Chromophobe carcinomas.


Treatment

Radical nephrectomy with or without the removal of lymph nodes offers the only cure but treatment of kidney cancer may include: surgery, arterial embolization, radiation therapy, biological therapy or chemotherapy depends upon the stage of the disease and the patient’s overall health.


Nephrectomy or removal of the entire organ including the adrenal gland, adjacent lymph nodes and surrounding normal tissue has been the norm, but recent research shows that removal of just the tumor, produces similar survival rates and offers less chance of subsequent renal failure in selected cases.


Scientists have also isolated the gene responsible for VHL disease, and this discovery offers exciting future possibilities for improved diagnosis and treatment of some kidney cancers. Various combinations of interleukin-2, interferon, and other biologic agents and even vaccines developed from cells removed from the kidney cancer are also being investigated.


Survival Rates

With prompt and appropriate treatment, the kidney cancer mortality rate is fairly low, unfortunately kidney cancer has a tendency to spread early, especially to the lungs, sometimes before symptoms develop. The five year survival rate is around 90-95% for tumors less than 4 cm. For larger tumors confined to the kidney without venous invasion, survival is still relatively good at 80-85%. If it has metastasized to the lymph nodes, the 5-year survival is around 5 % to 15 %. If it has spread metastatically to other organs, the 5-year survival rate is less than 5 %.


An important factor for those with this form of cancer and for that matter with all cancers is that assertive patients who actively work to overcome cancer often increase the odds of survival, live longer, and enjoy life more.

Dick Aronson has a background of over 35 years in various facets of the Healthcare industry. He set up and ran clinical trials in more than 20 countries and he has also founded a number of small private health related businesses. Dick now runs a number of informative health websites Go” target=”_blank”>www.healthinnovationsonline.com/”>Go to Health Innovations Online and Go to Cancer Information Online

January 18, 2010

What Are The Risk Factors For Pancreatic Cancer?

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Pancreatic cancer is currently the fifth most common form of cancer in the United States and is diagnosed in around 40,000 Americans each year. In most cases pancreatic cancer has an extremely poor survival outcome. Just 1 in 20 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will still be alive after five years.

The main reason pancreatic cancer has such a poor survival outcome is that the majority of cases are diagnosed when the cancer is at a very late stage. This is due to the non-specific symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer in its early stages. Early warning signs of pancreatic cancer include pain in the upper abdomen, jaundice, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

There are several risk factors that are known to affect an individuals probability of developing pancreatic cancer. While some of these cannot be changed, several can be influenced by sensible lifestyle and diet modifications.

Here are eleven of the more established risk factors for pancreatic cancer.

Age: The incidence of pancreatic cancer increases dramatically with age. Pancreatic cancer is extremely rare in people under the age of 50 with under 5% of all cases being diagnosed in this age bracket. Three-quarters of all cases of pancreatic cancer occur in people over the age of sixty.

Gender: As is the case with most other forms of cancer, males are around 10% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than females.

Race: African Americans are 50% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer in their lifetimes than Caucasians. Native Hawaiians and New Zealand Maoris also have relatively high rates of pancreatic cancer.

Obesity: People who are overweight, and in particular those who carry a large amount of abdominal fat are at a greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Diabetes: People who have been diagnosed with diabetes are slightly more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

Family History: It is thought that around 10% of pancreatic cancers are inherited. A first degree relative who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer increases your chances of developing the disease three-fold.

Smoking: Heavy smokers who have been smoking for at least twenty years are at almost twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer as non-smokers. Former smokers, light smokers, and tobacco chewers are also at a greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Diet: A fatty diet, a diet high in red or processed meat, a high cholesterol diet, and a diet lacking in fresh fruit and vegetables are all thought to be linked to an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Physical Inactivity: People who engage in physical exercise less than once a week are at a significantly higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those who exercise three or more times a week.

Exposure To Carcinogens: Exposure to certain carcinogenic chemicals such as pesticides, dyes, cadmium, nickel, chromium, and asbestos dust may increase a persons chances of developing pancreatic cancer.

Alcohol Consumption The evidence for a link between pancreatic cancer and alcohol is mixed. Heavy drinking can cause pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) which has been linked to pancreatic cancer.

Anthony Wilson is the author of Cancer News & Articles, a blog containing the latest news, information, and research into all forms of cancer. More information about the effect of abdominal fat on pancreatic cancer risk can be found at http://healthhubs.net/cancer/abdominal-fat-may-be-linked-to-pancreatic-cancer/.

January 16, 2010

Age And Physical Risk Factors In Breast Cancer

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Age is likely the most important overall factor associated with breast cancer risk.  Breast cancer risk increases in the older post-menopausal population.  For this reason, all breast cancer screening recommendations are based primarily on age.  Obesity, however, may be the single most preventable risk factor associated with breast cancer.  With the dramatic increase in obesity in the U.S., this may be the number one reason for a persistently high incidence in breast cancer.  Other physical factors also play some roles in breast cancer risk.  These include height, body shape, breast size, and mammographic density.  These physical factors are summarized below.

Body Weight and Breast Cancer:  A woman’s body weight does affect her risk of breast cancer but the effect is different for premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer.  Most studies have found that heavier women (weighing more than 175 pounds) have a lower risk of breast cancer before menopause and higher risk of breast cancer after menopause, compared to thinner women (weighing less than 130 pounds).  Since 80% of breast cancers occur after menopause, the negative effects of obesity far outweigh the beneficial effects.  The results are the same whether body weight is examined directly or if body mass index is used to adjust for the effects of height on body weight.

Body Shape and Breast Cancer:  Several human studies have found that women who carry more of their body fat on their stomach (apple shaped) have higher rates of postmenopausal breast cancer compared to women with more of their body fat around their hips (pear shaped).  This seems to be true regardless of women’s body weight.  The relationship of the location of fat on the body and premenopausal breast cancer risk has not been clearly determined

Height and Breast Cancer:  A woman’s height has been associated with breast cancer risk in many studies.  Taller women (5′ 9″ or taller) have a small increase in risk of both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer compared to shorter women (5′ 3″ or shorter).  A person’s height is determined by the interaction of genetics and nutrition.  How height might affect breast cancer risk is unclear.  

Breast Size and Breast Cancer:  There is a popular belief that small breasts are at lower risk of breast cancer.  This theory has been used to explain why women with breast implants have a smaller risk of breast cancer.  However, most studies have found no association between breast size and breast cancer risk.  One study, however, did find an increase in the risk of breast cancer among lean women with larger breasts.  In this study, more than 4,000 women were grouped according to their bra size before childbirth.  Women who were lean (chest size less than 34 inches) and had larger breasts (size B, C or larger cups) were at higher risk of post menopausal breast cancer relative to women of the same chest size with an A or smaller cup size.  Women with other chest sizes had no association between breast cup size and breast cancer risk.  More studies are needed to confirm these results

Mammographic density:  Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that breast density as measured on mammograms is a significant risk factor for breast cancer.  The risk of breast cancer associated with the highest category of density has been estimated to be much greater than in the lowest density category.  Mammographic density appears to be predictive for developing invasive cancer after DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ).  Increasing density is associated with increasing breast cancer risk in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, with the effect persisting for ten years after mammography.  Mammographic density has also been shown to be a risk factor for breast cancer in women with a family history of the disease.  Mammographic density is probably important even in patients who are BRCA gene positive.  In fact, mammographic density may actually have a substantial heritable component.

Dr. Mai Brooks is a surgical oncologist/general surgeon, with expertise in early detection and prevention of cancer. More at www.drbrooksmd.com, thecancerexperience.wordpress.com and progressreportoncancer.wordpress.com.

October 27, 2009

What are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?

Filed under: Health — Tags: , , , — admin @ 7:12 pm

Breast cancer is a largely unknown disease until today, despite the fact that it affects almost ten percent of the women above the age of forty years all over the world. The causes of this killer cancer are not known even after decades of research into it. Similarly it is unknown why some women have higher chances of getting breast cancers than others.

Though the causative factors are not known, some risk factors have been identified. There is no medical proof why these factors make the disease more probable, but this is a study of observation. In a vast cross-section of women with the observed risk factors, it has been found that the chances of getting breast cancers are very high.

The various risk factors for breast cancer are as follows:-

(1) Family History of Breast Cancer

If a near relative like a mother or a sister has had breast cancer, then there is a very high chance that the cancer will occur sometime in life. This propensity is observed even if far relatives such as cousins and aunts have had breast cancer, though the chances are lesser as the relatives are more removed. Even if a male relative has had breast cancer or prostate cancer, then there is a chance of getting breast cancer. This clearly indicates that breast cancer runs through family lines through inheritance. Certainly the chances are very high if more than one family member has had breast cancer.

(2) Personal History of Breast Cancer

If a woman has had breast cancer in the past, then there is a great chance that the breast cancer may recur. This is true even if the cancer had been removed in its benign stage itself. Sometimes the cancer cells spread into the nearby lymph. This makes a possibility that the cancer will occur in the opposite breast. In fact, women who have had cancer in one breast have 50 to 75% more chances of developing the cancer in the other breast.

(3) Diseases of the Breast

Several breast diseases can increase the chances of having breast cancer. Changes in the cells of the breasts can lead to atypical hyperplasia. This condition can cause a three to fourfold increase in the possibility of getting breast cancer in the later years. This risk also exists if the atypical hyperplasia has occurred in other women of the family. Another such condition is the benign breast tumor condition known as fibro adenoma. However, women with fibrocystic breasts generally do not have any added vulnerability to breast cancer. Yet, such conditions could make the breasts lumpy and hide the real tumors (if any) during mammography.

(4) Lifestyle

In today’s world, lifestyle is the single largest contributing factor for the proliferation of breast cancer among women. Several elements of the lifestyle have been found to be directly accordant with the prevalence of breast cancer. Smoking and alcoholism in women are among the chief factors. Even diet has been pointed out as an important risk factor. Women who consume a diet with more high-cholesterol fats in them have higher chances of breast cancer. At the same time leading a sedentary lifestyle without indulging much in physical activity are also potentially dangerous.

(5) Radiation

It has been found that women who undergo radiation therapies in their chest region at a young age have an increased risk of developing breast cancer in their later lives. Radiation therapy is generally prescribed for women with conditions like Hodgkin’s disease or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. So women who have undergone such treatments may get breast cancer in their later years.

(6) Hormonal Imbalances There are several factors that can change the hormone balance of the body. Some of them are:- a) Beginning the menstrual cycle early, i.e. before the age of twelve years, b) Having the first pregnancy after the age of thirty years, c) Having no pregnancy at all, d) Having a late menopause. All these conditions can increase the level of estrogen in the body. This increases the risk of getting breast cancer to a mild extent. Apart from that women who take regular birth control pills, breast enhancement supplements, antidepressants and antihistamines and hormone modifying supplements stand at a higher risk to get breast cancers.

The above are the major risk factors for breast cancers. But since the study on breast cancers is not yet complete, the above is by no means a complete list. There are several other indications of breast cancers, like breast implant operations; but these have not yet been confirmed. The implants used in the earlier days were made of silicone gels. These were riskier in terms of breast cancer. However, nowadays the silicone gel implants have been replaced by saline implants. This has reduced the risk to a great extent.

It must be also noted that women have much higher chances of getting breast cancer than men. In fact, most people think that breast cancer is a disease that affects only women. This is not true. Men also get breast cancers, but to a much lesser degree than women. Also, age is a very important factor. The chances of getting breast cancer are much higher when the woman has crossed the age of 50 years.

Read more about the Breast Cancer Information and other breast care issues at http://www.mysecrethealth.com

Also read more about the Benefits of Herbal Breast Products for Natural Breast Enlargement.

October 13, 2009

What Are Three Factors That Affect Breast Cancer Penetrance?

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What are three factors that affect breast cancer penetrance? (Penetrance is defined as the likelihood of cancer when a cancer predisposing mutation is present).
Will award points to the person who answers the question most accurately. Thanks!

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