Ramanisblog

Tag: health care

  • Cervical and uterine cancers

    Useful.
    Story:
    Source: Cancer Research/NHS

    Completely different types of cancer affect different areas of the womb, or uterus.

    The best known, perhaps as a result of a nationwide screening programme, is cervical cancer, which affects the cervix, or neck, of the womb.

    Many women, thanks to early detection, find they have abnormal cell changes in their wombs which cannot be classed as fully cancerous.

    These “pre-cancerous changes” are far easier to treat, and the number of women presenting with the symptoms of cervical cancer has fallen over recent years.

    However, more common is uterine cancer, in its more usual form also called endometrial cancer – which affects the lining of the womb that grows, is shed, and regrows as part of a woman’s monthly cycle.

    Professor Hilary Thomas, from the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, said that the key to successfully treating both cervical and uterine cancer was early detection.

    Anybody who is sexually active should be having regular smears,

    Professor Hilary Thomas, Royal Surrey County Hospital
    She said: “Anybody who is sexually active should be having regular smears, and if they have a history of abnormal smears, they may need to go for more frequent smears.

    “Cancer of the uterus, or the womb, is actually cancer of the body of the womb, which has a different kind of tissue in it from the neck of the womb.

    “This is a disease which tends to affect elderly patients who have passed the menopause.

    “Usually they will be advised to have a hysterectomy.”

    Another, far less common cancer of the womb is uterine sarcoma, which affects the powerful muscles of the womb.

    This is far more similar to other cancers which affect muscles than to either uterine or cervical cancer.

    SYMPTOMS
    Many cervical cancers are detected by the national screening programme.

    Samples of cells from different areas around the womb neck are taken and looked at under a microscope for signs of abnormality.

    If a smear is abnormal, the woman may be asked to take a repeat smear, or, particularly if there has been more than one abnormal smear, be sent to a specialist for further checks.

    Once cancer is established however, the most common symptom is abnormal (ie non-menstrual) bleeding. This is a sign that the cancer has spread to surrounding tissue.

    Menstrual bleeding may be heavier and last longer.

    Abnormal bleeding, particularly after the menopause, can also be a sign of uterine cancer.

    Women with certain symptoms should always consult a doctor. They are:

    any sort of unusual vaginal discharge
    pain in the pelvic area
    painful or difficult urination
    Once there is a suspicion of problems, there are various techniques used by doctors to try and locate the cause.

    The first is a pelvic examination, which can be carried out by a family doctor, who will check the vagina, womb, ovaries, bladder and rectum for unusual lumps or changes.

    Doctors may carry out another smear test, or Pap test, to gather cells to check for cervical cancer.

    A technique called colposcopy, which uses a probe to look in more detail at the cervix, is sometimes used.

    The extent of any cancer discovered may be confirmed by taking a deeper slice of tissue in a biopsy.

    However, if uterine cancer is suspected, either a “pipelle biopsy”, in which a thin tube is used to take a small sample of tissue, or a dilation and curettage (D and C) may be undertaken. The latter, involves scraping tissue from the lining of the womb for examination.

    CAUSES
    Scientists have identified a virus which they believe may have some role in the development of cervical cancer.

    The human papillomavirus (HPV), is found in most women who have developed cervical cancer.

    However, most women who have the virus never go on to develop cervical cancer.

    Smoking, as in so many other cancers, appears to increase the risk.

    And women with HIV, the virus which causes Aids and weakens the immune system appear to be more prone.

    The risk factors for uterine cancer are slightly more clearly understood.

    In particular, those taking oestrogen-only hormone replacement therapies to alleviate menopausal symptoms are at higher risk. Most HRT formulations include other hormones such as progestin which appear to reduce that risk.

    Overweight or obese women are thought to have more natural oestrogen in their bodies – another reason why they are more vulnerable.

    Women who suffer from a condition known as benign endometrial hyperplasia, in which the lining of the womb is naturally thicker, also are more likely to develop endometrial cancer.

    TREATMENTS
    If caught at their earliest pre-cancerous stage, abnormal cervical cells can be dealt with simply, using either freezing or heat to scour the cells from the cervix.

    The action of the deep biopsy, called a cone biopsy, can remove a cervical cancer if it has not spread.

    Depending on the spread of the disease, and the age of the woman, a number of options are available, including surgery to remove abnormal tissue or the entire womb, including the cervix.

    If there is evidence of spread, then the ovaries and nearby lymph nodes are sometimes removed as well.

    If the cancer has spread beyond the wall of the womb, then radiotherapy and chemotherapy may be required to try to clear the disease.

    In the case of uterine cancer, it is far more likely that a hysterectomy will have to be carried out, and the ovaries may also be taken out.

    If it has not spread beyond the endometrium, then surgery will probably be enough, although other treatments may follow if there is evidence of spread.

    It may be possible for the woman to take HRT following the operation, although this is only likely if the cancer has been caught early.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3244379.stm

  • Cancer, The Facts

    Facts worth knowing.
    Story:
    One in three of us will be diagnosed with cancer during our life.

    The disease tends to affect older people – but can strike at any time.

    Excluding certain skin cancers, there were almost 290,000 new cases of the disease in 2005.

    Some cancer, such as breast, are becoming more common, while new cases of lung cancer are expected to fall away due to the drop in the number of smokers.

    However, while the overall number of new cancers is not falling, the good news is that successful treatment rates for many of the most common types are improving rapidly.

    Latest Study:

    Latest Figures indicate that the incidence of Cancer is declining marginally.

    However, the incidence of Cancer is also rising.

    The overall trends in declining cancer death rates continue. However, increases in incidence rates for some HPV-associated cancers and low vaccination coverage among adolescents underscore the need for additional prevention efforts for HPV-associated cancers, including efforts to increase vaccination coverage.

    The initial report documented the first steady decline in cancer death rates, beginning in the early 1990s, since national record keeping on vital statistics began in 1930 (1). In addition to providing updates on incidence and mortality patterns, each report features a topic of special interest (2–14). This report features the burden and trends in human papillomavirus (HPV)–associated cancers among persons aged 15 years or older and HPV vaccination coverage levels among adolescents aged 13 to 17 years.

    Exposure to HPV is common through sexual contact, and most infections resolve over time. However, persistent infection with oncogenic HPV types is etiologically linked to cervical cancer (15), as well as cancers of the oropharynx (16), anus (17), vagina and vulva (18), and penis (19,20). Virtually all cervical cancers are due to HPV infection, along with 90% of anal cancers, more than 60% of certain subsites of oropharyngeal cancers, and 40% of vagina, vulva, and penile cancers (20). Although there are approximately a dozen oncogenic HPV types, HPV 16 and 18 are the most common HPV types and are found in approximately 70% of cervical cancers. Human papillomavirus 16 is found in approximately 90% of the noncervical cancers often associated with HPV infection (20). Human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 are associated with the development of 90% of anogenital warts (21). Two vaccines (bivalent and quadrivalent) are available to protect against HPV types 16 and 18. Data from clinical trials have shown that both vaccines prevent vaccine type–related cervical precancers (22,23); the quadrivalent vaccine has been shown to also prevent vaginal, vulvar, and anal precancers (24,25). Although data show the vaccines prevent various outcomes, no data are available on the efficacy for prevention of HPV-associated cancers or lesions of the oropharynx. Because HPV 16 is responsible for the majority of HPV-associated cancers (20), the vaccines likely protect against these outcomes. The quadrivalent vaccine also protects against HPV 6 and 11, and clinical trials show the vaccine prevents vaccine type–related genital warts (26). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends routine vaccination of girls aged 11 or 12 years with three doses of either vaccine and routine vaccination of boys aged 11 or 12 years with three doses of quadrivalent vaccine (27–29). Vaccination is also recommended for women aged 13 through 26 years and men aged 13 through 21 years who were not vaccinated previously. Men aged 22 through 26 years may also receive the vaccine. The goals of the current vaccination recommendations for adolescents are to prevent persistent HPV infections and the occurrence of anogenital warts beginning in young adulthood and cervical, vaginal, vulvar, and anal cancers that occur later in life. The occurrence of cervical cancer can also be prevented through screening (eg, Papanicolaou [Pap] and HPV testing) (30–32), and Pap testing has contributed to the substantial declines in cervical cancer rates in the United States and other developed countries over the past several decades (33).

    For detailed report Link below.

    http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/01/03/jnci.djs491.full?sid=ccafd244-6199-4658-b24d-f139a96187c5

    Related Articles

  • Pregnancy,Anti Biotics and Birth Defects.

    Antibiotics are to be used sparingly under the guidance of a Doctor.Anti biotic is prescribed based on the severity of infection and weight of the patient.If consumed more, the bacteria will become immune to te particular antibiotic;then dosage has to be increased or drug may have to be changed.Better to be careful.
    Side effects of Anti Biotics.
    Side effects range from slight headache to a major allergic reaction. One of the more common side effects is diarrhea, which results from the antibiotic disrupting the balance of intestinal flora, the “good bacteria” that dwell inside the human digestive system. Other side effects can result from interaction between the antibiotic and other drugs, such as elevated risk of tendon damage from administration of a quinolone antibiotic with a systemic corticosteroid.

    Antibiotic misuse
    Common forms of antibiotic misuse include taking an inappropriate antibiotic, in particular the use of antibacterials for viral infections like the common cold, and failure to take the entire prescribed course of the antibiotic, usually because the patient feels better before the infecting organism is completely eradicated. In addition to treatment failure, these practices can result in antibiotic resistance.

    In the United States, a vast quantity of antibiotics is routinely included as low doses in the diet of healthy farm animals, as this practice has been proved to make animals grow faster. Opponents of this practice, however, point out the likelihood that it also leads to antibiotic resistance, frequently in bacteria that are known to also infect humans, although there has been little or no evidence as yet of such transfer of antibiotic resistance actually occurring.
    http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-definition/Antibiotic/

    Story:
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Some of the antibiotics used to treat urinary tract infections during pregnancy may increase the risk of several birth defects if a woman uses them early in pregnancy, a new study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine shows.

    Researchers found an increased risk for two classes of antibiotics: sulfonamide (example: Bactrim) and nitrofurantoins (example: Macrobid). But the antibiotics pregnant women are most likely to be prescribed, the penicillins and erythromycins, appeared to be safe.

    “Most of the commonly used antibiotics do not seem to be associated with most of the birth defects we studied,” study co-author Dr. Krista S. Crider, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, told Reuters Health. “This should be helpful for pregnant women and their health care provider as they’re trying to make decisions on treatment of infections during pregnancy.”
    http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5A153120091103?feedType=nl&feedName=ushealth1100

  • The 10 Weirdest, Grossest Ingredients in Processed Food

    Self explanatory..Read the article.
    Story:
    Everyone now knows that processed and fast foods are not the bastions of nutrition, but that shouldn’t make these ingredients found inside them any less revolting. This list sends a clear message: when a packaged food contains more than five ingredients and includes some that are difficult to pronounce, stay away. Make a b-line straight to the organics aisle and go for vegan meals or vegetarian recipes instead.

    1. Fertilizer in Subway Sandwich Rolls
    While chemical fertilizers inevitably make it into our produce in trace amounts, you would not expect it to be a common food additive. However, ammonium sulfate can be found inside many brands of bread, including Subway’s. The chemical provides nitrogen for the yeast, creating a more consistent product.

    2. Beaver Anal Glands in Raspberry Candy
    http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/143560/the_10_weirdest%2C_grossest_ingredients_in_processed_food/

  • Breast cancer.

    Apart from what has been menti0ned in the article,following points may be noted.
    1.Wearing tight fitting Bras and dress.
    2.Over exposure to Sun in the name of ‘tanning’
    3.Breast Enhancing steps.
    4.Silicon Surgery.
    5.Application of lotions and body spray.
    Avoid all the above.
    If you find /feel a small lump in the breast,consult an Oncologist and have a Mammography done immediately
    Story;
    (CNN) — Hannah Powell-Auslam of La Mirada, California, had surgery this month to check her lymph nodes, just in case the breast cancer had spread.

    Taylor Thompson of Little Rock, Arkansas, also had an aggressive form of breast cancer, one that has a 98 percent chance of returning. It required surgery in June.

    They’re two young women fighting breast cancer. Or rather, two girls: Hannah is 11. Taylor is 13.

    While Taylor and Hannah’s cases are rare, they’re extreme examples of a troubling trend emerging with breast cancer, medical experts say. Younger women are getting a disease that usually strikes around menopause — and no one knows why.

    http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/26/tweens.breast.cancer/index.html