To Cancer : Complementary and Integrative Therapies of Cancer.

Archive for June, 2011

The non-small cell lung cancers are classified into several stages or phases following a complex system known by the acronym TNM. Tumor staging is very important because it can, first, to distinguish patients cured of which are not and, second, calculate the probability of being cured.

The T refers to tumor size. It is classified between T1 and T4, as the tumor is large or affects more important nearby structures such as bronchi, arteries or the heart.

The N indicates whether or not they affected the nearby lymph nodes. N0 means that they are not. Involvement of lymph is a very important prognostic factor graduating from N1 to N3. In particular it is vital to know whether or not invaded most central nodes of the thorax, a region known as the mediastinum. In general, mediastinal involvement means that the tumor is inoperable. Read the rest of this entry »

Lung cancer is classified by the type of cell that produces the tumor. 90% of them are small cell or small cell. The remaining 10% is composed of very rare types such as mixed carcinoid or neuroendocrine tumors.

On the other hand, the lung is a very frequent metastasis. But these are not true tumors, lung cancers, but plantings of other organs such as the breast or intestine.

Lung cancer, small cell (cell)
Named for the size of the cells seen a microscope. It almost invariably associated with cigarette smoking and an estimated 20% of all cancers are small cell. They multiply rapidly and can form large tumors, in addition to their ability to spread to other organs is increased. The SCLC is almost always a very aggressive tumor. Read the rest of this entry »

Snuff smoking is the leading cause in 90% of cases of lung cancer in both men and women. Decades ago, this type of tumor was much less common in women and, when it appeared, was more likely was not related to snuff. These differences are disappearing rapidly, reflecting the incorporation of women smoking in previous years.

Another part of this type of cancer is due to inhaled substances and are in the workplace, a phenomenon related to the 10% -15% of lung cancer in men and 5% in women. The most important of these substances are asbestos, such as those used in asbestos factories.
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Cells are the smallest units of life the human body. One function is to reproduce and die when no longer useful. This process is very orderly, in time and space, so there is always that allows the appropriate number of cells for each stage of life.

When this multiplication of cells occurs in an uncontrolled manner, forming lumps. These masses are called tumors.
There may be benign and malignant tumors. Benign tumors are those that do not spread to other areas and do not compromise a person’s life.

Malignant tumors often spread to other parts of the body and cause damage to body tissues and organs and can even cause death of the person.
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After the woman has undergone treatment for the elimination of breast cancer, you have to make stricter controls over the first five years. After these should be further monitored as any healthy woman.

The controls are:

During the first two years, physical examinations will be conducted every three months and annual mammography. Read the rest of this entry »

The treatment will be determined by the size of the tumor and whether there has been spread to lymph or other body areas. Usually, when the tumor is less than 1 centimeter in diameter, surgery is enough to stop the cancer and chemotherapy is not required. However, there are few cases that do not require an adjunct to surgery or with chemotherapy or hormone therapy. Currently the most important prognostic factor remains the lymph node: the number of involved nodes help the oncologist to select further treatment. Read the rest of this entry »

At present the best fight against breast cancer is early detection of tumor as it increases the chances of successful treatment.

¬ Auto Scan
Systematic self-examination can detect tumors smaller than that can detect the doctor or nurse because the woman is familiar with your breasts and can detect any small change.
In screening tests, the doctor finds that there is no irregularity in the breast, also that there is no swelling of the axillary lymph nodes.

Self-examination should be performed after menstruation, menopausal women should associate with a day of the month, it should always be performed in similar states. Read the rest of this entry »

In the early stages of breast cancer women often produces no symptoms. Breast pain is a sign of cancer although 10% of these patients so often present without any mass palpated.

The first sign is usually a lump, to touch, different note of the surrounding breast tissue. It is often noted with irregular, hard, it does not hurt when touched. Sometimes changes occur in color and tightness in the skin of the affected area.

Not all malignant tumors of this kind, as some have regular borders and are soft to the touch. For this reason, when any abnormality is detected you should consult your doctor.

In the early stages, the lump under the skin with your fingers can move. In later stages, the tumor is usually attached to the chest wall or overlying skin and does not shift. The nodule is usually clearly palpable and even the glands in the armpits may become larger. Symptoms of these stages are very varied and depend on the size and extent of the tumor. Read the rest of this entry »

The cause of breast cancer is not known but we do know some risk factors. It is considered a risk factor that situation that increases the chance of developing the disease.

Keep in mind that women who are more likely to develop breast cancer (having more risk factors) can take preventive measures to reduce the likelihood and periodic revisions or changes in your lifestyle.

RISK FACTORS

Sex **
Breast cancer occurs mainly in women though. It can also affect men, but the probability is much lower.
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Cancer has a different prognosis and treatment depending on the stage of development that are in and risk factors a woman has. For this we must perform a series of analysis to facilitate their classification in one or another stage.

The American Joint Committee on Cancer uses the TNM classification system:

* The letter T, followed by a number from 0 to 4 indicates the size of the tumor and spread to the skin or chest wall under the breast. A higher number corresponds to a larger tumor and / or further spread to nearby tissues.

* The letter N, followed by a number from 0 to 3 indicates whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breast and, if so, whether these nodes are attached to other structures.

* The letter M, followed by a 0 or 1, show whether the cancer has spread to distant organs. Read the rest of this entry »