Understanding Breast Cancer Staging.

Understanding Breast Cancer Staging.: "Understanding Breast Cancer Staging.


N.B This topic will make you understand why it is important to do monthly breast exam. The earlier the cancer is detected, the better the prognosis.

Breast cancer staging
To stage cancer, the American Joint Committee on Cancer, first places the cancer in a letter category using the tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) classification system. The stage of a breast cancer describes its size and the extent to which it has spread. The staging system ranges from stage 0 to stage IV according to tumor size, lymph nodes involved, and distant metastasis.

T indicates tumor size. The letter T is followed by a number from 0 to 4, which describes the size of the tumor and whether it has spread to the skin or chest wall under the breast. Higher T numbers indicate a larger tumor and/or more extensive spread to tissues surrounding the breast.

TX: The tumor cannot be assessed.
T0: No evidence of a tumor is present.
Tis: The cancer may be LCIS, DCIS, or Paget disease.
T1: The tumor is 2 cm or smaller in diameter.
T2: The tumor is 2-5 cm in diameter.
T3: The tumor is more than 5 cm in diameter.
T4: The tumor is any size, and it has attached itself to the chest wall and spread to the pectoral (chest) lymph nodes.

N indicates palpable nodes. The letter N is followed by a number from 0 to 3, which indicates whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breast and, if so, whether the affected nodes are fixed to other structures under the arm.

NX: Lymph nodes cannot be assessed (eg, lymph nodes were previously removed).
N0: Cancer has not spread to lymph nodes.
N1: Cancer has spread to the movable ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes (underarm lymph nodes on the same"

Up Close And Personal With Someone Who Has Lived With Colorectal Cancer

Up Close And Personal With Someone Who Has Lived With Colorectal Cancer: "Up Close And Personal With Someone Who Has Lived With Colorectal Cancer


(NC)-Imagine being 41 years old and being told by your family physician that you have colorectal cancer and that it has spread to other areas of your body. Treatment will involve surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Automatically your mind is racing with all sorts of questions - Am I going to die? How am I going to tell my family? What will the surgery involve? What is chemotherapy and radiation exactly? How bad will the side effects of these therapies be? How do I cope with colorectal cancer?
'Finding out you have colorectal cancer or any other type of cancer is never easy and will inevitably bring about many changes,' says Bunnie Schwartz, Founder and Co-Director of The National Colorectal Cancer Campaign, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising public awareness and funding for vital research for this deadly disease. 'However, having a positive attitude and taking control of your illness will help you to cope better and will allow you to regain a sense of power over your life,' she adds.
Bunnie lost her husband, Howard, last year to colorectal cancer. He was only 47 years old. She also lost her sister to the disease a few years ago. Nevertheless, she emphasizes the fact that her husband never stopped living. He changed his life and adapted to leading a life with colorectal cancer. Bunnie is dedicated to increasing awareness about this disease and candidly answers questions about colorectal cancer and how it affected her family. Her organization raises funds for this disease through their annual gala dinner and walk/run. This year the gala will be held on March 29th and the walk/run will take place on June 1st.
Q. How ol"

Victoriosos, Cancer Victor - Spanish Version

Victoriosos, Cancer Victor - Spanish Version: "Victoriosos, Cancer Victor - Spanish Version


Cada ma�ana, durante cinco o seis d�as del oto�o del 2003, not� que aparec�a un material pegajoso del color de la orina sobre mi antebrazo y muslo. Finalmente, para mi angustia y horror, descubr� que ese material pegajoso goteaba f�cilmente de mi pez�n izquierdo. Al no poder creerlo, me desplome sobre la silla de mi habitaci�n, con un remolino de sentimientos producto de la mezcla entre mi pena y temor. Me qued� mirando fijamente la pared blanca, sinti�ndome vac�a, distante, desconectada de lo que acababa de ver. Llam� a mi m�dico y le dije que no era una emergencia, pero que necesitaba atenci�n inmediata. Que se pod�a tratar de C�ncer.

Despu�s de examinarme, los especialistas en c�ncer de mama me solicitaron estudios de mamograf�a y ultrasonido. Se me realizaron dos sesiones tom�ndome dos placas de rayos x de cada mama y una tercera placa de rayos x de un �rea espec�fica de mi mama derecha. En el estudio de ultrasonido pude ver el �rea de mi mama derecha donde realizaron la placa extra de mamograf�a. Hab�a una masa oscura. Despu�s de la biopsia de mi mama derecha, me diagnosticaron carcinoma d�ctil infiltrante de mama, un raro, agresivo y mortal c�ncer productor de met�stasis en los huesos y pulmones. Yo ten�a los s�ntomas de met�stasis en ambos lugares.

El ultrasonido de mi mama izquierda mostr� una estela de peque�as gotas, masas desde mi axila hasta el pez�n. �Esto no puede ser bueno�, pens�. Estas masas rozaban contra los conductos, produciendo sangrado y el drenaje del material pegajoso del color de la orina. Mi mama izquierda fue diagnosticada de una enfermedad rara de los conductos. Mi onc�loga crey� que yo tambi�n ten�a c�ncer en"

Victorious, Cancer Victor

Victorious, Cancer Victor: "Victorious, Cancer Victor


Victorious
By Doreene Clement

www.the5yearjournal.com
info@the5yearjournal.com

�There it is again.� I muttered to myself, frustrated as I washed my arm.

Every morning for five or six days in the fall of 2003, I noticed rust-colored sticky stuff appearing on my left forearm and thigh. Finally, to my shock and horror, I discovered that the rust-colored sticky stuff was easily dripping from my left nipple. In disbelief, I collapsed into my bedroom chair, swirling with a mix of grief and fear. I stared at the blank white wall, feeling vacant, distant, disconnected from what I�d just seen. I called my doctor and was told this was not an emergency, but did need immediate attention. It could be cancer.

After an exam, the breast cancer specialist made an appointment for a mammogram and ultrasound. They took two sets of two x-rays on each breast and a third x-ray of a specific area of my right breast. In the ultrasound I could see the area of my right breast where they�d done the extra mammogram. There was a dark mass. After the biopsy on my right breast, I was diagnosed with infiltrating ductile carcinoma, a rare, aggressive, deadly cancer that metastasize to the bones and lungs. Next is death. I had symptoms of both bone and lung cancer.

The ultrasound of my left breast showed a trail of little beads, masses from my underarm to my nipple. �This couldn�t be good,� I thought. These masses rubbed against the ducts, causing bleeding and discharge. That was the rust-colored sticky stuff. My left breast was diagnosed with a rare duct disease. My oncologist felt that I also had cancer in this breast. She was deeply concerned, and wanted to immediately remove the mass in my right breast and cut off 1/3 or more of my left brea"

Vitamin E and Lung Cancer Prevention

Vitamin E and Lung Cancer Prevention: "Vitamin E and Lung Cancer Prevention


(NC)-Lung cancer, the most preventative of all human cancers, remains the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. Several studies have shown that vitamin E supplementation is associated with a lower risk of developing lung cancer in non-smokers. Unfortunately, the same benefit was not seen in smokers. The most effective health action for smokers is still to stop smoking.
It is believed that the beneficial effect of vitamin E is a consequence of its antioxidant role, which may be enhanced when taken in combination with
other antioxidants such as vitamin C, beta-carotene and selenium. All of these nutrients are available in a quality multivitamin such as Centrum�, available in your local pharmacy. For more information on supplementation, visit www.centrumvitamins.ca.
- News Canada
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W.H.O. gets cancer

W.H.O. gets cancer: "W.H.O. gets cancer




Below The World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) summarise what we know about cancer from scientific research:

Cancer is largely preventable: by stopping smoking, providing healthy food and avoiding the exposure to carcinogens.

Some of the most frequent cancer types are curable by surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The chance of cure increases substantially if cancer is detected early.

Quality of life of cancer patients and their families can be greatly improved by the provision of palliative care.

Cancer control is a public health approach aimed at reducing causes and consequences of cancer by translating our knowledge into practice.

Recommendations from the World Health Organisation concerning cancer include action in the following areas:



minimising or eliminating exposure to cancer causes

reducing individual susceptibility to the effects of these causes

serving the greatest public health potential

identifying the most cost-effective long-term cancer control

tobacco control

obesity control

control of composition of the diet

control of consumption of alcoholic beverages



The World Health Organisation sees cancer prevention programmes as part of integrated, national strategies. The risks they identify for cancer above are common to all noncommunicable diseases including heart, diabetes and respiratory problems. Prevention programmes for all chronic diseases are able to use the same surveillance and health promotion techniques. According to WHO recognised causes of cancer include:



occupational and environmental exposure to a number of chemicals

links between a number of infections and certain types of cancer

"